Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Fischer.
Hi Julie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been interested in spirituality and healing modalities. What brings us to be comfortable in our skin, to operate in the world with vibrant health & purpose? This is what makes me tick. My journey began in the rocky early years of addiction recovery & then later on, a health crisis led me to explore spiritual practices & studies and travel and learn from healers in many cultures. I began to learn over time to tune in & be present to listen, to work with & learn from the body, emotion, and breath. It’s an ongoing discovery. After my children had grown and retired from a 16-year career in private wealth management at a big investment bank, I had no idea what was next. Some business, I assumed! I followed some intuition I never quite understood and took time off to volunteer for a peace project traveling with a shaman, and by the end of the year, I was back home in NJ, formally studying bodywork and energy modalities and becoming an avid student of Thai Massage. Lots of growing experiences followed. I was blessed to meet Amma, for whom I am grateful daily. Yoga teacher training, lots more Thai training, learning harmonium and picking up chanting & meditation, massage school, ministry school, a degree in religious studies, I co-founded Live in Joy Yoga & Wellness in Audubon, NJ, performed weddings for many friends, sang in Kirtans, facilitated spiritual, corporate and 12 step retreats & worked at MD Anderson, doing body movement, yoga and massage for incredible people in cancer recovery. Who knew? In another unexpected turn of life, I moved to Florida at the end of 2020 to be closer to my family; yay! It has been fulfilling to be in a new climate & community, to be able to stay connected through technology with the Northeasterners, and to begin a new adventure. I am consistently astounded by the profound offerings of yogic philosophy and its many practices. Practicing & teaching yoga, Ayurveda, mantra & offering Thai massage & participating in kirtan is a passion and an honor that brings me great joy and growth on every level of my being.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been many obstacles and challenges along the way. Moving from big company finance to sole practitioner of Thai massage (which most people had yet to hear of) brought me on a massive learning curve on many levels. Initially, I took as many Thai massage training as possible. I offered free sessions to anyone who would say yes for over a year before I felt the confidence and competence to go with it as a business. As a beginner and an introvert, trying to explain why massage itself is not simply something to do for pampering but instead is a valid proactive healthcare component was a challenge, and on top of that, describing what Thai massage even is almost comical in the quantity of time I spent trying. Honestly, I still struggle to describe its essence; I haven’t found adequate words for how the fluid motions of Thai can tune into the receiver’s system and bring it to a more expansive level of being. When I finally started to have a more steady client base, the State of NJ changed from massage certification to a license where all my training hours were no longer valid.
I needed full regular massage training to practice legally while juggling work, school, and study. When that was complete, I incorporated other types of massage modalities. It became clear that my equipment and I needed a stable location rather than the traveling home business, so a friend and I started a yoga studio in NJ. All along, money was often really tight, and there was so much to learn. Our yoga studio operated so differently from the business world I had known so well; some of my experience was helpful, but other things had to be thrown out. This was not primarily about making money. It became clear that for us, this studio was an act of love and service to the community, and we celebrated every time we could bring the bottom line up to break even. The many challenges brought just as much or more opportunity. After almost 20 years, I still love continuing to deepen my experience through Thai massage training and immersing myself in yogic practices, especially kirtan and self-inquiry, which were great gifts in my life. Hopefully, it is for others as well. There’s been a lifetime tendency to overfunction and have trouble finding balance in such a busy life through so many life-changing events – births, deaths, relationships, health & money issues. I have learned the most important place to begin is always within my mind. As the yogis and many others teach, learning to become more aware of my thoughts has brought peace & clarity through the turbulent waves of life. With a lot of help from amazing people and tools of self-inquiry & contemplation, I am grateful to be more balanced & comfortable in my skin and continue learning daily.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Moving to Florida, I consciously decided to simplify as much as possible. Here, I’ve scaled offerings down & do mostly Thai massage and a few private yoga classes on Zoom. Not having the responsibilities of management & marketing has freed me up to give more focus to Thai, which has energized me. I’ll always migrate to the most transformative practices when given the choice. Thai is an art that requires a lot of energy and focus, which makes it a rich experience for me as the giver, and energizing & nurturing for the receiver. I love watching the changes that happen over time in each client. Kirtan is another captivating & energizing practice (basically, it is chanting with music), and it has brought me great growth & joy to continue on that path. I currently host a quick daily morning Zoom chant and sing in Kirtans with Dana Kaplan from Orlando and Philly-based Yvette OM, two unique beings and super-talented souls, every chance I get. Yvette Om and I co-authored a book, “The Playbook for Muse-ical Meditation & Mantra,” and organized Kirtan & Bhakti retreats & events in the Philly area with her.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Advice for others would be the same in any aspect of business, but especially in healing modalities to be committed to aligning your heart with what you are doing and then go all in. To be flexible enough to shift along the turns of business and life and embrace change. I also wish I had known that I could trust the feedback I was getting from clients and have more confidence early on that I was right where I was supposed to be!
Contact Info:
- Website: juliefischerwellness.com
