Meet Crista De La Garza | Massage Therapy and Yoga Practitioner & Educator, and Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Crista De La Garza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crista, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
My work is a way of life. The end goal is to never have to end my careers nor retire, but to scale back appropriately as I age. My careers are ever evolving and growing.
The average career length of a massage therapist is currently close to 5 years for burn out. I am 20 years into the profession and preparing to teach and administrate in what I hope will become a distinguished massage therapy education institution.
As a yoga practitioner and teacher, I hope to be practicing for the entirety of my life until my last breath, it is what we train for in breath practice, the great transition.
As an artist, I can’t imagine not expressing myself creatively through music, dance, or tangible fine arts or crafts. I may never make a true living wage with my art as I once did as a professional scenic and props artist for theatre, but I do not believe I will ever not do art on a regular basis.
This artistic and holistic way of life is for the long haul and I hope to remain in good health and good spirits to pass on knowledge and tools to my contemporaries and to the next generations.
I suppose the end goal is to have successfully passed the batons. By the end of my career, whenever on the timeline of life that it occurs, I hope to have felt that I have successfully done my part to pass on the knowledge and skills for others to succeed in helping others through massage therapy, yoga, and art. The world needs our kind.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Artsy Healer LLC and Boulder School of Massage Therapy are my businesses.

Artsy Healer LLC is my massage therapy, yoga teacher, and art business.

I am a Healing Arts practitioner that combines the anatomical brain smarts required for clinical work and with an intuitive artistic flow that makes for an exceptional therapeutic massage treatment for my clients.

I am proud to be a Board Certified massage therapist (BCTMB), and am proud to be a practitioner member of the NCBTMB Board of Directors. As a Certificant, I am required to take 24 CE hours every 2 years to maintain active status in my credential. Participating in a continuing education commitment sets me apart from most other massage therapists in Colorado because CO does not require any CE’s to renew massage licensure. I see this as a state failure and a strike against the public safety factor for massage therapy patrons in our state. Every 2 years I voluntarily take a minimum of 3 hours of Ethics and 21 hours in other massage disciplines where I learn new techniques and brush up on current information and protocols. I think all massage therapists in our country should be required to take a minimum of continuing education biennially to maintain their license to practice for the safety of the public.

What sets me apart as a yoga teacher and CE provider is that I bring all the knowledge of my philosophy studies, massage career, and dance background to the classroom (ERYT-200, RYT-500, YACEP, Dance minor classical ballet, dance fitness instructor).

Boulder School of Massage Therapy was recently established as a response to the closure of Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 2013. I am the owner and have worked diligently, with the help of the Programmatic Advisory Committee (PAC), to create an exceptional massage therapy education 700 Hour Program product that is worthy of the mission and vision statements. We intend to continue the legacy that began as Boulder School of Massage Therapy that Honora Wolfe established in Boulder in 1970’s, and I am thankful to have her blessing in what we are working hard to create.
I am proud to have earned my MA in Leadership Higher Education to prepare me for this next step in my career.

Was it easy? No, none of this has been easy “that’s why it’s called a practice” ha ha ha. I overcome each challenge by listening to my heart, looking for the allies, noticing who shares my vision, asking for help, and taking a step back to look at the big picture if it feels overwhelming. I try to follow the path that feels correct and find creative solutions for the parts that seem impossible. There will always be challenges, and there is always room to learn and grow.

I want the world to know that I and many others were devastated when BCMT shut the doors, and many of us are still not over it. We all will likely feel devastated at some point in our lives. These feelings can be a catalyst for positive change and it might be you that has to be the brave person to take the steps to make the change. I hope that the new Boulder School of Massage Therapy will eventually be not only a massage school, but also a yoga teacher training school, and home to an Acupuncture school. I like to say “everything in perfect timing.”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Gilpin County, Rollinsville:
Interpretive Site, Tolland Rd. to hang out by the water and get grounded.
Melt Coffee for caffeine goodness
Howlin Wind for music

Nederland:
Barker Reservoir light easy fishing
New Moon Bakery and Cafe for GF carrot cake and caffeine goodness then walk around Chipeta Park
Tadasana Yoga for yoga at altitude
Busey Brews for BBQ and beverages
Mud Lake for an easy hike or romantic outdoor ice skating in winter

Lafayette:
Button Rock Bakery & District for delicious GF treats and chill people watching
Soul Tree Yoga for all the yoga things
Teocalli to eat gluten-free and drink fun drinks then walk around downtown
Morning Glory Cafe for burgers & fries and artwork on the walls

Boulder:
Mount Sanitas easy hike
Mandala Clinic for massage with me, and then downstairs to experience the infrared dry salt and halotherapy
Dushanbe Teahouse for refreshments

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
-I am thankful for Dora Ruffner, who was my first yoga teacher at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, TX, in collaboration with the Joffrey influenced Dance Program run by Buddy and Susan Trevino, whom I am also thankful for as dance teachers.
-Margaret Mitchell, a Theatre professor at UIW, honed my art skills and pointed me in the right direction in my scenic art career.
-I consider Meghan Stockdale, who established Soul Tree Yoga in Lafayette, CO, to be a supportive yoga mentor, and I find through the years I continue to learn from her.
-Teaching at Boulder College of Massage Therapy took my massage therapy career to the next level.
-My son, Sammy Henkin, and my man partner, Erik Hamilton, both deserve shout outs for their constant support of my nontraditional career path and arts and crafts encouragement.

Website: https://www.artsyhealer.com/

Instagram: artsyhealer

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/crista-de-la-garza-7b0424227

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artsyhealerllc