Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Green.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
This path began out of sheer desperation. I grew up in the Boston suburbs and lived in Sharon, Topsfield, and Swampscott throughout my adolescent years. As a depressed teen, I dropped out of high school and lived my life vicariously through my clan on World of Warcraft. In between 12 hour skirmishes, I found the strength to finish high school through the GED program.
In 2008, I was an underemployed barista living in Providence, Rhode Island. To that point, I had worked a series of unfilling jobs at Blockbuster, Borders Books, and most recently, at Starbucks. I didn’t know what to do, but knew I was ready to add more meaning to my life. On a whim, I took a chance and signed up for massage school at Lincoln Technical Institute. My father was (and still is) a massage therapist who founded Massage Therapy Works in Davis Square back in 1997. He was able to discover profound purpose through his work and I decided it was worth the risk to give massage therapy a chance myself. As it turns out, that choice not only saved my sanity but also gave me the means to live!
After graduating from LTI, I spent a lot of time exploring various interests including myofascial anatomy, music, shamanic healing, yoga, eating psychology, and rock climbing. These trainings have opened my eyes to the world and have shaped me into who I am today.
Over the past couple of years, my life has changed tremendously. I met an incredible woman, got married, and recently became a father to my son Alerik. While thinking back to those dark days in 2008, I am very thankful for the life I now live.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There were plenty of struggles for sure, mostly related to mental health. I was a bit of a martyr, a self-sacrificer. Learning how to give sustainably day after day, year after year was a major learning curve. The biggest struggle in the beginning of my career involved the decision to embark on a yearlong vision quest, essentially a wandering sabbatical. It was very difficult to leave my comfortable, familiar life behind and set out towards the unknown. I knew though that I needed to experience a pilgrimage in order to integrate lessons learned and move on from my past.
In the fall of 2013 I sold/donated most of my belongings, converted my Jeep into a mobile tiny house, and set out to drive around the country exploring my inner and outer life. The result of this searching helped me find the peace within my turmoil. My beautiful struggle now is finding the balance between being a savvy wellness entrepreneur, a new husband, and a dad of a 9-week-old baby… all while keeping my own health and interests intact.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Jared Green Therapeutics – what should we know?
Jared Green Therapeutics is the culmination of all I’ve learned thus far in my various studies of health and wellness. Massage therapy is currently my ‘bread and butter’ service. I specialize in a style known as myofascial massage and I use it as a platform to introduce clients to other healing modalities, like yoga therapy and shamanic healing. The combination of these modalities is rare, but powerful and I think it makes my work unique. I believe what also sets me apart from other therapeutic practitioners is my relaxed and unhurried approach towards therapy. Yes, I want you to feel relief as quickly as possible, but focusing on the need for immediacy is in itself a ‘stressor’. By relaxing into the journey, clarity of what is actually going on is more readily available and the rewards of resolution are now closer than ever.
A little bit on the different modalities I use:
Myofascial Massage is a massage style that is primarily focused on balancing the connective tissue structure of the body. Meaning that while muscle fibers will still be involved, the actual focus is on the substance which connects all muscles and the body together. Physically the approach incorporates slow steady strokes with the aid of minimal oil. This allows for a subtle heat to accumulate and help “melt fascia”, like stretching out the wrinkles of a sheet with a warm iron. When connective tissue is balanced, muscles have more available space to move around and rest; it’s a distinct floating/settled sensation.
Yoga Therapy (YT) is a guided restorative yoga experience. It feels like the union of yoga and massage, with a subtle/gentle dialogue for assisted relaxation. YT is also the means by which I educate self-care techniques with clients, to aid in developing a self-maintenance practice. Group classes are also held on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings at Brooklyn Boulders Somerville (BKB).
Shamanic Healing (SH) is the central mindset in which I engage with and explore tension. Like the interplay between cause and effect, tension and release dynamically affect one another. With enhanced awareness, we are able to discover the pattern, the ‘reason’, why our chronic complaints persist. SH is also excellent for easing traumatic pain. Often the physical memory of the traumatizing event recreates the distress. This feels like being stuck in a repeating loop. Non-judgmental awareness is particularly effective at relieving the underlining fear and concern of trauma; thus, allowing the pain to dissipate. While this may sound simple, simple is not always easy.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’ve been blessed with many teachers throughout my life. I didn’t, however, tend to realize their gifts until later when I began to wake up and appreciate. For example: working professionally these past eight years with my dad as a father and son team has been a treasured learning experience. A sort of nod to the days of old when skills and trades were passed down through generations. Yet anyone who has worked with family would likely agree how difficult maintaining balanced relations with a parental-employer can be, at least at times of change.
My initial mentor in the myofascial scene is Lou Benson. She has superb palpation skills and a gifted ability to clearly communicate her intended approach. In the roughly three years of being Lou’s near-neighbor in Cambridge, MA, I soaked up as much knowledge as I could!
Recently, Karl Direske from the Wilderness Fusion healing school, has played a pivotal role in my life shift towards fulfillment and happiness. Karl’s unique combination of mystical vagueness and German precision conveyed a depth which bordered on brilliance. It’s one of those trainings where rereading a notebook years later is another lesson all in itself!
Contact Info:
- Address: Central office located at Massage Therapy Works in Davis Sq: 255 Elm St. Suite 302, Somerville, MA 02144
- Website: www.JaredGreenTherapeutics.com
- Phone: 857-366-0354
- Email: JaredGreenTherapeutics@Outlook.com
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