Exploring Life & Business with Dori Lancaster of Dori Lancaster / Dori Empowered Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dori Lancaster.

Dori, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey into the world of health and wellness began at the age of nineteen when I took my first massage therapy course. From there, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, acquiring various certifications in diverse healing arts modalities such as nutrition education, food psychology, yoga teacher training, yoga therapy, somatic psychotherapy, fitness training, and more.

I have always been and still am passionate about massage therapy. I have now been offering bodywork for over twenty-eight years. I have done this work off and on over the past three decades but had to go back to school last year and refresh my certification, so now hold over 1,200 class hours and countless hours in the workforce (lord knows how many bodies I have touched, but it’s a LOT!).

In exciting news, I have developed a new massage modality called SonaSoma (sona = sound and soma = body). SonaSoma is a unique one-on-one experience that blends the grounding power of therapeutic massage with the vibrational resonance of sound healing. It is “stacked healing”, meaning you will receive two very potent forms of healing therapy in one place, in one session.

The experience is crafted to gently guide the nervous system from tension to tranquility through touch, tone, and presence. The majority of the instruments used are tuned to the note of C, The C note, often associated with the root chakra (Muladhara), is used in sound healing practices to promote grounding and a sense of security.

I look forward to bringing SonaSoma to the world to help people heal on even deeper levels.

In addition to bodywork, I work as a private chef and have been primarily catering wellness retreats since 2019. I have always had a passion for healthy food, and since going vegan over fifteen years ago, I have developed a sense of pride in preparing plant-based dishes people can enjoy while never missing animal products.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been pretty smooth, yet wild and fun. I believe I have always been led by Source. I ended up in a massage training at the age of nineteen, having never received a massage, and literally 24 hours before classes started on Monday, I was having a bad trip on mushrooms at a desert rave. Ha!

Massage school changed the trajectory of my whole life, and my career blossomed from that as my stepping stone. It took a lot of energy, time, money, and patience to keep going back and dedicating to yet another certification that was vocational-based because every skill I acquired, I would need to hustle to make it work for me and turn it into something.

I am and always have considered myself a lifelong learner, but I have had to put a lot of life on hold to dedicate my time and energy to studies.

After I became a mama (9 years ago), I really wanted to get back and struggled a bit to reconnect with myself and my purpose. I can confidently say now that I am in the right place, and I am super excited to offer all of the modalities I have. I can customize healing plans for just about anyone and help with anything from hands-on therapy for pain relief, to cooking/menu planning to life coaching. It’s been a long road, but I am proud of the winding paths and plot twists I’ve experienced along the way.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Dori Lancaster / Dori Empowered Wellness?
I have been deeply rooted in the health and wellness industry for nearly three decades. I specialize in massage therapy and call my style Intuitive Therapeutic. I sense what my clients need and tailor the session to them, whether it’s more of a light touch, deep tissue, trigger point work, or more energetic.
The truth is, I am well-versed in most styles of massage after so many years in the field, so I am confident and proud of the fact that I can accommodate most clients’ needs. It is my job as a professional to be able to understand them and read between the lines by assessing their bodies (and body language) and deliver an effective and healing treatment.

SonaSoma is my newest modality and one I am creating myself. It is unique in its offering of individual bodywork and soundbath. One practitioner = one sanctuary.

I also specialize in plant-based cooking for intimate private events such as birthday parties or wellness retreats. I love cooking nourishing family-style meals and also adore putting grazing boards together–from savory to sweet!

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are many opportunities to work together! If you are based in Los Angeles, you can receive hands-on bodywork or a SonaSoma healing session.

This also goes for cooking events based in Los Angeles, but I also travel for cooking gigs. I work a lot in the Joshua Tree / Yucca Valley area, but have also worked in other states for wellness retreats.
The possibilities are endless there!

I love collaborating on projects so much, so if you are reading this and are in need of someone to cook for an upcoming project or you’d like to have a massage therapist on-site, please reach out!

You can best support me by telling people about me, and if we’ve worked together, please share your experiences with your community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dorilancaster.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram,com/dori_empowered_wellness & https://www.instagram,com/sonasomahealing

Image Credits
MJ Guertin