I first met Shoshana in the spring of 2003, when we were both students at CMC, bright-eyed and ready to change the world. She seemed to beam light; everyone around her could feel its warmth. I knew immediately I had found a best friend for life.
Shosh, as friends call her, moved West from the East Coast at the age of 18. She found a job in Yellowstone National Park, then landed briefly in Winter Park, before finding her way to Steamboat. In summer, she was a rock climbing guide; in winter, a snowboard instructor.
Shoshana’s love of movement, sports, healthy living, outdoor adventuring, ecology, and a deep curiosity about people led her to study yoga and become a yogi. She became particularly passionate about the importance of caring for our bodies—our only true and lifelong home. She eventually found her calling as a somatic bodyworker. ‘What does that even mean?’ I’m glad you asked.
The word soma comes from the Greek word sōma, meaning the living body. It’s the root of the word somatic—a term used to describe practices that work with the body as much as the mind. Rather than treating muscles as isolated pieces of anatomy, somatic bodywork recognizes that our experiences, emotions, stress, injuries, and even our beliefs can shape how we inhabit our bodies.
We’ve all heard someone say they’re “carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders,” or that a stressful conversation “made their stomach turn.” These aren’t just poetic expressions. Our emotional lives are deeply intertwined with our physical bodies, especially through the nervous system.
Over the last decade, researchers and clinicians have become increasingly interested in the body’s connective tissue—our fascia. This intricate meshed web surrounds and connects every muscle, organ, nerve, and bone, creating a living communication network throughout the body. Although many of these ideas remain subjects of ongoing medical investigation and debate, they invite us to consider a compelling possibility: that our bodies may carry patterns shaped by experiences we aren’t always consciously aware of.
I didn’t fully appreciate any of this until I dealt with a terminal cancer diagnosis—twice.
When I was facing a serious cancer diagnosis, I did my best to mindfully navigate the challenges that come with surgeries, rounds of chemotherapy, scars, scans, infections, needles, an uncertain future, and the constant undercurrent of fear. I was doing everything I could to survive physically, but I hadn’t yet considered what I needed to do to help my nervous system.
That’s when I found myself on Shoshana’s table. I went to her expecting a massage. What I experienced was something entirely different, and far more impactful.
She didn’t simply work on muscles.
She listened to my body. In one memorable session, without warning, I started crying—sobbing. It wasn’t out of pain. It felt as though my body had finally been given permission to release sorrow…and exhale. I left that session feeling noticeably different; inhabiting my body felt lighter.
That is what somatic bodywork offers. It isn’t an escape from our experiences. It’s an invitation to feel them, move through them, and leave lighter than we arrived.
Shoshana’s passion for the healing arts and love for people of Routt County are evident in her bodywork. She curates her clients’ experiences by blending sound therapy, myofascial massage, Yogic philosophy, and breathwork into her sessions, tailored to each individual.
Describing her work in a simple sentence, Shosh explains, “Working with the team up at Emerald Integrative Health gives me the unique opportunity to care for my clients where massage and mental health meet—because when the mind and the body are both mutually supported, true healing begins.”
Twenty-three years after meeting that bright-eyed college student, I still see the same warmth that first drew me to her. The difference is that today, she has dedicated her life to helping others find a little more peace, resilience, and healing in their own bodies.
Perhaps healing doesn’t always begin with fixing what’s broken. Sometimes it begins with finally feeling safe enough to exhale.
To learn more or book a session, visit: EmeraldIntegrativeHealth.com/Shoshana-Randell.
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