![[]](/sites/all/modules/ubercart/uc_cart/images/bullet-arrow-up.gif "Expand cart block."){kind=icon}
There are no products in your shopping cart.
Introducing Lani Wallace, Esthetician Extraordinaire in Grand Junction, Colorado
Mon, 05/30/2011 - 3:01pm
'Everyone has a calling' was the theme of Oprah's last show, which aired this past week on May 25, 2011. I felt like it was, in a way, a graduation commencement speech by Oprah -- very scripted and she was ad libbing in places to make it seem more 'off the cuff'.
One of the historical segments she referred to was that of an aesthetician who had a 'thing' for extractions, and as soon as I saw that, I thought of my aesthetician of seven years now, Lani Wallace, and got ahold of her to suggest she watch the show. I was DVRing it and she wasn't able to watch so she came over last night for dinner and conversation then we finally got to the Oprah recording.
I've asked her to also contribute to the Lumigrate information stream because not only is she extremely knowledgeable about the inside/outside connection to health, she is a practitioner of integrative medicine, and she's as much open to receiving information and learning as she is to giving information and teaching.
Over the years I've come to appreciate each provider's piece to the puzzle and believe that our 'beauty industry' providers are truly in a key position to help clients become aware that something they're seeing with the outside of the body might be connected to something going on inside the body.
An example that comes to mind about Lani was once when I forewarned her that I might be coming down with a cold; her response was refreshing -- she not only rarely got sick she talked about what she believes leads to that state of 'chronic wellness' and in there was something I'd dropped from my health care regimen and it was a GRATE reminder for me!
Similarly, a decade before during a PAP smear I was given a little mini-lesson about facial skin care; you gotta talk about SOMETHING while that's going on, right? The health education side of me made a mental note about that cross pollination related to health disciplines and taking advantage of the situations available. Increasingly, as conventional medicine's timeframes get shortened and turned into prescription frenzies, a shift has occurred and I only hope that Lani can help me, through Lumigrate, begin the process of the beauty industry personnel 'shifting' to fill that void! It's in the best interests of everyone from the provider and client to the overall society, as it can keep everyone happier and healthier and wealthier.
Simply having a resource to then route people to information that helps them get on the path to solving issues and best health would be what I suggest to providers in the beauty industry, as it's certainly not their place to be doing more than making observations and suggesting what to do next for treatment, and naturally I believe Lumigrate can be a valuable tool.
So if Lani would, along the way, share with us interesting stories about her work focusing on the skin on the outside as well as the people and souls on the inside and provide education to us all, I believe many MANY people's health will benefit as well as many professional careers. All of us in our professions, following our 'calling' can use mentors and collaborators.
So with this, I'll close and look forward to Lani's response. She has a particularly interesting educational background and I count her as one of the many blessings I have had moving to Grand Junction, Colorado. It was definitely a 'calling' to move here and I believe bringing to Lumigrate and it's followers many of the local providers is part of that. As Oprah said, we might not have the same stage she had but everyone has a platform to teach what they know. So Lani, I welcome you here.
Live and Learn! Learn and Live Better!! ~~ Mardy
__________________
Mardy Ross, OTR Founder, Lumigrate "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate facebook: My personal page: Mardy Ross Fan Pages: Lumigrate, Lumigrate: Fibromyalgia, Lumigrate: Fibromyalgia Health Education and Counseling (Lumigrate Webucation is a 'personal page' replaced by fan pages but used for 'fun' still).
print
e-mailThis forum is provided to allow members of Lumigrate to share information and ideas. Any recommendations made by forum members regarding medical treatments, medications, or procedures are not endorsed by Lumigrate or practitioners who serve as Lumigrate's medical experts.
Thank you Mardy. What a warm and wonderful welcome! Your mentioning the Oprah finale and the push for all of us to find our passion and in doing so lies our purpose. There is nothing more beautiful than someone living their truth.
Sometimes I joke about it "always being about skin with me" or how I can turn virtually any conversation into a skin care parable. It is absolutely true that people that are living their passion and have that inner fire and purpose project that glow not only into the world but into their faces. Notice how I made that correlation? I have been a clinical licensed esthetician and laser specialist for 17 years. I still wake up excited for the challenges and life lessons I give and receive daily. Every client and every patient is an opportunity to connect with another on whatever level is presented. Many times it is a relaying or passing on of information. What may seem at first to be trivial or common knowledge may lead someone to explore an option that they had not considered in their daily lives and in their quest for perfect health.
I had the most bizarre introduction into the skin care world and that was via animals. I was working in Aspen, Colorado for a couple of very well respected veterinarians who treated almost every pet in the valley. Being a small town we traded goods and services with many businesses in town. From getting our ski passes to picking up sushi. One day we had a woman in our hospital with a diabetic malamute dog that was going blind. Her bill started getting pretty high and we offered to do a trade with her. She was an esthetician and I experienced my first facial ever! It was the most amazing treatment that I had ever had and I knew that this was my calling. As Oprah would say... my aha light bulb moment!!
My profession has been such a gift and I have learned so much over the years that I hope I can help teach and give advice that is needed. I do not believe in "coincidence" but that we are here for each other and always with divine timing. Thank you for the opportunity Mardy and thank you for recognizing your calling! Lani
Lani Wallace moved to western Colorado after spending some time in New York City after growing up in Nebraska within a family with both conventional and holistic/alternative medicine beliefs and professions. She can be found most days pursuing her spiritual practice which includes her beloved animals, family, friends and clients and colleagues at La Belle Amie in downtown Grand Junction.
That's really interesting about the trade with the doggie with diabetes' owner! I either never knew that or had forgotten it -- either way it's interesting and reminds me that you never know when you're going to be the pebble in someone's path that changes the course of a person's life.
You've had the opportunity recently to give a facial to someone who was that for me -- a patient who has given permission for me to use her story related to my life and Lumigrate along the way when it comes up. Helen was my first patient in January after being off for New Years a few or more years back, and that lead to Chris Young in the PCP building wanting to start an educational forum with me, which lead me to have the idea to 'do' what you now are writing on as 'Lumigrate'. All because her massage therapist somehow knew about me in the PCP building and knew her client was having difficulties with IADLs and took the time to give her the information to find me (instrumental activities of daily living, which essentially is what you do beyond self care, so vacuuming, changing light bulbs, yard care). (For those who want to listen to the Premier Podcast where Dr Young and I discuss our education group and future plans for education on Lumigrate, the link to read about it/listen to it is: www.lumigrate.com/forum/lumigrate-premier-podcast-mardy-ross-and-chris-young-history-and-future
Interestingly, now YOU are providing laser skin care in that building! In western Colorado we're only 'two degrees of separation' but I truly hope that Lumigrate makes people feel they are but a click away from being with us and not separated from the information and experiences we're able to collaborate on.
I spent some time with Helen this weekend, by the way, and she was SO amazed and pleased with her facial and the results recently, and I'd like to think it contributed to inspiring you to write on Lumigrate). I think of her skin as being the opposite of mine (I need acid peels and 'rough stuff' in a sense) and admire the way you're able to tailor your techniques to the person's needs: truly a gift with a provider and healer.
So see? We're all connected, just like collagen! That's as good a skin care parable as I can make, Lani, but I hope you appreciate it!
Mardy Ross, OTR Founder, Lumigrate "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate facebook: My personal page: Mardy Ross Fan Pages: Lumigrate, Lumigrate: Fibromyalgia, Lumigrate: Fibromyalgia Health Education and Counseling (Lumigrate Webucation is a 'personal page' replaced by fan pages but used for 'fun' still).