Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelica Villarruel.
Angelica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
To be honest, I don’t know where to begin. I will say that life has a way of bringing you to places and spaces you never imagined you’d be. This is where I am at right now in my life. I never thought I’d be where I’m at today, doing the work that I do.
At the age of 5, I knew I wanted to be a pediatrician. That desire to be a pediatrician stayed with me up until my sophomore year in high school. It was at this point where I realized this was not the path for me. Even though I knew I was no longer going to take the route of becoming a pediatrician, my desire to work with children never left me. I eventually went into Education after graduating from UC Riverside. I loved working with students, but for some reason, I had a feeling there was something more for me to do.
In 2011, my life felt pretty stagnant. At the time, I was living in Bakersfield for three years and had been trying to move back to LA, with no success. That same year I reached out for help and began working with a Life Coach. In a matter of 3 months, I was able to move back to LA and had a clearer vision of what I wanted to do at that time. I stayed in Education and even began working with children on the spectrum doing Behavioral Therapy. Once again, I began to have the feeling of needing to do more, but I didn’t know what it was.
My life changed again in 2014, when I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Within months I had to make life-changing decisions that would take me down a path I had no idea of. During the months of healing after my surgery, I finally had the time to reflect and connect with where I really wanted my life to go. I knew my life was in the process of changing, but I didn’t quite know how it would change or when it would change.
In 2015, I came across the book Woman Who Glows in the Dark by Elena Avila. Reading this book sparked a fire in me that would eventually lead me to massage therapy. Not too long after reading this book, I attended a healing retreat my Life Coach was offering in Hawaii. In the time I spent at the retreat, I set specific intentions to be guided where I needed and wanted to be in my life. About two months later, I made the decision to sign up for massage school.
I remember that day quite clearly…
The day I walked onto the campus of NHI (National Holistic Institute – Studio City), I was overwhelmed with emotion and knew immediately that this was where I needed to be. For the next year, I worked full time and went to school. When I signed up for the program, I did not know how it would all work out, but I trusted that it would, and it did! I did not have one day off that year between work, school, working in the clinic on campus, and completing externship hours. The idea to work for myself began to grow within as I made my way through my program. I decided that I would continue to work at the school where I was at and once I graduated from my massage program, I would work with clients after my day of work. I spent the next two years after graduating from massage school working full time and then taking clients in the evenings on weekdays and on weekends. During this time, I continued learning and gaining more skills by taking continued educational trainings and workshops in order to figure out what I wanted to specialize in. It wasn’t until I spent a week in training with Carole Osborne that I knew, without a doubt, I would specialize in Prenatal and Postpartum massage.
My desire to work with children and my experience of having cervical cancer somehow tied into this work as a massage therapist. I have used my experiences and education to give me access to the tools needed to provide this work to clients. I have also attended workshops and even completed a nine-month program learning about Postpartum care using Mexican Traditional Medicine (MTM) with Indigemama (Panquetzani Ticitl).
Last June (June 2018), I was presented with the opportunity to work for myself as a Massage Therapist and nurture my business that I slowly began in 2016. After spending ten years in Education, I now was making that leap of faith and learning to trust that the work I had been investing in for the past three years would pay off. And it has!
I recently celebrated my first year working for myself. I have been able to do so much within this time. I continue to invest towards my skills, learning as much as I can on my own and through trainings/workshops. I am currently working towards a three-year apprenticeship with Indigemama, and I’m in the final stages of completing my certification to be an Infant Massage Instructor. I am grateful and love that I get to do this work. Not only is this work fulfilling, but I am able to use my experience I’ve had in Education and my personal life experiences to help the people I work with every day.
There are so many other moments that brought me here today.
These moments that I have shared are the most defining moments I’ve lived through since 2011. Along with these moments are also so many people that have been mentors, teachers, and supporters. Without them, I don’t think I would be anywhere close to where I am today. With that, I would like to personally thank them. I would like to thank my Life Coach Stephanie Alva for all her guidance and support these past eight years. Also, to my mentor/maestra Panquetzani Ticitl, for her support and guidance. For trusting me to be her student, learning this ancestral medicine, and being able to incorporate it into the work I do. I am also extremely grateful to all the teachers I had at NHI – Studio City. I wouldn’t be a Certified Massage Therapist without them! To Dr. Elena Esparza and Chrissy Bear for taking me under their wings and allowing me to gain the confidence in myself as a massage therapist during my externship at Just Breathe Healing. To Sparrow Harrington for her mentorship, guidance, and allowing me to be part of her team. I am forever grateful to my family, boyfriend, and friends for their support and love throughout these years. And last but not least, to all the clients that I have worked with thus far, I thank you! Every day I am presented with new opportunities that allow me to grow in the work I do and to show up for them.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would say that this journey has been quite smooth. There have been plenty of times where the process was extremely uncomfortable. One of the most significant things that I have learned throughout this journey is learning how to surrender and trust. Understanding the power we have in manifesting our desires is real, and when we are able to tap into that power, the possibilities are endless. I noticed the times I tried controlling every little aspect in my life, things tended to take longer to manifest themselves. The more I practiced surrendering my control on how it all would manifest, the faster I saw my desires and goals come into fruition. Most of the time, what I desired came into fruition in ways that went beyond what I imagined or even asked for. I am grateful for the uncomfortable moments because not only did they allow me to learn more about myself and what I was willing to accept, I was also given opportunities to grow.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Meztli Massage Therapy is a mobile massage service that provides massage in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. I started Meztli Massage Therapy to bring more awareness about massage and its benefits, especially to people of color. I feel that many of us can have this idea that massage is a luxury that only people with money can afford. But the truth, to me, is very far from that. Massage is necessary to our well being on many levels. I feel that the world would be a better place in so many ways if everyone was able to get a massage on a regular basis.
The services I provide include therapeutic massage that is tailored to my clients’ needs. Prenatal and postpartum massage is my specialty, along with labor-induction and labor – prep massage, c-section scar rehabilitation, lactation massage, and postpartum care that incorporates Mexican Traditional Medicine. I absolutely enjoy being able to hold space and provide support to women at such a pivotal time in their life. Pregnancy and the Postpartum period can be quite overwhelming for women physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. Having access to this type of care and support can make the whole process flow smoothly and alleviate any stress.
My goal is to not only bring awareness about massage and its benefits to the clients I work with but also to create a safe space for clients to feel supported and cared for.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was a pretty shy and quiet child. I was also very observant. Being so observant allowed me to learn a lot about people and adults. I knew more about life than I probably should have at a young age. I think this allowed me to be more aware of my surroundings and who I was. I spent a lot of time by myself, especially when I was not around my cousins. Spending this time alone as a child made me find creative ways to play by myself. I also was always in my head; imagining, creating, and questioning life and the world beyond. As I mentioned before, at the age of 5, I was certain I would become a pediatrician as an adult. From that age, I always had that desire to work in an environment that impacted and helped children in some way.
Pricing:
- Rates range from $75 – $180
- Massage Package Rates range from $330 -$1600
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Phone: (626)657-8753
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @meztlimassagetherapy
Image Credit:
Corina De Leon
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