|
|
Acupuncture About the Institute Professional Continuing Education | |
Massage Therapy Clinics News & Special Events Contact Us | |
Community Education Resources Home |
THIS ISSUE:
Our
Creative Community
from A to Z
Swedish Institute on-line newsletter for our students, faculty and community.
People who study at the Swedish Institute have diverse backgrounds-from actor to
zookeeper-but all share a creative approach to life and a desire for meaningful work. What
draws them to a new focus on health, the human body, and practices that are low-tech and
high-touch? This issue of Sinews takes a look at some of our students, past and present, who
came to the school and have found a new outlet for their creativity as practitioners of
massage therapy or acupuncture.
While an undergraduate student at George Washington University, Cody Landis acted, directed
or produced about 25 plays, in addition to his studies and part-time job. When he arrived in
New York City and found that the business of Broadway didn’t suit him, he turned his formidable
creative forces to the study and practice of massage therapy and Shiatsu. Ironically, he finds
himself now returning to his talent for communicating to an audience as a guest on national
radio, talking about the benefits of bodywork. Read
more.
Looking for a way to have a positive impact on the world, Helder Coelho worked in public
interest law for 13 years, until he had the sense that it was no longer a sustainable way of
life for him. By listening to himself, he found his way to the Swedish Institute and is now
creating the change he wants to see in the world. Read
more.
After working as a chef and then a Maitre’d at a Long Island country club, Croix Picoriello
decided to see if massage therapy suited his taste. While a student, and later an Admissions
Advisor at the school, Croix told everyone about his childhood dream of traveling the world
on an ocean liner. His desktop linked to a webcam broadcasting from a ship at sea. Now
Croix is realizing his dream as he travels the world while working in a cruise ship
spa. Read more
There are more dancers at the Swedish Institute then can be counted on ten toes. Many
students, graduates and teachers have impressive portfolios of the shows in which they have
performed. After studying at the Swedish Institute, some return to Broadway as backstage
therapists. Patricia Reidy, formerly a member of the long-running phenomenon “Chorus Line,”
got a scholarship for the Swedish Institute from Dancers in Transition and landed a “blissful”
new role.
Read more.
Musician: Margaret Steele, LAc
A Juilliard-trained musician who has played in grand music halls around the world, Margaret
Steele still has a way of emanating into the space around her. She finds that the way she uses
needles to move Qi from one acupuncture point to the next is what determines the beauty and
transforming power of this ancient healing art, much the way moving from one note to the next
creates a transcendent piece of music.
Read more.
Politician: Vote for Trey Casimir
Trey Casimir is running for Senate in Pennsylvania in an effort to protect the integrity
of the Susquehanna River and the land around it. It’s natural for an acupuncturist like Trey,
trained in classical Chinese medicine, to understand that our health and healing depend upon
environmental influences. Get a glimpse of his life beside the
river. Find out more about his
campaign for change at www.trey4pa.com.
Acting and directing was Dawn Elane Reed’s passion when she decided to enroll in the
Massage Therapy Program at the Swedish Institute. Her friends were concerned about the
change of direction for her, but she soon realized it was “one of the best decisions I ever
made.” Her new knowledge and skills improved her ability to communicate with an audience
and eventually led her to a staff therapist position in Google’s New York City office.
Read more.
Writer: Chris Shelley, massage therapy student
Christopher Shelley, with a master’s degree in creative writing and a day job at Goldman
Sachs, volunteered to keep his wife company 
when she went to an Open House for the Massage
Therapy Program. He never anticipated how that night would change his life. Both Chris and his
wife, King, decided to embark on the path towards becoming licensed massage practitioners.
Along the way, the school became aware of Chris’ penchant for writing humor, and an online
journal about life as a student was the result. Read Chris Shelley’s fun entries in
Draped.
Zookeeper: The Ultimate in Luxury
Bamboo may be the only consistent feature in Michael Williams’ life, as he went from
working with animals and plants at the Bronx Zoo to being surrounded by over 14,000 square
feet of luxury at New York’s Mandarin Oriental
Hotel. Is life around him wild or mild now? Read
more.