Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Rowell.
Hi Megan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I found my way to the healing arts by less traditional means–a crush. I was working on a farm at the time, had dropped out of college and my friend, David, talked about massage school with this very compelling delight. When I started school it was a practical choice, to learn a trade. Over time I realized that this work was actually aligned with how I wanted to be in the world–listening, sensing, facilitating healing and offering care. This October marks 13 years since I finished massage school and I still love what I do. I am always learning and it feels like an honor for clients to trust me with their bodies and stories.
My business expanded in 2018. When my daughter was a few years old, I decided to become a doula. My experience of birth and postpartum was a mix of unprecedented joy and also grief and overwhelm. I wanted to be able to support birthing people the way I had received support and also in ways I longed to be supported. It is hard to capture how special this work is. I cry at births even after attending so many and my postpartum clients come to feel like family after working with them for months. I get to know their struggles, love their babies and their dog, know how they like their shirts folded. It’s intimate work.
The double Gemini in me is endlessly curious, open to change and so a few years ago I decided to become a Doula Educator. Doulaing new doulas is rewarding and I have been privileged to be a part of a new program at Duke called Postpartum Partners that pairs students in the Medical and Nursing School with community organizations. It feels like I am going in a lot of directions sometimes but they all feel within the realm of care and it’s all work that I want to be doing.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Early on in my business I was doing a lot of things to “make it work”. I taught preschool, worked at a restaurant and was a nanny. I have a distinct memory when I was pregnant in 2015. I taught preschool in the morning, took a nap on my massage table and then saw clients until the evening. I built my business slowly and I am really proud of how it supports me and my daughter now.
On a more personal note, I also have dealt with some significant losses and depression over the past 10 years. For a long time it felt like I was not qualified to be a “healer” when I was dealing with so much internally. What I have come to realize though is that I get to be in the healing process along with my clients. I get to be human and that means feeling despair and sadness.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am proud of being out as a queer provider. I do think that it is important to have care from people who understand your lived experience. It feels like there is some inherent trust when I care for queer folks–through massage or for example, offering doula care to a single parent by choice. My imagination for what gender, love and family is (or can be) is informed by my queerness and that feels important.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I feel lucky to have many happy childhood memories. I grew up in the mountains of Eastern TN. In the summers, my brother and I were given free range to walk in the woods. We had lively imaginations (as kids do) and perhaps inspired by my obsession with The Boxcar Children, pictured ourselves surviving without adults. We would pick blackberries–buckets of them–and explore for hours.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://meganmrowell.com
- Instagram: @meganrowellbodywork
