Better health through a touch of life

Walter Sprague
Art and culture reporter
 
With what began as a massage studio in 2008, Jenna Potter has grown her A Touch of Life into so much more. She has expanded her business into different areas of natural health and therapy. She also offers “raindrop therapy,” which is the use of essential oils in a specific sequence, designed to open up the lungs and help the client with an overall sense of well-being. Potter works with her sister, Jess Graham, and her mother, Carol Thurman, an R.N. for 48 years. 
Potter has recently taken steps to phase out the massage aspect of A Touch Of Life. Certified as a massage therapist in 1995, Potter said that after 20 years, and due to the intense and deep “structural integration” she has offered, the work has taken a toll on her hands. She also gives Swedish and deep tissue massage, but even those types are starting to wear on her hands. Structural integration, Potter said, “is deep and intense. It’s also very effective, but you’ve got to be mentally prepared to go through the process.” 
Her massage techniques are so deep and can cause some clients some pain during the procedure. They are not for everyone, Potter said.
“But the results are often immediate,” she said.
The effort to phase out the massage end of her business started in May of 2019 when Potter and Graham went to Florida for training in nutrition response testing and applied kinesiology. The techniques are based on the work of Dr. George Goodheart and refined by Dr. Freddie Ulan. The procedure involves a simple repetitive muscle test to gauge the strengths and weaknesses in the body. The goal is not to give any medical advice. 
“We’re not doctors,” Potter said. “And we’re not against Western medicine. We support our doctors.” Potter and Graham had only good things to say about the doctors in Newcastle. 
“Our goal is to help people make themselves healthier naturally,” Potter said. “We help the client by using whole food nutritional resources.”
After the nutrition response testing, A Touch of Life offers products from Standard Process Nutritionals and Energetix Homeopathics. The information and education provided, supported by the knowledge of Thurman, help to teach people a better way of nutrition, according to Potter. 
“We are surrounded by foods that do not nourish the body, poisons in our environment, and stress levels that don’t allow us to rest,” claims some of the material clients receive at the shop. The informational material also claims that people are overfed but undernourished and exhausted. It further says that it’s like trying to burn fuel in an empty tank. The process they offer finds the formula that “meets your body’s unique needs,” helping the body heal from the inside out. The plan is not a quick fix, or a one-size-fits-all weight loss gimmick. The products and individualized programs are designed to feed the body’s internal healing mechanisms, creating an environment that is inhospitable to disease, according to the information provided.
For those who want to look into taking charge of their health and address their own body’s issues, A Touch of Life will have an open house on Sunday, Nov. 3, from 1 to 5 p.m. Those interested can also contact A Touch of Life at 307-746-9787 or by email to atouchoflifewellness@gmail.com.