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What is John up to?
John W. Johnson, CEO of the AllAboutNetwork has been known to travel the world in search of new experiences and alternative medicine treatments. Check back often to find out what he's up to!
Summer 2009
What a summer! I am so thrilled to have a body that actually still works at 63! All of the products you see on these pages really do make a difference.
The highlights of 2009 since my last entry would be:
Skinner Releasing Technique- every summer for the last 3 years I’ve had the opportunity to study this form up in Seattle. And for the last 2, Robert Davidson has come back to Seattle to teach it. What a treat. This work makes me feel like I’m dancing on air.
Body Tales, a form that Olivia Corson developed, is something that I have wanted to do for years. But she mainly works locally in San Francisco, teaching weekly classes. And with women. So I when I found a 3 day retreat she was doing in the hills below San Jose, I went for it. Her work blends incredibly well with my Sound and Movement as Medicine process. I’m working on going down to Oakland once a month for the next year to continue learning more. And hopefully teaching some myself.
Tulum, Mexico. Where I visited Bahia Principe to see about helping them with their websites and possibly investing in property there. I received first class treatment.
Mixed in with all of the above, I did a 6 week cleanse, using the Arise and Shine products. Cass Phelps telecoached a group of us through the process. I lost 25 pounds, and radically changed my eating patterns. I’ve given up meat, dairy, and wheat. I haven’t felt this good in years.
May 10, 2009
Hanging out with my Mom in Ft. Myers. She lives alone in a gated community, with golf course and swimming pools. My Mom is 85. I was worried that she might not be able to take care of herself anymore. I’m not sure what it’s called, but all the folks I met over 80 all seemed to be wasting away. There’s a kind of concentration camp look to them all.
It was fun hanging around with them. They were mostly physically active, playing golf, swimming, and lots of book reading. I was surprised at how much we had in common! I would rather be doing yoga, but in general, the activities were very similar.
And the conversation was very similar. Gossip, books they were reading, meals they were cooking, what they had done so far today, the weather. Relatives.
And even though my mom’s hands look mangled, it’s amazing what she can still do. It seems like she can pretty much do most things you have to do in a day. Her lifting capacities are diminished, but she can still cook, clean, wash dishes, put things away and take them out.
And her mind is still doing well, as it was for most of the people I met.
Being in warm weather is helpful for the joints, and the heart also does better in warm rather than cold weather.
No Trader Joes here, no Whole Foods. I was shocked! I think it’s the next generation that is into these food chains. Most of the people here are still basic meat and potatoes kind of folks.
I’ve been here about 6 days. And I’m just getting into a routine. I leave in 2 more days. Going somewhere for less than 2 weeks doesn’t really allow me to dig in and really experience a place. But life does require most of us to be “home”. I saw a sign in front of a church that said “Home is where Mom is”. I could totally relate.
What I’m leaving with is a sense of how important diet is to one’s health. And how much massage can keep me flexible and healthy. How important weight training is. And the routines I do to keep my feet and hands flexible.
April 15, 2009
Thank god for accountants. I don’t know what life would be like having to do taxes every year. It seems like such a torturous process.
I was thrilled to be able to work with Stephanie Skura last Sunday at Performance Works NW. I was amazed that there were four of us in the room who had been involved in the arts scene in New York City from ’71 to ’80.
So much of my work now is about coming home - being in my body, trusting my body, allowing my body to rest and receive. It’s so easy to get caught up in doing.
My big challenge is trying to get to bed earlier. I’m noticing that I get a second wind around 10:00 PM. From an Ayurvedic perspective, this is a common experience that needs to be overcome. It’s time to go to bed then. It’s now 11:00 PM so I better follow my own advice. Nighty night!
March 6-17, 2009
I just came back from Troncones, Mexico. I was working at the Present Moment Retreat Center. Picture giving massages 30 yards from the ocean, teaching yoga and dance outside and watching pelicans sweeping their wings along the ocean waves. I realized this trip that my perfect vacation actually has a certain amount of service. I don’t like just being a tourist. I do love foreign soil, sunny climates and kindred spirits, but I want share my knowledge and experience with the people. I met some really special people. CJ is the owner and visionary at the center. Natalie was very popular doing Thai Massaage. She would come in every afternoon with bruises on her body and a big smile saying, “Look! I just chipped my tooth! It’s my first surfing injury. Isn’t that cool?” I look forward to going to this wonderful place again next winter. Why spend it in rainy Portland when I can be in the sun and teach what I love?
