We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amethyst. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amethyst below.

Amethyst, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

When I decided to become a massage therapist 20 years ago, it was to earn a living. I had been playing around with energy healing for about seven years, off and on. I spent a lot of time defending my choice to better people’s lives through energy healing. Getting paid for it was something that seldom happened. Pro bono work defined my life.

Massage was a path I could follow to pay my rent, eat and travel, while still offering energy work to those few who sought health care alternatives. Back in those early days, people were not nearly as open to alternatives as they are today. It became my “sideline”, although it was also my secret passion. Fortunately, my massages were fairly unique in that I had chosen to specialize in Ashiatsu, a massage administered by the therapist’s feet. Not the classic walking-on-the-back variety, but a lovely massage with long, sweeping strokes varying the pressure from feather light to as deep as my weight of 100 pounds. My business flourished.

I worked my butt off, doing as many as six massages a day, at age 45. I often ended my day by skipping dinner in favor of curling up in bed, exhausted. The hard work paid off, as I wisely invested every extra penny in mutual funds that grew exponentially. By the time I reached my 62nd year, I had a nest egg that afforded me the chance to make massage my sideline and come out of the closet as an energy healing facilitator.

So, where was the risk, you might ask? After so many years of providing energy work only to those who sought it, I was putting it out as my passion, my calling. My massage clients were encouraged to step away from the modality they had grown to love and embrace something much more ethereal. Would they turn to another massage therapist and leave me to my airy-fairy dreams? Or would my excellent reputation give them the courage to try something new. Would my success continue, or would it just slowly peter out as I grew closer to the age where many retire.

How did it turn out?

While I continue to do Ashiatsu massage, even as a very fit 66-year-old I have had to cut back. Easier than doing massage by hand, Ashiatsu still requires physical effort. I do better when I do less. My clients deserve my best with every massage they get and my best just doesn’t shine through when I’m tired. I still enjoy rave reviews!

My business of energy work grows slowly but I now have a very long list of grateful pro bono clients. One of my specialties is working on patients who are either going through chemotherapy and are suffering debilitating side effects, or patients who have completed their chemo and are still suffering. My work takes them from a life that can be barely tolerable to a life that’s very tolerable. It fills my heart.

For the last two and a half years, I have also offered a free, weekly, Facebook LIVE Guided Group Healing on Sundays at 10am Cozumel time, on my Facebook page Amethyst Healing. It features a relaxation exercise, a guided meditation for grounding, a ten-minute healing energy transmission (which can be directed with intention by the person receiving to a physical or emotional healing, or to shift a situation or relationship), followed by a wake-up exercise and gratitude affirmations. All in about half an hour. It the best half hour I spend each week, reaching up to 700 people.

Amethyst, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Sally Hurwitch, and it is my privilege to be a massage therapist, certified by the San Francisco School of Massage. My entry into the field of bodywork began over 25 years ago, when I became a Reiki practitioner, then a Reiki master. Working on the energy body naturally led to working with the physical body. The combination is a powerful one.

I have lived full-time in Cozumel, Mexico for over 25 years. During the early years, I had the good fortune to be a partner in one of the most beautiful miniature golf courses in the world. However, my desire to return to bodywork led me to create Barefoot in Cozumel, which allows me to provide body and energy therapy according to the needs of my clients.

Adding Ashiatsu Massage to my skills took my work to a whole new level. This exceptional modality is not only incredibly relaxing but can provide long lasting relief from chronic back pain. Weighing in at around 100 pounds (45 kg), I can provide a very deep massage without risk of injury to the client.

I work from my home, located near the Cozumel airport. It is an exceptionally quiet residence, comfortably air conditioned, with indoor and outdoor waiting areas. The front patio has a beautiful fountain, and the living room is very comfortable. Free WiFi reaches both waiting areas.

My personal background includes a B.A. from Wellesley College in 1981, where I majored in math and economics. From there I spent many years teaching computer classes. In 1998, Cozumel called me to a very different life. I haven’t looked back since.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been to send an email after working on each new client with a set of stretches attached, tailored to the areas of the body that needed most attention during their massage. In the body of the email, I ask for a TripAdvisor review, including links.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

TripAdvisor was instrumental in building my business and reputation. Under my business name Barefoot in Cozumel, I have over 240 TripAdvisor reviews spanning over 15 years. All but three are 5 stars, the remaining are 4 stars. You would be hard pressed to find another business anywhere in the world with a TripAdvisor track record like that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.barefootincozumel.com and www.energychangeslives.com
• Facebook: Barefoot in Cozumel and Amethyst Healing (both are pages, not groups)
• Youtube: Energy Changes Lives

Image Credits

Mik ‘n Drik Photography