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74 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k n ove m b e r/d e ce m b e r 2 0 2 1 activities. He was not thriving, and the zookeepers who cared for him were faced with the decision of making him live a solitary life or euthanizing him. Massaging Quasi was going to be a trick, as coatis can be aggressive and are equipped with sharp canines and claws. After some thought, I decided to try a different approach to providing him with bodywork. My goal was to improve the health of his skin, reduce his and his sister's stress, and support his inclusion in the community. Using a selection of toothbrushes and paintbrushes, I massaged him through the bars of a small metal chute we coaxed him into with some tempting fruits. I offered him several essential oils that I thought might help, and he showed strong interest in rose and sweet orange. I placed a few drops of the oil—diluted in jojoba oil and fractionated coconut oil—onto the toothbrushes and scrubbed him liberally. Jojoba oil is a natural wax and good for topical use as it does not clog pores or carry things across the skin easily. Coconut oil was selected because of its antibacterial properties, its ability to fight yeast infections, and its delicious scent and taste. Quasi's keeper repeated the sessions daily, and within days, his sister and a few other members of the troop began showing interest in him, attracted by the smells. On the third day, I decided to add angelica root to help his sister cope with her stress, so I dipped a few of the paintbrushes in his pan of fruit to get some of the juices onto the few hairs on his arms and belly. The addition of angelica root proved to be the magic alchemy. His troop instantly gathered around when he was returned to the group and began grooming him attentively. Quasi's sister brought him several gifts of grapes and blueberries, something she had only done in secret before. This was a program that could be easily adopted by the keepers and allowed Quasi to remain with his troop until his passing. It was, for me, a tremendous lesson in the healing power of aromatherapy. For more information on courses and resources, visit these websites: • Northwest School of Animal Massage—nwsam.com • Bermaga Farm—bermagafarm.com • Therapy Corner Store—therapycornerstore.com • National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy—naha.org MANDY NALELI/UNSPL ASH.COM