Deborah Valentine Smith, B.A., Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM®), is a Registered Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure® practitioner (since 1979) and a senior Authorized JSD Teacher (since 1983). She is a licensed massage therapist in New York, board certified and an approved provider with the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), and a Certified Instructor with the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA®). She has taught worldwide in massage and bodywork schools, learning centers, and formal training programs. Deborah is especially interested in teaching self-care techniques to the public and teaches privately wherever people want to learn. She is currently enjoying the evolution of her online course: “Western Body, Eastern Mind: Integrated Anatomy and Physiology,” which is accepted as the A&P requirement for Certified AOBTA® Practitioners. She contributed 3 chapters to A Complete Guide to Acupressure by Iona Marsaa Teeguarden, M.A., L.M.F.T, served as the Editor-in-Chief of Pulse, the newsletter of the AOBTA®, for 16 years, and has published articles on Asian Bodywork Therapies in numerous publications including Massage Magazine, Acupuncture Today, Massage Today, The North American Journal of Chinese Medicine and the AOBTA®’s Pulse. She has served as president and in many other capacities on the AOBTA® board of directors since its inception in 1989. Deborah sees clients virtually and in New Paltz, New York. https://bodymindtreasures.com
Barbara “Teddy” Piotrowski, RN, HNB-BC, BA, Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM®), C-IAYT is a Board-Certified Holistic Nurse with more than 40 years of medical experience. She is a Certified Yoga Therapist, a Diplomate of Asian Bodywork Therapy, with an expertise in Shiatsu and Acupressure for over 25 years. As a Registered Nurse, Teddy saw the benefits of Eastern healing arts and believed it to be crucial to integrate them into everyday living. The self-care they provide is a piece that was missing in her Western based medical training. Working to champion yoga and meditation as healing arts and sciences, Teddy’s focus led her to working with all ages. She empowers individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of yoga. The yoga tradition views each human being as a multidimensional system that encompasses numerous aspects including: body, breath, and mind (intellect and emotions) and their interaction. Teddy is currently teaching classes privately, online and for the local county senior health departments. www.greaterharmony.net