A Touch About Me
How I Became a Massage and Bodywork Therapist
“Whatever you’re given can wake you up or put you to sleep. That’s the challenge of now: What are you going to do with what you have already—your body, your speech, your mind?”
— Pema Chödrön The Wisdom of No Escape
I once was a wood butcher, now I tenderize humans!
Admittedly I’ve wandered off the beaten path...
That was my intention from the outset, to live a life of my own choosing, and to make it a work of art.
I’ve always made my living with my hands— they’ve knocked on doors, mopped floors, dug ditches, hung shingles, made hats. My hands have built and demolished many things, and suffered so many cuts and scrapes and splinters…
It’s a blessing to work with people now, instead of materials.
I always believed in myself, because she always believed in me.
My mother was the first massage therapist I ever knew, and like me she found her way to it after a long and varied career. When I look in the mirror, I see my father’s face, but my hands remind me of hers.
Most importantly, she showed me how to have an open and unselfish heart.
Willettie “Corki” Inscoe Johns (c.1989)
Willard Inscoe (1915-2017) Nashville, NC
The most challenging and rewarding job I ever had was caring for my Grandpa during the last six years of his life.
Quick-witted and unflappable, Willard cut hair in Nashville, NC well into his nineties, and lived for more than a century.
In his spare time he was always making things out of wood, and I grew up hovering at his elbow out in the shop, fetching tools or sweeping up, whenever I got the chance.
My years as Willard’s caregiver fundamentally altered my life’s course, leading me to draw on new resources and ultimately refine my vision for myself and my work.
Seeking tools for self care, in 2012 I completed a Yoga Teacher Training and started teaching yoga classes.
Practicing and teaching Yoga was transformative, personally and professionally. When I became a certified Thai Yoga
Bodywork Practitioner in 2016, I felt my heart and my hands were at last working together in perfect harmony.
It was the final piece of the puzzle.
Exploring the natural world and observing wildlife are my deepest passions, and I’ve been blessed to visit some extraordinary places.
When Grandpa died in 2017, I seized the opportunity to fulfill my long held dream of attempting to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.
While the full 2000+ miles proved beyond my reach, I spent nearly 2 months trekking north from New York through Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire, ending my hike after 400 miles on the summit of Mount Washington.
The red efts came out en masse whenever it rained
Living With the Animals
Feeling the fever on Mount Liberty
Trail Magic... the pride of the Carolinas
After my adventure on the AT, I settled in Carrboro, eventually moving to my current home on the edge of downtown Durham.
Since 2018 I’ve been getting my hands dirty (of course) advocating for waste reduction and composting as a part time Recycling Assistant for Orange County Solid Waste Management
I soon completed a course in Massage Therapy at Durham Tech and passed the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam, and in December of 2019 qualified for Licensure by the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy.
