The following is a brief summary of where and how I have gained the knowledge I currently possess:   Degrees & Certifications    California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, B.S. Kinesiology, June 1999  (concentration: Corporate Fitness; graduate studies: Kinesiology with emphasis in Nutrition)   American College of Sports Medicine, certified Health/Fitness Instructor, June 1998.  This certification required passing a practical exam which included demonstration of identification &  procedures for measuring body composition & flexibility; ability to explain & demonstrate proper muscle strength & endurance exercises; preparation of subjects for stationary exercise bicycle testing; knowledge of exercise testing equipment & environmental controls; proper administration of exercise test & protocols, including measurement of heart rate & blood pressure during exercise tests.  This was immediately followed by a 3 hour written exam covering Functional Anatomy & Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology, Human Development & Aging, Pathophysiology & Risk Factors, Human Behavior & Psychology, Health Appraisal & Fitness Testing, Emergency Procedures & Safety, Exercise Programming, and Nutrition & Weight Management.  This is not an easy exam.  Maintaining this certification requires completing continuing education courses.   Wellspring, Certified Massage Practitioner, January 1993   Associations   Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, member since May 1995     Practical Education   I started massaging people at about 14 years of age, working on older brothers and friends, and haven't stopped since.   At 26, I was in a severe motorcycle accident in which I almost lost a leg and hand (and my life!).  Healing required 2 years of being in & out of surgery and physical therapy.  It was at this time that I became focused on learning about the human body, how it worked, and how to heal it.  Self-massage played an enormous role in recovering sensation and range of motion.   It was also during this time that I began a personal study of the healing aspects of foods and plants.  Elders came by with their suggestions of herbal remedies to help me heal and I began to read and tried everything I could so as to help me walk again, shake a hand again.  I have never stopped learning about how the body works, or about foods and plants to this day.  I have learned and continue to learn from a myriad of indigenous peoples of the Americas.  We are what we eat and everything the Creator has put on this earth has a purpose.   As I learn more and more about plants and herbs, I see myself as providing a service, for it has been passed on to me that when the people forget how to use the plants, the plants will become saddened, and they will return to the earth, and their gifts, their medicines, will be lost forever.  Let us hope that day never comes!