Massage has been shown to help people relieve stress,
improve circulation, decrease chronic pain, strengthen
their immune system, and improve nerve function, skin
tone and quality of sleep, Ojala says. "People of
all ages are stressed today. Many don't even know it.
They're so used to carrying their bodies in a certain
way, they don't know how else to feel."
She
did massage in Marin County before moving to Fortuna 17
years ago, when she began working in the offices of area
chiropractors.
Now
she receives referrals from a number of doctors familiar
with her track record in helping patients reduce pain
and increase mobility. In addition, she refers her clients
to doctors when she finds concerns that
need attention beyond massage.
"We've
had a number of successes going both ways," she says.
"There's nothing like helping people feel better."
Ojala
believes in making her services accessible to others.
In addition to accepting insurance and having low fees,
she provides discounts to seniors, students, and veterans.
She's looking at offering a Saturday clinic for low-income
clients.
Ojala
was born in Montana and has lived in California since
1957. Her ancestry includes Native American, French, Scottish
and Irish forebears, many of whom were healers.
"I'm
named for my grandmother, Ramona May Skyhawk from the
Ojibwa Nation, a healer for 60 years. I carry her name
proudly," she says. Her father was a doctor, an aunt
was a nurse in the U.S. Army in World War II. Others from
that generation include dentists and an orthodontist.
Ojala's
life is deeply rooted in the traditions of Native Americans
and other early peoples. She holds a doctor of divinity
degree, and is an interdenominational minister, a phrase
she equates with "medicine woman." She is the
principal chief of the Thunderbird Clan of Redwood River
Lodge, a gathering of Native Americans of full or mixed
descent from any tribal background.
Redwood
River Lodge is the name of the four-acre property on the
Van Duzen River in Carlotta that Ojala shares with her
husband, a Vietnam veteran of Finnish descent, and family.
"The redwoods are our cathedral; you can't replace
them," she says. "They're awesome."
She
wryly notes that the name for the land, chosen by an elder
of the clan years before the similarly named conference
center in Fortuna was built, causes some confusion.
She
holds monthly drumming circles at the institute and monthly
sweat lodges at her home. "The drum is the heartbeat
of the universe, it is a way of tuning in to our own heart
beat and rhythm."
Sweat
lodges were the oldest structures on this continent and
in Europe, she says, mentioning the similarity between
peoples and traditions. "For instance, early Finnish
people were nomads, they lived in tepees following the
reindeer, and had saunas. We're all one."
In
addition, she partners with others interested in alternative
therapies and native spirituality to offer workshops and
gatherings such as the upcoming, four-day 19th annual
Visions of the Goddess Gathering.
"We
welcome all people interested in native spirituality,"
she said of the events she hosts. "It is important
to honor and respect all forms of worship and belief,
to encourage unity and diversity. The way people are called
is very individual, and there is such a melting pot here,
we have such a rich cultural background. Whatever brings
a person closer to the Creator is sacred and personal
to them."
