BJ McDaniel, a 2017 graduate of Southern Regional Technical College’s Neuromuscular Massage Therapy (NMT) program, has set her intentions on improving health and wellness for her community.
After graduating from the NMT program at SRTC-Moultrie, McDaniel opened her own business in 2018: MYO Health and Wellness on Broad Street, near downtown Camilla. The term ‘myo’ is Greek for ‘muscle’, but she is quick to point out that, “massage therapy is more than muscles. It rejuvenates your whole body. In turn, your mind and spirit can be rejuvenated as well.”
In the five years since MYO Health and Wellness first opened, the business has grown from a few appointments a week to a busy five-day-a-week practice. McDaniel is hearing impaired, but what others might call a disability, she considers an asset, especially in her massage work. “Because I cannot hear well, I experience the world more strongly through my other senses,” she says. “When someone is on my table, I can read their body with my hands. I can find their pain points and sense how to bring them relief.”
She credits much of her current success to her studies and hands-on training with SRTC’s NMT program. “It was tough. It was a commitment, but my NMT instructor Michaela Underwood trained and prepared me to get to work the day I graduated. Obviously, I have grown and improved in my profession thanks to experience and continuing my education. Time has made me better, but that program 110% made me who I am in the health and wellness field today.”
McDaniel grew up surrounded by medicine, as many of her family members were healthcare providers. As a young mother, she began looking into holistic approaches to health and wellness. “When one of my babies became very ill with symptoms that confounded physicians, I began researching out of desperation,” she said. “I became a believer in holistic, integrative healthcare as a component of modern medical science.” One increasingly popular approach to treating the body, mind, and spirit is “Ayurvedic” medicine.
In the United States, Ayurvedic medicine is a complementary health approach. Increasingly, physicians, hospitals, physical therapy offices, chiropractors, and wellness centers are incorporating massage and other whole-person integrative techniques into their treatment offerings for patients and clients. Integrative health experts work alongside traditional clinicians to augment and enhance patient care. “For instance, one approach to integrative health would be lymphatic massage for breast cancer patients,” explained McDaniel. “That treatment would integrate into the patient’s existing standard of care. I have seen remarkable results with my clients. The science is there. We are just catching up here in America.”
McDaniel is currently working towards her Bachelor of Ayurveda Wellness & Integrative Health degree at Maharishi International University, and she plans to keep going beyond that degree. “I am very interested in what I am doing. The more I learn, the more I want to know. As I utilize my knowledge and skills and see people get well, I am inspired to expound on what I am learning.” Ultimately, she intends to earn her Ph.D.
As for the future of MYO Health and Wellness, McDaniel intends to expand her practice to incorporate other modalities of health into the business. Among the new services she hopes to offer are wellness coaching, IV hydration, and nutrition. “My vision is restoring the mind, body, and spirit,” she said. “This passion started with caring for my children and it has only grown from there. I want better health and wellness for my children, and for our entire community.”
SRTC offers over 130 degree, diploma, and certificate programs that are designed to get you quickly into your desired career, and 28 general education courses that transfer to the University System of Georgia institutions and 19 private colleges and universities in Georgia. SRTC has instructional sites located in Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Thomas, Tift, Turner, and Worth counties for the convenience of our students. The College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. For the most up-to-date information on registration, class dates, and program offerings, log on to www.southernregional.edu.
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