At Peace Massage

Carollanne Crichton

Massage therapist Carollanne Crichton, has been performing and teaching stone massage work for over ten years. She has been a yoga teacher since 1989 and she is the founding director of The Institute of the Healing Arts in Rhode Island.

In 1978, Carol was thrown from a horse injuring her spinal nerves and she was told she might never walk again. Her unwillingness to acccept this prognosis guided her to a “yoga doctor” who introduced her to what is now known as Ayurveda. Utilizing dietary remedies, herbal medicine, yoga and breathing exercises, oil massage therapies and spiritual meditation practices to mobilize her innate healing forces, Carol was able to find relief from pain and suffering.

In awe at her own recovery from her spinal injury, during which time other medical difficulties were spontaneously resolved as well, she began professional yoga teacher training and became licensed as a massage therapist, and she has maintained full-time practices for 20 years now. Since that profound turnaround, Carol has dedicated her life to "sharing all that I am given in the form of knowledge, experience and touch with all who seek peace and health in their own lives."

"I do find that when I am fully present to my client and to whatever is presenting in the session, I am able to respond with full capacity and am comfortable with the body in totality. I say "fully present" as a prerequisite to this sense of total comfort because, in contrast, if I am trying too hard to be something I am not such as a heroic healer, or, if I am involved with some other preoccupation in my own mind, then I am not meeting my client unconditionally. Massage therapy, for me as a practitioner is as much a meditation and a centering practice as it is for my clients!" - Carollanne Crichton