BBA, LMT, NCTMB
Massage Therapist
After a successful career in medical sales, John decided to follow his true passion for patient care with a new life career in massage therapy. It came time to ‘‘leave the ‘burbs, move downtown, and restart living.” John’s mission is to educate and empower clients to greater self-awareness and mindful living through effective, precise bodywork.
John views bodywork and massage therapy as a facilitation of the body’s innate natural healing ability. Our bodies are wired to be healthy, vibrant, engaged, and alive. Sometimes we need an assist…a jump start…to help send us on our way toward healthier living. Your personal wellness goals may include relaxation, pain relief, stress or anxiety reduction, and healthier living.
Using a client-centered, client-specific approach, John incorporates elements of Precision Neuromuscular Therapy(PNMT) – using clinical reasoning in soft tissue therapy. It’s understanding WHAT tissue you are on, understanding WHY you are on it, and knowing WHAT may happen as an expected outcome. For more information on PNMT please listen to the explanation from my friend and mentor, Douglas Nelson.
Your personalized session may also include myofascial release – reducing fascial tensions and adhesions in your connective tissue, craniosacral therapy – light touch to facilitate releasing tensions in the body as well as traditional swedish, aromatherapy, reiki, and lomi lomi techniques. All this is woven into a relaxation experience designed to down-regulate your nervous system.
As a lifelong learner, John helps teach Precision Neuromuscular Therapy and craniosacral therapy coursework and participates in study groups for these therapies. An avid cyclist, yoga practitioner, reader, and mindfulness practitioner, John brings his life passion for a positive, vibrant, and spiritual practice to his clients.
Q&A with John Schaefer
Q. How long have you been a massage therapist?
A. I am fortunate to be embracing my second career now as a massage therapist. After spending over twenty years in healthcare sales and service including setting up many of the Midwest’s sports medicine, rehabilitation, and professional sports training rooms, I am now focusing on a new passion, patient care.
Q. What areas do you specialize in?
A. Using a client-centered integrated approach combining precision neuromuscular therapy (PNMT), myofascial release, craniosacral therapy into the traditional massage modalities of swedish, reiki, and lomi lomi.
Q. What brought you to your current style of practice?
A. Understanding there is an unmet need to provide a balance of evidence-based practice (PNMT) techniques with intuitive principles to reduce pain, stress, and anxiety while allowing for deep relaxation.
Q. What can a new client expect?
A. Look forward to a unique bodywork experience to treat your areas of discomfort as well as to provide a deep and often profound relaxation experience.
Q. What recent industry trends have you found most noteworthy?
A. Recent focus and research on the role of fascia, the body’s connective network, may have a significant impact on our understanding and treatment of the body as a connected system.
Q. What are your current personal wellness goals and how are you addressing them?
A. Mind, body, and spirit are intertwined with my meditation practice, on the road while cycling, and while enjoying walking, running, and yoga.
Q. What is your favorite beautiful spot in Milwaukee?
A. So many…Lakeshore Park, trails along the Milwaukee River, Milwaukee Art Museum.
Q. What is your favorite place to eat in Milwaukee?
A. Anything locally grown, small plate, and unique…La Merenda, C-Viche, Crazy Water, Odd Duck, the charming Riverwest neighborhood restaurants including Centro Cafe and Cafe Corazon.
Q. What are your top three favorite things to do/hobbies?
A. Sharing dinner and wine with my wife, cycling on our many great bike trails, meditating, reading, and music…ok, so that’s five!
Q. What do you do to de-stress?
A. The best de-stressors are to do what we love to do…for me that means to laugh, meditate, read, hop on my road bike, listen to and play music, enjoy a glass of wine and conversation with my wife, and anytime spent with my fabulous children.