Healing Journeys with Suzie Daggett
Suzie interviewed Patricia Rusert, owner of Sierra Day Spa in Nevada City, and a Spiritual Director. Patricia brings many years of healing touch to her massage clients as well as a deep sense of connection to prayer and service to God through her work as a Spiritual Director.
What got you involved in massage therapy?
I started massaging my mom when I was a little girl. She had old injuries from an accident and in an easy and natural way, I used my hands to help her pain. From that time on, I continued to massage people. In the sixties, I starting reading, studying and attending classes to find out what I had been doing for so long. In the eighties, I was certified at Phillips School of Massage, here in Nevada City. I joined the American Massage Therapy Association and am active in professionalization of massage.
You are also a Spiritual Director; can you explain how you get interested?
In my youth, I had a diverse and rich spiritual life and was very devoted to my church. However, after I became disenfranchised, I explored other ideas including a yoga practice since 1969. I was exposed to a hands-on healing service at the Episcopal Church. There, I met Carol Kellermann – of Uganda fame now – and she introduced me to the opportunity of becoming a Spiritual Director. This seemed to dovetail with my massage practice since so much can come up for people when they are touched with compassion. I believe this is a gift of prayer to work with people on both the spiritual and physical level.
What are Spiritual Directors, and what do they do?
Spiritual Directors are part of an ecumenical community taught to assist people on their spiritual journey, to realize a deeper relationship with God or a higher power. Locally, we have spiritual directors at a variety of churches including Rev. Jerry Ferrol (Unity), Lynn Goodman (Methodist), Karen Burford, D.R.E. (St. Patricks), Jane Swan (Trinity), Collen Gregg (St. Canice) and myself (Trinity). The work is really, “Holy Listening”. We are trained to listen without forming a response, without making any judgments about the person or the situation, as we witness their spiritual journey. It is not counseling, rather we are being present to the person, giving them new ways to approach their spiritual life, to notice the holy and sacred in daily life. For instance, physical exercise of any kind can become a spiritual practice. If you are a NID trail walker, you can enter the trail with an attitude of reverence and prayer, and then, that discipline of remembering the holy as you walk becomes a spiritual practice. This is especially good for those who are not comfortable with verbal prayer – noticing what they are doing with their bodies – a foot on the path, the water besides them, observing flowers along the ditch – can be a useful form of prayer. Spiritual directors provide a safe place for conversation that will not go beyond the walls. There are often words spoken that have never been said to another, and may never be used again. If you come to me and say, “I am really, really mad at God!” As your spiritual director, I want you to be comfortable in telling me more about how it feels to be mad at God. Under the anger is a call to act – let’s find out more, get to the depth of the situation, again without trying to fix it or judge it – just to listen, so you can be heard.
You have many avenues for healing, please explain:
I own Sierra Day Spa, a place for massage and energy work. I work with Judith Hurley Prosser, an intuitive massage therapist, and Reiki specialist, and Shera Banbury also an intuitive, massage therapist and energy worker. I bring 35 years experience in massage and energy healing. I created The Tour as a way for clients or a group to experience a day of pleasure. I make reservations with different practitioners for a full day of spa treatments, including but not limited to a natural nail pedicure, manicure, hair care, facial, massage, energy healing, and then lunch or dinner, shopping, theatre, biking, hiking – whatever is the design and desire for a special day. Sacred Systems refers to the Spiritual Direction work that I do, including special programs and series (Contemplative prayer, seasonal events) classes and workshops.
What do you like to do best?
I love massage work. I cannot imagine a time without putting my hands on people. However, spiritual direction work is becoming my favorite work. Being a witness to the growth of my clients, watching them evolve, is very exciting. I get to experience the deepest kernels of their emotional life from sadness to joy. I am thankful for the whole range, because even in sadness, there is a glory of experience and even in the hardest times, we recognize that we have experienced spiritual growth and transformation. That is what it is all about!
Patricia Rusert can be reached at Sierra Day Spa, 530-265-0400.
Healing Journeys is a column written by Suzie Daggett for the Grass Valley Union newspaper. Suzie interviews a variety of health practitioners most Fridays in the Wellness section. Click here to read past articles prior to 2005. Enter "Suzie Daggett" in the search box to get listing of all articles. |
