| A Calling to Heal An interview with Carmelita Davis-Beets by Janet Lang Smith Some people, it seems, are simply born with a calling to heal. Carmelita Davis-Beets of Kansas City, Mo., is one of those people. Carmelita -- Carm, to those who know her -- firmly believes that she is following the path chosen for her by God. "My first career was in the ballroom dance industry," Carm says. "I was a dance instructor and ultimately managed a club where ballroom dance was taught. It was a wonderful career! But I began learning about alternative healing, and in my heart, I knew this is what I was supposed to be doing. It is so important to follow your dreams and do what you know in your soul you are meant to do. If you ignore that, it will cause you pain in one way or another as you live out your life." To follow this calling, Carm earned certifications in acupuncture, Reiki, electromagnetic field balancing, neuromuscular therapy, hypnosis, cranial sacral therapy, yoga and Hellerwork. But she found that no healing method existed that addressed equally the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of our lives through the medium of the body. So 18 years ago, she developed her own unique method of structural bodywork and natural healing, which she called Body Somatic Therapy. She went into private practice and became so busy with clients that she could hardly keep up. Next, Carm did what any healer with an entrepreneurial spirit would do: She opened a school to teach others the very special form of bodywork she had created. "The demand for my work as a Body Somatic Practitioner became more than I could possibly handle," she says. "I decided to form a school to teach my method of balancing the entire person." The Midwest Institute of Bodywork and Somatic Therapy opened in 1992. "I really believe my school is an alternative healing school unlike any other," Carm says. "Our graduates become Certified Body Somatic Practitioners, so much of our curriculum is the teaching of structural bodywork -- the manipulation of the body's deep connective tissue that surrounds every muscle. With this type of bodywork, we eliminate pain, increase energy, flexibility and mobility, and heal the body. In addition to the bodywork, our students learn a variety of alternative healing methods including cranial sacral therapy, Reiki, electromagnetic field balancing and trigger point therapy. Most importantly, though, we combine the bodywork and other physical healing methods with techniques that encourage emotional and spiritual healing as well. Our unique approach truly allows each person to become fully healthy and balanced in mind, body and spirit." Carm says students who attend the Midwest Institute have a deep interest in helping others experience healing and meet their potential in life. "Certified Body Somatic Practitioners learn to restructure and realign bodies to bring about healing and wholeness," she says. "Body somatics clears the body, removes pain, and restores natural movement and balance, as well as energy flow. Students studying body somatics learn how the body works, and how various parts of our bodies house different emotions. We go way beyond what massage, chiropractic, acupuncture and psychotherapy can each do individually for a person. The healing power of body somatics is truly amazing." The atmosphere of the school sets the stage for each student to do some internal searching, Carm says. "We must heal ourselves before we can heal others. Our faculty spends a great deal of time helping our students work through physical and emotional pain -- helping them face issues from the past that may be manifested in headaches or other physical pain or in depression, poor life choices, or a spirit that is not soaring as it should be. Therefore, the atmosphere at the school is one of complete love, acceptance and nurturing." Since its founding, 60 Certified Body Somatic Practitioners have graduated from the Institute, and the school now has about 125 students. Students are of all ages and backgrounds, and many seek out the Certified Body Somatic Practitioner program in mid-life stages, searching for more meaning in life. The school is in the process of adding a Shiatsu Certification program. Carm says many students are interested in Eastern medicine and that Shiatsu is a wonderful addition to the curriculum. Starting a school and watching it grow has given her tremendous joy. "Having your own business gives you the opportunity to use inspiration to create what you believe in. You need courage, conviction, and a strong belief in yourself. There are painful moments, which always lead to a new door to open or path to walk down. The business only grows if you grow." But don't think that Carm has abandoned her practice as a Certified Body Somatic Practitioner in favor of running a school. "I really do both," she says, "and I love both jobs. Working one-on-one with my clients is incredibly rewarding, and I absolutely could not give that up. By looking at the body, mind, spirit and emotions, I help my clients understand that if there are problems in one of these areas, those problems will impact the other areas. I have helped people with chronic headaches, neck and shoulder pain, back aches, stomach problems...you name it. Usually, we can trace the chronic pain to emotional or physical trauma that occurred quite some time ago -- often, back to childhood. When that trauma is stored in the body, regardless of its cause, it will likely result in pain. When we talk through the cause, while working to 'unglue' the body's connective tissue, pain begins to go away. I have seen this happen over and over again. There is nothing more satisfying than helping people reach a point where they are free of pain and able to reach their highest potential." One patient of Carm's, a woman in her 40s who asked to remain anonymous, attests to the healing power of Body Somatic Therapy. "Before I began to see Carm a year ago, I was always in pain," she says. "My shoulders were hard as rocks and ached constantly, and my neck and upper back always felt like they could hardly support my head. My posture was poor and I just felt lousy most of the time. I had spoken with physicians, physical therapists, massage therapists and chiropractors about my problems, and their remedies were short-lasting, at best. But Carm started working on my problem areas and talking to me and it didn't take long for me to understand how abuse I had suffered as a child and in relationships had affected my body. Carm helped me see that when there is pain we don't want to deal with -- when we are in denial or too fragile to face it -- we often store that pain and the emotions that go with it in our back, neck and shoulders. Out of sight, out of mind, right? "I also learned from Carm that my rounded shoulders were from my unconscious desire to protect myself from a broken heart. After many weeks of talking about these issues while Carm worked on my aching body, I began to feel much better. Today, a year later, I am like a different human being! I look better, feel better, and have much more confidence in myself. Body Somatic Therapy is amazing and unlike anything else I have ever experienced." "We can only live our life to its fullest when mind, body and spirit are in harmony," Carm says. "Body imbalances affect our emotional well-being, self-awareness, and relationships with others. What could be better than helping people evolve to a higher level of being? With this professional, I have been blessed by everything that I do and everyone that I meet. We all heal each other." The Midwest Institute of Bodywork and Somatic Therapy is located at 5518 N. Antioch Road in Kansas City, Mo. The school is certified by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. More information about the school may be found at www.body-somatics.com or by calling (816) 453-3577. Janet Lang Smith lives in Kansas City and writes frequently on health-related topics. Her book, Ten Things to Help You Survive and Heal While Grieving, was published in 2002 by Forest of Peace Publishing in Leavenworth, Kan. Janet writes a column, "WellLink," which appears every other Wednesday in the Eastern Jackson County Examiner. She owns a public relations firm, Expansion Communications, and directs an organization that provides free dental care to children in need. Copyright © 2004 Janet Lang Smith |
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March 2004 |
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