My name is Sam Stern.
My path to making massage my career has been a global one, both figuratively and literally: In 2003, I took my first course in Esalen Massage on the island of Bali. From there, I went on to study reflexology in Thailand, Reiki in New Zealand, and Pranic Healing in Los Angeles, California.
But I only went “full-time” as a healer after graduating from the rigorous 601-hour bodywork program at Oregon’s East-West College of Massage, a school with a rich focus on anatomy and kinesiology.
Throughout it all, my approach to bodywork has been guided by my ten years of experience with yoga. I hope to bring to the table a generosity of spirit and sensitivity to body awareness that is informed by the energetics of this practice.
Massage and yoga are my anchors in this world. They keep me rooted in my body, and help me escape my ego – sometimes!
My goal for you in massage is similar: I want to help you achieve a state of meditation and stability. Ideally, I would like your experience with me to be transformative – one that makes you feel not just temporarily alive, or comfortable, but permanently opened, lengthened, and aware in your body, as well as accepting in your self.
In terms of my life before massage, I attended Brown University from 1995-99, receiving a B.A. in Art/Semiotics.
I received my M.F.A. some years later at the California Institute of the Arts, where I majored in Critical Studies and Integrated Media. Among my non-yogic interests are video art, performance, comic books, and creative writing.
I’m also into food! I’m obsessed with fermenting and eating raw . . .
