I was born into a large family who pride themselves on the land they own and the history we keep in our little corner of Charlotte NC, otherwise known as Shuffletown to the locals. “Thompson’s Furniture, Third Generation Craftsman” is what my dad’s business card read, presenting a kind of family loyalty and tradition. Big Christmas gatherings and family reunions we had free reign over a 50 acres homestead, formerly owned by my great grandmother, and now divided among my great aunts and uncles. My childhood was immersed with a canopy of trees over my head, digging in the creeks, getting lost in the trails, and camping under the stars. My dads’ ashes are spread near the trees where we would carve our name in the bark. He made sure we had a connection with our roots and the land our family tended to, but he also cultivated a relationship with creation. An awe of the creator and spirit that runs through all lands.
I was 19 going on a peacemaking delegation in Northwest Ontario with Christian Peacemaker Teams, an organization dedicated to non-violence and organizing direction actions in areas of conflict around the world. I was enrolled at the local community college and had two years of working with a local grass root non-profit under my belt. I was looking for something meaningful( and maybe a little radical ) to do, so I signed up to learn about the struggle of the First Nations Anishinaabe people of the Grassy Narrows reservation. I had no idea of the weight of the things I was going to learn and experience, you could say I was naive. I am forever caught in the irony of taking this trip during Canadian Thanksgiving and triggered something within me to explore being an anti-racist. Our time was filled with prayer walks, and listening to stories, even taking the holy sacrament of communion with Native People, praying for a way forward to reconciliation with the land. This was the beginning of a great detangling of my different perceptions of history. A kind of dissonance that leaves one feeling confused and angry. Their story captured my heart the most because it evoked a journey of mine own to be more connected with family and land.
This trip has made its way into my distant memory but still makes my heart swell when I recall the experience, because I know it holds an experience of truth for me- being connected with creation is something of the divine and should be available to all people. I have learned that going to therapy to learn healing relationships does work! Having a holistic and integrative view of health is helpful and mental health is much more than sitting in a room for talk therapy. Cultural competency is important for people who have been finding solutions for their communities for generations before pharmaceuticals.
Journey Well Massage and Bodywork is the project of me Anna Garner LMBT#15807, HTP-A, and my husband John Garner LCMHT to explore life to its fullest. Building a community of therapists that advocate for mind, body, and spirit connection. A place for people to slow down and engage in integrative somatic therapies for the body to engage its healing intelligence. We provide tools for learning and grounding into one’s own body when stress arises. We are thrilled to offer these services and inspire creativity in the back drop of Wilkes County's natural beauty!