For more than 15 years, I’ve been a scuba diving instructor, but every time I slip into the ocean, I’m humbled and amazed by the experience. The reefs’ countless residents welcome me, each moving gracefully with their own special beauty and purpose in life.

I seek out every dive for different reasons. Some days I simply want to relax—sinking into the watery depths of another, exotic world. Other times, I crave excitement—schooling with hammerhead sharks or playing with manta rays. No matter what my goal, the experience is always escapist, helping me clear my mind and find my focus.

Your clients flow into your practice just as I journey to the reef. As travelers in the world of wellness, they surrender their bodies and spirits to the stunning diversity of the bodywork profession. Each has different needs and wants. The profession is so broad and, ideally, your toolbox is so full that you’re able to meet their needs, no matter what their reasons for coming to you.

Another thing I love about the ocean is the instinctive respect its creatures have for one another, something I hope those of us who make our living in the world of bodywork have as well. There’s a place for all of us as we swim the currents of competition, economics, and life. Of course, there will be hurricanes, misplaced anchors, and aggressive sharks along the way, but those have their place in our profession’s evolution as well. And we can work together to weather them and recover.

In this practice-building issue, you’ll learn many things about how
to nurture your own bodywork-practice ecosystem and preserve it for
your clients. I hope you emerge with a clearer sense of your mission
and go on to utilize the wealth of ABMP BizFit materials online at
ABMP.com. Remember that even though some days you may feel like a little fish in a big ocean, to your clients—and to me—you’re the most beautiful.

Leslie A. Young, Editor in Chief                                                 

leslie@abmp.com