Guest Interview: Jerica Green

​This series of guest interviews is part of the Practicing Together project - a 6 month exploration of the 5 Practices framework that I use in my Seeds of Connection groups.  Each guest was invited to choose 5 questions from a list of over 60 questions that were based on the different practices.  The questions are being posted over the next many months on my Instagram feed - follow along and answer them for yourself, and see how others in the community are reflecting on these topics.  A new guest interview will be posted to this blog every Friday from June through November 2022.  Read more about the Practicing Together project and join us for the monthly Community Calls for deeper exploration!

​This week the guest interview I'm sharing is with Jerica Green.  I regularly get to see Jerica through a small business networking group that we are a part of.  She is a fun and deeply caring person, and her enthusiasm for the work she is doing is immediately apparent.  I've so enjoyed getting to know her, meeting (virtually for now) her ferret babies (they are sooooo cuuuute!!!), and learning more about faschia and our amazing bodies through her.  As you read through her answers to the 5 questions she chose, I'm sure you will find tidbits that are fun, engaging, energetic, and super interesting - just like Jerica!

Leave a comment and let us know YOUR thoughts about these questions - what would your answers be?

How do “woo” and science interact and reconcile in your life and work?
I feel like I've always existed in the intersection of woo and science. My father is a medical doctor and my mother is a buddhist/reiki master/artist. They both taught me the importance of each branch of thought.

Now I am a manual & massage therapist utilizing both the understanding of -anatomy, physiology and kinesiology and blending it with -energy work, visualization and affirmation etc. I think my work would be so different, perhaps less impactful, if I didn't incorporate both into my practice. Science and woo, work hand in hand. Woo is the dreamer, the creative, reaching beyond the known. Science anchors our thoughts into an easily measurable reality.

In my experience the main difference between science and woo is that woo is more difficult to objectively quantify, to measure and describe definitively. Just because we cannot find the words for it doesn't make it any less useful, impactful or important. 

Are there ways that you engage with somatics (mind + body connection) for yourself?
Somatics is the basis of my professional practice. I have explored the mind + body connection through many mediums. The way I engage most often is using one to calm the other.  If I have a part of my body that is speaking out to me, positively or negatively, I will manually or energetically work on that area and notice what comes up. Emotions, thoughts, patterns, words, shapes, noises, and memories are all examples of things that turn up when working on that body part. They say the body keeps the score. Everything is stored in the body, especially trauma. Sometimes just being with that space can help you work through it. Plus touch and presence are very grounding sensations, they can help to calm the mind if needed. If you can calm your mind it can help you calm your body. Counting sheep before going to sleep for example. 

How does curiosity show up in your life?
I am curious about everything. I love to learn and I am always doing so. In my life, curiosity ties into play. How will this taste if I add this other ingredient? Will working on this muscle create more availability to this other one? What are the driving factors behind this person's actions? I wonder how hard it is to fix this broken couch? Most of my questions lead to at least some sort of research, and maybe half the time birth into a project of some sort. I am grateful for the internet for instant gratification to most of my curiosities.

Do you consider yourself generally more optimistic or pessimistic?  Why?
I am a highly optimistic person. I can see the silver lining in most situations. I think that has helped lift me up and progress through difficult times. I’m not exactly sure why I’m this way. I think I just determined that being optimistic felt better in my mind-body and just ran with it. 

What is your relationship with the concept of “boundaries”?
Boundaries are extremely important! I’ve struggled with my own boundaries for years but the longer I live the more I come back to how important they are. Boundary work is lifelong, continuous, dynamic, and will likely change over time. They are important for your relationships, friendships, , physical/mental/emotional/sexual health, work life, personal life.. Basically every aspect of being human.​

---

BIO

My name is Jerica Green. I own Fountain of Youth, a womxn focused massage and manual therapy clinic in the Fauntleroy neighborhood of West Seattle. I mainly practice SOMA Neuromuscular Structural Integration and pre/peri/post natal Massage. These techniques have long lasting effects including - increasing: range of motion, circulation, and mind-body awareness as well as reducing: pain, anxiety, depression, tension and stress. Some common issues this work can help with are: poor posture, healing from surgery/injury, PMS, peri/menopause, preparing for pregnancy, easing discomfort/issues during pregnancy, reclaiming your body postpartum, scoliosis, chronic sinus issues, TMJD, plantar fasciitis, headaches, irregular stance, incontinence, and prolapse. You can reach me at 253-234-5734 or jerica@fountainofyouth.healthcare with any further questions. Check out the Fountain of Youth Facebook page here.​

---