Meet Janara Nerone

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janara Nerone.

Janara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
This is my 20th year as a massage & yoga therapist. During that time, I’ve worked in a variety of settings. I’ve worked for other people, I’ve rented space, I’ve opened my own offices, I’ve travelled, I’ve done corporate massage, I’ve worked in spas, and I’ve even done massage at a ski resort. It’s been a wild ride! What has made this so interesting for me is my attitude of lifelong learning. I’ve been in school more than I’ve been out of it. Every chance I get, I learn new techniques to help people. I’ve worked on both coasts, and here in Colorado.

When I’m not practicing massage, I also teach a variety of subjects: primitive skills, environmental education, archery, women’s health, spirituality, and more. I lead guided trips to beautiful places that include plenty of Yoga and mindfulness practice.

Has it been a smooth road?
Certainly not! Massage therapy is a tough business, and in my 20 year career, I’ve seen the industry move toward commodification and exploitation. I’ve struggled to earn enough to support myself and keep my office open many times. There is sometimes competition between therapists. Employers don’t understand how much effort our profession requires, and are often slow to recognize the differences in quality of work between a new therapist, an experienced therapist, and an experienced therapist with a great deal of advanced training.

Meanwhile, massage therapy still carries the taint of illegitimacy. It’s been a huge challenge during my career to attract clients who understand that I am providing health care. I’ve been the butt of many jokes about happy endings, and I have educated many people over the years. Sex work is a separate industry, and it has NOTHING to do with my business. I’ve had to eject clients from my office. I’ve called the authorities. So far, I’ve not had to use force, thank goodness!

The other struggle with this industry is the perception that because I love what I do, I ought to give discounts and free sessions. I simply cannot tell you how many times I’ve been asked to work for the exposure or to help out an acquaintance.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Janara Nerone, LMT story. Tell us more about the business.
My passion is in helping clients with severe pain get relief and adopt practices for long-term health and well-being. Meanwhile, I’ve been an athlete for most of my life, so my knowledge of the human body and how it moves is deep. I’ve studied Yoga all my life, and I was lucky enough to receive a deep dive into Hatha Yoga and Ayurvedic Medicine in college. That allows me to provide a complete treatment package to my clients. I begin with a postural assessment, then work to reduce pain caused by postural deviation with medical massage modalities. After we’ve made progress there, we can begin with Yoga Therapy to stretch, strengthen, and practice mindfulness. I’m a deep believer in Integrative Medicine, and I’m thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to practice with physical therapists, chiropractors, and a variety of other health professionals. I know that working together, we can achieve amazing results. I specialize in working with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain Syndrome, motor vehicle accident survivors, and athletes. My extensive knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology sets me apart. My toolkit is large – swedish, sports, deep tissue, myofascial, trigger point, tui na (chinese massage), neuromuscular, medical massage, reiki, sound healing, medical aromatherapy, cupping, CBD, and more.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Currently, we’re in an unsustainable place. Unless a therapist has the capital to own their own business, it’s quite difficult to earn a comfortable, secure living. We typically are not given benefits like health care, sick time, vacation time, or retirement funds. I am hoping that the balance shifts again, and professionals are fairly compensated for their work. In my mind, there is absolutely no reason why any licensed healthcare professional ought to struggle to pay for the necessities of life.

My hope is that my industry continues to move in the medical direction. After all, we are the only healthcare professionals who specialize solely in soft tissue. This should be no different than any other specialty. Physical therapists help people recover from injuries, and while there is overlap in our fields of knowledge, their aims and methods are different.

Perhaps we need two tracks – spa therapists and medical therapists?

Pricing:

• $99/hr flat rate for bodywork therapy
• $10-15/hr add-on fee for aromatherapy, cupping, and CBD

Contact Info:

• Website: www.janaranerone.com
• Phone: 919-480-1960
• Email: janara.nerone@gmail.com
• Instagram: @janara-nerone

Image Credit:
Photo by Janara Nerone

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