By Theresa Leppert, LMT, CA
There was light….. I am often asked how I came to this career as a massage therapist. After 25 years working in an office, and dealing with chronic pain due to an injury, I was encouraged (over a decade ago) to get a massage by a new chiro I was seeing.
Massage? Isn’t that what rich people do on vacation?
I’m not going to lie – I was a bit intimidated. I had never heard the term “therapeutic massage.” I thought massage was something that rich people did on vacation! How wrong I was. The combination of regular chiropractic care and massage gave me my life back – literally. At one point in my 30s, I was contemplating buying all slip-on shoes, because I could no longer bend over to tie them. I couldn’t hike, or bike, or work out, or get in a kayak or canoe. Anyone who knows me and how much I love the outdoors will understand how disheartening it was for me.
In 2009, we had just moved up here from the Quad Cities. On the suggestion of that chiropractor, I did an internet search for “Massage in Maquoketa” and found Dena Ochoa at Healing Arts Therapeutic Massage. I had so many questions during that 1-hour massage. She answered every single one. I went home feeling like a million bucks – and told my husband “I want to learn how to do that.” I could TOUCH MY TOES!
Time to enroll in massage school.
It took me a year or two, but I eventually signed up for massage school. Dena became a friend and was nice enough to mentor me through school. Once I graduated, she was looking for someone to help out in her office – and that was the beginning of what has become an amazing career. I graduated in 2012, and left that other job to do massage full time at the end of 2014.
The amazing women at Healing Arts Therapeutic Massage
I’ve worked with some awesome ladies over at Healing Arts Therapeutic Massage.
I rented space at HATM for more than a decade. During that time, I also went to school at The Aromahead Institute, became a Certified Aromatherapist, and started my own company: Lucida Sol Wellness & Botanicals. “Lucida Sol” means “Bright Sun” – which is how I felt about my future as an LMT. As that business grew, I found I needed more room. This past May, I moved into my own space at 111 E. Platt Street.
We had an amazing crew at Healing Arts. Even though we have all moved on to doing our own thing, we are all still great friends – talking almost every single day. I miss seeing them at the office all the time, honestly….. but I do absolutely love my new space!
In conclusion.
You might be wondering where I am going with all of this. I will be using this blog space weekly to share all kinds of info. I plan to talk about therapeutic massage, aromatherapy, Reiki, wellness – anything that strikes my fancy and things that I think will be beneficial for all of you. C’mon – tag along – it’ll be a fun ride! 😊 Follow and subscribe to stay in touch!
Connect with me!
Theresa Leppert, LMT, CA
563-484-0653
Facebook: Lucida Sol Wellness & Botanicals
Lucida Sol Wellness & Botanicals 
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