Northern Body and Sole: A Place To Heal

Chloe Klopotek of Northern Body & Sole gives a massage in her studio in downtown Marquette, Michigan. (photo by Ron Caspi)

“I’m so excited. I’m so excited.” my mind and my body were reciting. My energy was beginning to come out of my pores. It is a rare occasion that I walk away from my real life of work, family and chores and enter the dark, quiet room of energy work and massage therapy. On this day the anticipation of that bowl full of jelly feeling, the complete and utter checking out from my responsibilities, the shoulder tension, the tired feet, the busy brain- all of it- today I was going to learn about letting it all go. My mind was still clambering on “I’m so excited” as I entered Northern Body and Sole and as I was greeted by Chloe with the calmest of voices, the rushing of the world behind me fell away, and there was nothing but the calm of her and the tranquility unfolding beyond her. This is a place to heal.

I spent an hour talking with Chloe about what she does and why, she started massage therapy in 2008 and has since grown her own business Northern Body and Sole, where she is consistently adding more studies and certifications to her repertoire. She is grounded and well spoken, the ambience that she exudes is of thoughtfulness and peace. While Chloe is well known for being a wonderful massage therapist, taking the time to really talk to her taught me that she is a wealth of knowledge about the human body in reference to reflexology, organ health, emotional health and feminine health.

Chloe has taken meditation and doula classes, she is certified in Massage Therapy, Reflexology, Maya Abdominal Massage, Esoteric Healing and offers hot stones and a vaginal steam chair. She has a women’s centered approach because of her passion for pregnancy and birth and her love for helping women before and after. She is also one research paper away from an aromatherapy certification and generally uses essential oils and her homemade salves during massages for different healing and relaxing purposes.

Chloe Klopotek of Northern Body & Sole gives a massage in her studio in downtown Marquette, Michigan. (photo by Ron Caspi)

In 2011 Chloe began practicing reflexology, which is the “scientific theory that all glands, organs and parts of the body respond to an area on your feet”. With 7,200 nerve endings in each foot, she begins with your left foot because there are more arteries and veins on your left side. She looks for redness or swelling as a warning of issues in the greater part of the body. She enjoys doing reflexology because it allows her clients to completely check out from reality, not even having to be aware of flipping over, which body part is next, arm, leg, or are we close to done? Instead reflexology encourages you to be unaware of time and space allowing a complete relaxed state of being.

Chloe said “reflexology improves nerve and organ function by stimulating the nerve and increasing circulation to that area, promoting detox and elimination, whether something is over active or under active.” I heard a myriad of examples about clients ranging from a patient that suffered a stroke that Chloe was able to slowly, but painfully, work on the big toe (the brain) and another client that didn’t even mention why she was there but Chloe said “what’s going on with your right shoulder?” just by looking at her feet. I, too, was surprised by the immediate effects I felt from a short session; I was relaxed, parched and have no other word than spilling- my stress was spilling out onto the floor from my body.

Maya Abdominal Therapy sessions begin with an hour consultation to talk about your individual body and needs. Chloe asks questions like: why are you here, what are your periods like, what are your period symptoms and schedule, your health, your mother’s health, spirituality, diet, birth control history, were you breastfed, have you breastfed, how do you view yourself, what are your long term goals? This gives her a place to start with the emotional healing and gives us as women an opportunity to learn about ourselves, something we are often too busy to focus on.

Our stomach region is where our reproductive organs are, where we grow babies, where our diaphragm (major stress organ) hugs the rest of our organs, it is where we feel sick when we hear bad news, where we harbor fear and anxiety and where we get butterflies when we are nervous. It is the place that holds some of our greatest emotions and yet we rarely have massage therapy done to release this area of pent up stress. Maya Abdominal Therapy is suggested for any female that is experiencing bad PMS symptoms, having fertility issues, urinary incontinence, menopause, chronic miscarriages or is in need of post-partum care.

Find Northern Body and Sole on facebook or online at www.northernbodysole.com

She is located at 309 W Washington Street and has a flexible schedule for appointments Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call and make yours today (906) 250-3843.

by Candace Prill

Being raised in a small Michigan town has taught me many things; being one with nature, eating whole foods and living in a sustainable way are just a few. My family and I currently reside in Marquette, where we can grow a garden downtown, bike anywhere in the city and enjoy endless nature just outside of the city limits. In the past several years I have been lucky to be a part of researching, writing and teaching about whole living. You can find my monthly nutrition column “Healthier Living” in the Great Lakes Pilot that I have been writing for the past two years. You can also find my published geological research in “Agates: Inside Out” by Karen Brzys. My passion is to live and, teach to live, in a sustainable way, both nutritionally and environmentally. I look forward to sharing my articles on sustainable living here at Marquette Magazine.

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