I’m a gay, millennial, first-generation American-Iranian-Mexican. And I’m a Conservative Republican and proud to share my story

Raquel Escobar Rios is an intuitive mentor, therapist, and a guide who offers inspiration. With over 9 years’ experience in healing, plus a lifetime of psychic awareness, Raquel recovers a natural balance in people and environments. Her background is in arts, pedagogy, drama, holistic therapy, and film. Originally from Spain, Miss Rios currently lives in London.  

From his early years, Michael always felt a need to help others. After attending North Central Bible College in 1977, Michael worked with troubled teenagers, street gangs and homeless youth.

In 1992, Michael's calling led him to pursue a career as a certified massage therapist and reflexologist. In 1993 he opened his own practice," The Holistic Massage and Reflexology Center".

TEACHING/LECTURE EXPERIENCE 1993- 2013
Michael had the vision to share his gift of healing with others and began teaching and lecturing in the Chicagoland area. Michael was an instructor and student outreach coordinator at RTS Massage School in Darien. He also taught Spa Reflexology at The Academy of Nails in Downers Grove. He has lectured at the Chicago Cosmetology Association's Midwest Beauty Show, Downers Grove North and South High School Athletic Departments, Glen Ellyn Runners Association and sponsored many local 5K's and sporting events.

In 2011 he was chosen to be a subject matter expert with the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Body workers (NCBTMB) and travels to Minneapolis, MN twice yearly to assess the test materials for National Certification.

SOHMAR A SCHOOL WITH HEART
Michael and his wife opened the school in 1999 and began offering reflexology classes. In 2000 the school became certified with the Illinois Board of Higher Education and expanded the program to include massage, reflexology and CE classes. Since our inception SOHMAR has graduated hundreds of massage therapist and reflexologist. We are a small school with a big heart. We have worked with students ranging in age from 18- to 72. We have taught visually and hearing impaired individuals as well as bilingual students.

MASSAGE THERAPY HALL OF FAME 
Michael was selected by a group of his peers and inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame August 8, 2016. This is quite a feat, being that there are over 350,000 Massage Therapists and 23,000 private Massage Schools in the US alone. Choosing SOHMAR for your education means that you will be taught by a documented leading expert in the field!

IN THE COMMUNITY
Well known in the sporting community as both an athlete and sports massage therapist, Michael and SOHMAR students provide massage therapy at many Chicagoland sporting events. By participating in these events the students gain an edge working in real world situations while gaining invaluable training outside the classroom.
Over the years Mike and the school has graduated hundreds of students in Massage Therapy and Reflexology. SOHMAR has also given out scholarships which have helped people change their lives.

SOHMAR sponsors many sporting events and takes his students to them to give them "real life experience" while in school. Some of these include, The Chicago Marathon, Downers Grove Turkey Trot, Bonfield Run, MS Indoor Triathelons and much more! If you are a runner, you might even see SOHMAR students on the Glen Ellyn Prairie Path with the Glen Ellyn Runners on Sunday mornings during Marathon trainings!

Steve Thurston is the Program Manager at Edward-Elmhurst Health and Fitness.

M A R I A   M U L D A U R

“The First Lady of Roots Music”

Teams Up with

New Orleans-based Street Band Tuba Skinny

for a Romping Repertoire of Vintage Jazz and Blues Tunes

that will Have You Jumping with Joy! 

Exclusive Interview!

Six-time Grammy nominee Maria Muldaur, who’s been dubbed “The First Lady of Roots Music” for previous albums touching on her wide-ranging influences from blues, country, folk, jazz and even jug band music, continues her exploration of the great American roots music songbook. On her latest excursion, this time into the vintage jazz and blues sounds of the 1920s/’30s, Maria teams up with acclaimed New Orleans street band Tuba Skinny for Let’s Get Happy Together, releasing May 7^th on Stony Plain Records.

Maria Muldaur is best known world-wide for her 1974 mega-hit “Midnight at the Oasis,” which received several Grammy nominations, and enshrined her forever in the hearts of Baby Boomers everywhere; but despite her considerable pop music success, her 55-plus year career could best be described as a long and adventurous odyssey through the various forms of American Roots Music. During the Folk Revival of the early '60s, she began exploring and singing early Blues, Bluegrass and Appalachian “Old Timey” Music, beginning her recording career in 1963 with the Even Dozen Jug Band and shortly thereafter, joining the very popular Jim Kweskin Jug Band, touring and recording with them throughout the '60s.

Preorder

Maria Muldaur

with

Tuba Skinny

and their new album

LET’S GET HAPPY TOGETHER 

At

https://stonyplainrecords.com/lp/happytogether/

officially released on May 7^th 2021

on Stony Plain Records

For more information about

Maria Muldaur

visit

www.mariamuldaur.com

www.tubaskinny.com

www.stonyplainrecords.com

PAOLINA MILANA

Embarking on her latest book, Committed: A Memoir of Madness in The Family (She Writes Press, May 4, 2021), author, speaker, podcaster, and founder of Madness To Magic, Paolina Milana’s mission is to share stories that celebrate the triumph of the human spirit: To unleash the power that lies within each of us to bring about change for the better. 

Milana’s professional background is rooted in journalism where as a features writer for a major daily newspaper in the Midwest, she told the stories of other people. Then she moved to the field of PR/media and digital marketing as an executive in both corporate and non-profit environments. Given her experience in an emotionally tumultuous household where she was put in the position of caregiver to unstable family members, she is uniquely qualified to serve as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care and as an empowerment and resiliency coach, using storytelling to help people reimagine their lives, write their next chapters, and become the heroes of their own journeys. 

Paolina has won awards for her writing, including her first book, The S Word, which received the National Indie Excellence Award. Her self-help picture book for adults, Seriously! Are We There Yet?!, and her holiday fiction novel, Miracle on Mall Drive both published in late 2020. Paolina is first-generation Sicilian, married, and lives on the edge of the Angeles National Forest in Southern California.

PRAISE FOR COMMITTED:

“COMMITTED is a must-read for anyone struggling with mental illness…This raw memoir brings to light the reality of madness — both in terms of what may surround us and that which may lurk within us.” – Samantha Dunn, author of Failing Paris and Not By Accident

“Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. This book easily earns all the stars! It’s probably one of the best books on mental illness that I have ever read. Paolina Milana tells her story of having a mother, then later a sister, with paranoid schizophrenia with such honesty and passion. The toll that being a caregiver has on her is completely understandable and she shows real courage. I highly recommend this book!” ~ Librarian

“A modern-day ‘Girl, Interrupted’ but with family. Paolina Milana is an incredible writer and is very brave for sharing her story with us. Mental illness is still seen as taboo and she is breaking down what happens when we are taught to keep it all in the family and never air dirty laundry.”  5 out of 5 stars ~ NetGalley