How it all began…
I started Blue Buddha in February of 2010 with the desire to create a place for people to go to heal both physically and mentally. A place where there is no judgment - just healing and relaxation.
I’ve always been a lover of nature, but my interest in a holistic lifestyle started in my teens.…I think it partly stemmed from having the amazing opportunity as a young kid to be a working student at a small riding facility. My teacher was both extremely knowledgeable and frugal. This combination led to a lot of natural horsemanship skills. I learned when it was appropriate to use hot saltwater for an injury or just plain cold water. I learned how to treat an injured tendon with liniment, pack a hoof with clay, and draw out an abscess or an object from a puncture wound with Ichthammol. It wasn't until I was in high school and started learning more about nutrition and herbs did I realize that the liniment we used was made from calendula and wormwood oils. That nasty slimy stinky Ichthammol turns out, it’s anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, and fungicidal. You can seriously put that sh*t on anything!
My first taste of entrepreneurship
In my early twenties, I decided to take an equine and canine massage course. I LOVED it. Having grown up with these big beautiful animals taught me the ways of their sometimes not so subtle communication with us. When a horse is upset about something they typically get the message delivered without any miscommunication. When they are relaxed, their body language sometimes emulates ours as they will sigh and lower their heads to a more relaxed posture. Some slightly more horse-like relaxed body language is evident when their ears get floppy and they relax their jaw with a yawn or a chew. It's all pretty adorable if you ask me. To be able to produce this type of response from a 1200 lb actively-racing horse with nothing but my hands on top of all of the skills that I learned, was definitely one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
Time management = A big NOPE
Time management has never really been my thing, but it got a million times worse trying to manage the unpredictable nature of horses and two little kids. Neither species really understands time management. Then one day, I was working on a horse that I had been getting great results with when the owner asked if I would consider working on one of her riders. Honestly, my first reaction was "Ew! Like a naked person?!". After a large amount of consideration, I decided to give it a go.
So why Blue Buddha?
When I first started Blue Buddha, I ran it out of my living room. Yep, those massages and yoga classes were occasionally interrupted by a barking dog or beckoning kid.
Some of you reading this right now we’re lucky enough to experience that! It was awesome(ish). The biggest problem that I had was that I was prohibited from having a sign by the road and my driveway was nearly invisible.
So if a sign was an option…What would be on it that could represent all of the benefits that have been received within my home? I wanted my practice to represent peace and healing…like the teachings of the Medicine Buddha…the blue one. Blue Buddha, it stuck.
The First Stop
Obviously running a business out of one’s living room is not ideal and thankfully it was pretty short-lived. I came across a 'for rent’ sign on the side of the road one day while running errands and figured that it couldn’t hurt to take a quick peek. After walking into that little room on the second story of a quaint house on Pottstown Pike, I found myself trying to steady my shaking hands as I signed the lease a few days later. I loved that house - it’s where Blue Buddha began to grow. In two years’ time, one therapist turned into four and one room turned into three. The hallway was utilized as a waiting room/reception/lunchroom/closet…It was getting a bit tight.
The Schoolhouse
Our next home was the schoolhouse…and man, was that place loved! It was so beautiful and had so much history. This is where my love and gratitude towards my practice and my team grew stronger and deeper every day. It really began to feel like home and family. Together we scraped and scrubbed, painted and decorated…and then redecorated.
The Buddha
We were given the final touch to our studio at our grand opening party (thank you, Tim!). Our blue guy. Our blue buddha has since made its home at the entrance of our studio, welcoming all who enter with his big smile and chubby arms. Of course, our new space was not without issues, nothing ever is. No mud, no lotus. The schoolhouse taught me a lot about heating and cooling, copper pipes, roof gables, and sweat equity. It taught me the true meaning of the phrase “a labor of love”. And it was all worth it, every second of it.
Our current adventure
As we move into our next great adventure here in Eagleview, our hearts are full of love and inspiration. Once again joined together for the move, but this time we kept our hands clean and just pointed at colors and samples (actually if Tish and Amber weren’t there, my color choices could have been dangerous). This space allowed us to give our clients not only another beautiful space for healing, but has given us more time to do great things for our clients like our new scheduling software and website! To top it all off, we’re in the heart of Eagleview, surrounded by inspiring small business owners and the friendliest neighbors. We are now a family of around 20 amazing people! Together we will continue to learn, inspire, teach, and grow!
