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Hidden Gems: Meet Amy Zamarripa CranioSacral & Massage Therapies

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Zamarripa.

Hi Amy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started in San Antonio, Texas. My skill set had me working as an executive assistant at several large companies with driven CEOs. I enjoyed my work. At age twenty-five, I was involved in a car accident that created two and a half years of searching for ways to relieve my neck, back, and arm pain. Finally, I agreed to have neck surgery. My neurosurgeon told me I couldn’t be on the computer all day anymore. I decided to become a licensed massage therapist. I attended two massage schools in San Antonio and started practicing full-time in 1997. I’ve averaged approximately one thousand clients per year since. In 2003 I moved to Austin to study with an Iyengar-trained yoga instructor. I then moved to Tulum, Mexico, to teach yoga, massage, and lead daily meditations at the Maya Tulum resort. I returned to Austin, Texas, in 2004 to start my massage business and perform as a singer-songwriter. I began studying craniosacral therapy through the Upledger Institute in 2008. Creating blended sessions and utilizing deep tissue and craniosacral techniques have been the best way to facilitate lasting relief of chronic issues for clients. During my nineteen years of practicing as a licensed massage therapist in Austin, Texas, I have worked with the Spine and Rehab Center, The Heart Hospital Executive Wellness Clinic, and Seton Hospitals, as well as new mom massage and craniosacral treatments in the labor and delivery rooms. What an honor that has been!

I booked, hosted, and performed at music events for ten years in Austin, including many other local singer-songwriters. Playing shows from the Whip-In and Cactus Cafe to the Butterfly Bar and Hotel Vegas has been fun to experience in Austin. Currently, I am streaming my original songs on 150+ platforms. I am recording at Curlyhead Studio and releasing new songs every few months.

My massage and craniosacral practice have been located in the Northwest Hills area for six years. I got to where I am today because I had to find ways to relieve my pain. When you have struggled through that journey, you maintain a deep well of empathy for folks trying to find their way through similar circumstances. Through the years, I have expanded my specializations to include cranial nerve, glial cell, enteric system focus, and jaw pain/TMJ relief. Through the craniosacral paradigm, with hands-on techniques, I have cultivated ways to ease migraines and calm the central nervous system. Working with thousands of people has shown me the value of quality use of the body and brain. It’s the one vehicle we don’t want to get out of! It’s also the one vehicle for which so many of us have been trained not to have a maintenance plan.

My definition of freedom is being able to think for myself and move my body as I want for as long as possible when I work with the amazing individuals I know who are in their eighties and nineties, I pay attention to a well-lived life means being able to function and benefit from using our bodies in whatever way that makes us happy. I am grateful to have created a meaningful and gratifying career through massage and craniosacral therapies.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Providing deep tissue massage for a living is not for the faint of heart. There are many good reasons why it is hard to find a therapist who has been at it for more than five years. First, you must deal with the physical pain your body goes through to build up strength in your hands and arms. That process takes the first three years. Then, you have to figure out how to work for yourself, or you risk burning out because finding a position that pays well is challenging. If you can make it through to being your boss, then you must navigate every client’s unique health trajectories. This is not a career that allows for a lot of micromanaging of other people’s goals. The best tactic is to be there for yourself so that you are ready when it is time to be there for others. I have learned that you cannot take anyone anywhere you haven’t been yourself. I have struggled and, finally, reached a point where I don’t have goals for anyone they don’t have for themselves. This has freed me up to be more profoundly available to those who are determined to find ways to live their versions of the best life has to offer.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a licensed massage therapist specializing in craniosacral therapy. Creating unique sessions blending massage and craniosacral techniques provides long-lasting benefits. I am currently in my twenty-sixth year of full-time practice. Clients find me because they are experiencing jaw pain, migraines, anxiety, and insomnia. I can create a calm, safe space for resetting the central nervous system. The vagus nerve runs from the brain to the belly. A global focus is necessary to help the system regulate. The intraoral work that I provide for the masseter, pterygoid, and buccal areas allows for relief from clenching and grinding of the teeth.

My work with children, whole families, and new moms is very gratifying. When a young child is not digesting food properly, everyone is concerned. My work with the enteric system through the craniosacral modality has brought welcome relief to many ages. I have been practicing for several years, which has set me apart and combined the productive use of massage techniques with the finer aspects of the craniosacral system focus. My ability to explain while I work is also a valuable trait. The craniosacral modality is a new universe. Having a general template to understand its effects on your body while receiving treatment is helpful. It is also wonderful to just zen out and relaxes. A combination of both is an option during a session with me.

Our brains are all running at breakneck speed. Our world requires a faster pace, no matter how hard we push ourselves. I offer a setting that allows a mindful way to slow down, recharge and replenish naturally. I offer resources, local contacts, and referrals supporting clients’ health and well-being goals. I am most proud that I have maintained my dedication while being fully invested in doing my work to be the healthiest practitioner possible for the benefit of the health and well-being of my clients as well as my own. I am grateful to have gained over three hundred sixty hours of continuing education through the craniosacral modality specializing in the brain, cranial nerve, and enteric system health has allowed me to expand on the beneficial techniques I offer. I enjoy having clients that range in age from newborns to the nineties. I am known for truly caring about my clients. We are all in this together. Finding ways to ease each other’s pain and concern brightens the world for everyone. Massage and craniosacral have been the vehicles for me to do what I can to do my part.

What makes you happy?
I thoroughly enjoy meeting a stranger who has tried everything imaginable to be pain-free, only to contemplate the possibility of no relief. I have been there myself. I value the challenge and am driven by the purpose of not giving up on those who do not want to give up on themselves. I don’t offer magic pills or quick fixes. I am willing to take the time to help the body unwind at its own pace. I don’t approach the body with an agenda. Meeting each individual where they are and connecting authentically makes me happy—having opportunities to utilize the skills I have spent twenty-six years cultivating content for me. Writing, recording, and performing my music also makes me happy. Finding ways to share strength found through life experiences lifts my heart.

Pricing:

  • one hour 150
  • 90 minutes 200
  • 120 minutes 250
  • 6-one hour sessions package 840
  • 6-90 minute sessions package 1,120

Contact Info:

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