Rudy Frame is a Massage Therapist, Yoga Teacher and currently pursuing the 700-hour Western Herbalism program at SWIHA. He’s been a SWIHA student since 2005, when he took a course on Gua Sha while working in a chiropractor's office.
He tells us: “I took a different route of service for six years in the United States Marine Corps, traveled the world and completed a Bachelor’s degree. However, government work was no longer appealing to me. Like a light bulb it hit me: go back to SWIHA and work on my own healing journey from my short time of intense service in the Corps.”
Rudy was drawn to one program in particular, but soon added even more tools to his healing practice: “The Massage program was the logical and intuitive choice for me to start with, and dabbled in classes from modalities across the board,” he says, “So after the 1000-hour Massage Program, I gained some experience and knew there were pieces I desired to finish and a whole component I had barely brushed up upon in Yoga. So I later went through the Advanced Yoga Teacher Training program to find a relationship with breath and movement, ease and grace about it all and not just the Yang/Pingala/Masculine, pushing and driving though to complete whatever I was doing. I am passionate about Massage, Movement and Meditation because they are components of everyday life!”
“Life as I see it is one long meditation that shifts our vibratory state moment to moment by our intention, attention and awareness,” Rudy explains, “Cultivating these in balance for the highest good has been the calling of my life of service in and out of the Corps. As all Marines know: ‘Once a Marine, Always a Marine’ for ‘if we leave the world a better place than when we got here, WE ALL WIN’.”
He feels honored that his professional and personal life are so deeply mingled. “My passions are my work,” says Rudy, “I get to be of service in teaching Massage and guiding my fellow kindred hearts, holding healing space, kindness and compassion for themselves and all they come across.“
“The reward is in the work,” he states, “by being fulfilled in the labor of love that are the modalities we practice, our cup will never go empty and we can always share with others!”
His study of Western Herbalism also holds a key piece of his heart: “As a Martial Artist I find it imperative to know and study herbs. In days of old the Martial Artists had to obtain a base of knowledge for well-being and being that my art I Liq Chuan/Zhong Xin Dao is based in Tai Chi Principles and Zen Philosophy as well as the Tao Te Ching, following and harmonizing with nature is a way of life, personally and professionally.”
Rudy teaches Massage Therapy at SWIHA, and loves being a guide to help others on their path exploring the healing arts. In the future, however, he sees his ultimate vision: “What will come in due time is an immersion center, building towards a cooperative of all healing arts and practitioners that desire to participate. Bringing together all that SWIHA has offered to the world, from Massage to Yoga, gardening for culinary pursuits and medicine in herbs, and more esoteric pursuits and studies by tapping the infinite potential within each of us.”
The biggest lesson he learned at SWIHA? “Presence. It is an ever broadening and deepening state of being that can allow the space for someone to find their own light in life and inspiration to joyfully face all the opportunities life throws towards us. In other words, presence can be stated as holding space. As most anyone who has attended SWIHA will have heard many times, to truly hear and see someone with judgement or needing to fix what's going on is all a person needs to clearly see their next step.”
Rudy’s final bit of wisdom is this: “The light we shine so bright need never go out, nor is our light for someone else to have; however, shine some clarity in the dark so all can find that hidden switch to turn on their own light. With a bit of guidance and practice we can all install a clapper so even if things get dark we always know how to turn on the light and shine through.”