October 10-12, 2008
I went to Port Townsend, Washington with my friend Sky Yeager. We don't get to spend much time together, so it was a chance to get away and have time to connect, and the fact that he drove only added to the weekend. It's 4 hours to Port Townsend. Have you ever been? It's an amazing town. There are only about 9,000 people there; I think 1,000 of them must be massage therapists! The town's architecture, from the early 1900s, is amazing. The workshop was a Soul Motion retreat with Zuza Engler, the number 2 person in the Soul Motion world. It was sponsored by the Madrona Mind Body Institute, an organization headed up by Aletia Alvarez and Allison Dey. It's located in Fort Worden State Park, which was a military base that is now a life-long learning center. The theme of the workshop was Body Prayer. I just love moving my body to good music. I really felt the healing power of music in some of the tunes Zuza played. October 7, 2008
John is opening a healing arts center. John says, “I intended to spend October in The Big Apple; NYC is my stomping grounds, however, a series of events led to me leasing a wonderful 4000 sq ft space in SE Portland. This is where JMP will reside. It’s also where I will do my sound and movement work. A showroom, where people can come and use our products, is also planned. I’m so excited. We should be up and running by November.” September 22, 2008 - John Goes Soul Motioning
John, a certified Soul Motion practitioner, spent September 18th – 21st in Point Richmond, California with Vinn Marti. John has been working with Vinn since 1992, when they met at Body Moves. John’s movement practice is right at home with Vinn’s work. Over the years, Vinn transitioned from teaching the Five Rhythms to beginning the Soul Motion work. Soul Motion combines Vinn’s artistry with his studies as a minister. “Vinn is a consummate artist. The time I spend time with him feeds me on so many levels. He brings humanness and vulnerability with his teachings.” August 4, 2008
Just back from a week practicing sound healing with Silvia Nakkach at Pemah Loh Seng Retreat Center outside of Santa Cruz, California. I had the opportunity to perform for the llamas (monks) there, and some healers from Brazil. The energy on their property was so fresh and nourishing. Silvia has a way of gathering incredible artists and musicians and creating a space for us to share with lots of love and heart. She called it a "transformance" rather than a performance.
Julu 25, 2008
Just got back from two weeks of studying and practicing the Skinner Releasing Technique, a movement form that helps us move with more ease and grace. I always feel like I'm walking on air when I do this work. It was up in Seattle. Seattle is a big city! It makes me realize how comfortable I've gotton in Portland. Portland is more like a village.
July 19,2008
John taught Couples Massage at Portland Community College. He teaches there regularly. "I've taught lots of different subjects, from math and chemistry to psychology and the arts, but teaching people how to give each other massages is my favorite."
June 30, 2008
I was at Esalen last week assisting Vinn Marti at a Soul Motion retreat. I love this work. Unfortunately, we were evacuated on Wednesday due to major fires burning in the area. Every morning we would wake up to layers of white ash all over our cars and the trees. Pray for our friends in the Big Sur area. The fires are still raging. It’s going to be a tough summer; the fire season normally starts in late August or September.
June 20-22, 2008
I was in LA for an Internet seminar by Eben Pagan of Guru Mastermind. One thing he said that stuck with me: Persistence is the key to success. He made a chart with a long straight line, which, at the very, end slowly rose up into almost a straight line to the ceiling. “This is the normal curve to success. You have to put in your time, and if you do, all of a sudden things start moving, but they don’t move in a linear fashion. It’s more algorithmic.” I called a friend in LA who I had dinner with the night before. She is an incredible massage therapist, but doesn’t have many clients. Like many of us, she’s frustrated that she isn’t seeing the fruits of her labor. I told her to keep doing what she loves. Sooner or later, the world will acknowledge her. It’s all about persistence.
June 15, 2008
Car rentals have gone through a radical change since gas reached $4.00 a gallon. You can now rent an SUV for less than an economy car! I’ve been traveling up and down the West Coast, saying hello to some of our customers in Oakland, Point Richmond, and Sausalito. I just returned from a four day certification training in Soul Motion, a movement ministry program. I’ve been dancing with Vinn Marti since 1992. I am going to assist him at Esalen Retreat Center from June 22 to the 29th. Then I take an Advanced Esalen Massage training there with Peggy Horan. I will also be attending an Internet Business Conference with Eben Pagan from June 20 to 22nd in Los Angeles. Next week I go to Los Angeles, and then on to Big Sur.
May 5, 2008
I am in Egypt with Bruce Lipton and Nicki Scully on a Journey to the pyramids. If you don’t know their work, you may want to check them out at www.nickiscully.com and www.brucelipton.com. We are spending time taking in the energies of the locations here.
There are 45 of us, from 6 different countries and many different backgrounds. What strikes me most is how the field of Energy Medicine is becoming more and more acknowledged. The results you get from using your Chi Exercise Machine are based on the concepts of Energy Medicine.
Chi Exercise Machines are part of the field of Alternative Medicine. One definition of Alternative Medicine would be healing modalities that don’t cost a lot and are not corporation-centric.
So let me give you an Energy Medicine exercise:
Take a minute to scan your body and see where you feel the most energy. Closing your eyes will help. Now notice where you feel the least energy. With each breath, allow yourself to redistribute the energy so that some of the stronger places share their energy with the places lacking. Do this with the image of a caring father or mother nurturing a loved one.
Try doing this exercise before you use your chi exercise Machine. Then try again after, and see the difference. This is one way to help motivate you to make your chi exercise Machine a part of your daily activities. Even if you use it for a minute, that’s better than not at all.
See you at the pyramids! | 
