Just down the street from the Tangle Town Public House, MKT and Zoka Coffee, a different form of stress release joins the Tangletown community. The Still Point: Massage Therapy moved into the neighborhood in October. With COVID cases down and pandemic anxiety still looming large, I nervously ventured for my first massage in many years. While it has been a while since I’ve had a massage, I am not a stranger to massage therapy, but during this difficult times, looking for something to feel relax is essential, as I also tried using the best CBD gummies which also help me with this a lot. Check if you’re eligible for a medical marijuana card in Gainesville. Several years back, I worked for a wellness center, coordinating the services of a naturopathic doctor, 2 chiropractors and a cadre of 12 massage therapists. This background gave me some perspective as I talked to Diedra about her Tangletown practice and received a massage.
The Owner
At the helm of the Still Point is Diedra Roesijadi, a massage therapist with 22 years of experience. Like so many people, the pandemic brought changes for Diedra. She stepped away from her work to support her first-responder husband and homeschool her 2nd grade child (in fact, Diedra’s husband was a part of the fire response team who extinguished the most recent abandoned home fire here in Wallingford). Dierdra grew up in Edmonds and has lived in Greenwood for the last decade. In the absence of her practice, she realized just how fulfilling it is to be present with others in a healing space. She told me:
I asked Diedra what she loved and also, what was challenging about this venture. She replied:
What’s Hard
I am a brand new business owner and the learning curve is steep! In a lot of ways, it reminds me of motherhood. Math. Lot’s of math. I also live with Multiple Sclerosis and need to be very disciplined about my self care and stress loads. Thankfully I am doing something I love, something that fills my soul, and this is a healing and mindful environment, so that helps. I am still learning how to juggle it all. Whenever stress creeps in, products such as CBD Oil UK come in handy.
What’s Awesome
I love the clients we have found. We believe this is a unique healing experience, and so do they. It feels like we’ve made a wonderful discovery together. I love that my highest skill sets and my deepest knowledge of the body are being seen. To learn to feel others intuitively is a life’s work. Through my own injuries and illness, through my education, through giving countless sessions, I have become embodied into this kind of work. My colleagues bring their own unique curiosity and love for bodywork, and love for this space every day, and it fills my heart to share this with them. Other than becoming a mother, I have never created something with such love. It’s a really magnificent feeling.
The Space
Walking in for my appointment last week, I immediately felt that there was something special about the space. Each corner was thoughtfully curated and filled with signs of both serenity and life: High ceilings, carved out nooks — Fresh white paint and light furniture, accented with bright green plants and natural wood. Diedra tells me that this space was the “home and office and creative playground for Seattle architect, Folke Nyberg, who was Victor Steinbrueck’s partner. Folke taught at UW for many years and was a huge advocate for saving “old Seattle”. He was the visionary for Westlake Center and Pioneer Square. Folke and Victor did an amazing project of Seattle neighborhoods inventory that are still used to this day. The story goes that he built this home with his wife piece by piece. 
There are many salvaged Seattle pieces throughout. It is a large, winding building with some really unique features. I believe the clinic is situated in where the bedrooms were. I love how it feels tucked away like a retreat, but is right in a walkable, quaint, urban village, with easy parking. There are windows everywhere and so we share space with storms and sunlight, which we all love. I love the complete uniqueness of the building and its history. And aesthetically, I have a big soft spot for mid-century modern architecture. I could not have dreamed up a better place to open my clinic”.
The Team
The Still Point is home to 6 massage therapists who Diedra describes as “6 unique and highly skilled, amazing healer humans. All with diverse backgrounds and beautiful journey stories. We are a group of highly skilled massage therapists who have, in our own ways, specialized our practices in bringing a meditative quality to our work. Whether it’s craniosacral therapy, very slow deep tissue work, myofascial release, visceral manipulation, or a deep somatic understanding, we all believe that healing comes from a place of stillness, and we hold that intention in our work. We believe that healing comes when we step away from our busy thinking and dancing emotions. Healing happens when we enter a “no mind” space within ourselves. Healing happens when we feel safe and quiet, and can go within. We have come together with this common mission, in a beautiful, quiet space, to do what we love, while holding healing space for others”.
The Experience 
I went home and described my 60 minute massage as transformative. I felt like I dropped my shoulders 4 inches, unclenched my jaw muscles and remembered to breathe for the first time in two years. I felt more connected to my body and I walked home with an overall sense of well being that has become somewhat of a stranger. The center is fragrance free so unlike massages I’ve had in the past, I didn’t go home greasy and smelling like tempura. From a logistical standpoint, the massage was easy to schedule. I was greeted promptly, asked to fill out a simple new client form, then Diedra sat down to ask me a few questions before we began. I felt physically safe: The front door stays locked and everyone inside wore a mask (two employees and I were there during my session). Diedra slipped her mask off only so I could snap the photo seen above. Diedra coached me she could accommodate my comfort level of undress, pressure, etc. The massage itself was just right in every way — It was curative, calming, and just incredibly cathartic!
Diedra herself has lived with chronic pain for 26 years and with MS for 15 years, experiencing disability and extreme sensitivity . she says that “Through this experience, I discovered how few truly tranquil and safe spaces there are for people to rest in. When I became well enough, I knew that my calling was to bring this kind of space to my community. Every part of this clinic was built with clear intentions. Safe resting space is sacred to my own healing journey in many ways, and I hope it can be that for others who come here too”.
If you’re able, The Still Point brings a tremendous healing experience! You can book an appointment via their website.
