Journey of an Emmett Therapist

Opportunities? Sometimes you just have to follow your gut feeling and take the opportunity there in front of you, not knowing where it will lead. Crossroads can be confusing. The direction that may be good for some, but not for others, I guess that's why we have that gut feeling.

That's how I felt when I first experienced the Emmett phenomenon in May 2009, what was this therapy and how can it be so simple but still have such profound benefits for the body, I was at a cross roads, I had been diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in October 2007, after living with a mystery illness for two years and being unwell on and off as a child and through my adult life, being told it s only food poisoning or just a passing virus, (why was I the only one getting ill) thinking it was all in my head?

Through those few years from 2005 to 2009 I had been into hospital a couple of times. Spent weeks and months bed ridden, fallen in and out of depression, and spent a lot of time looking for answers, (there is no answer). I told myself I would not let it define who I am, as much as the people would tell me what I should and shouldn't be doing. I refused to believe I had to live with the disease, The Disease Had To Live With Me, not an easy statement for people to believe. They tend to tell you, you are in denial, Rubbish!

My wife Kyla knows me well, I had taken a bad turn and was in the Noosa hospital, looking very, very yellow, I was in a tremendous amount of pain, she could tell I was not handling it well. She looked at me with a tear falling from her eye and said, you know Matt you are a lot stronger than you realize. This was one of those defining moments in life. I realized I had succumbed to the brow beatings, and was doing what everyone thought I should be doing. Living with the disease instead of it living with me. It was time to find me again.

I remember when I first started massaging in 2000; I would treat people, as they are, human beings with feelings and emotions. Somewhere along the way I became over educated and a little cock sure and arrogant to what people were really asking for. Perhaps being unwell was intended as a wake-up call, I didn't hear it. Well not until I witnessed Ross, my god had I gone that far astray. The first weekend of training was like someone running round in side my head ringing a bell; my eyes were re opened to why I had become a massage therapist, to help people. I had become one of the many that tell people what they need instead of listening to what they are asking of me.

For me, becoming an Emmett therapist or a therapist who uses Emmett therapies is not about flashy moves with big impressive words and overpowering technique, it's about understanding your ability to truly being able to help someone and being able to set aside your own ideals, being open, realizing you can't always help everyone and you certainly can't cure anyone. But you can help them to help themselves. You can ease pain and discomfort. You can help to re balance their bodies and allow their bodies to retune. You can give them back their confidence and strength, and you can definitely help make their muscles work better.

I had no idea that being taught by Ross would be such a life changing experience (for the better). Lying in that hospital bed I thought I had lost something. It was still there, it just needed to be given some air to breathe again.

Thanks to Ross, the Emmett team, and Ange, I now lead a fairly normal life, I would say my fitness is above average, I still have a disease, and know it is a real one, I tend to forget to take my medication from time to time and it reminds me its still there, but instead of taking weeks or months to recover from flare-ups its now a matter of days, I am no longer defined as having inflammatory bowel disease. In fact I have trouble saying the words now as I feel it is only a small component of who I am, (and no that is not denial). Its more a reminder that I am different, as is the next person, and I hope I never forget that again.

The learning, sharing, giving and accepting and growing with the other Emmett students has been a wonderful experience.