Massage & Bodywork

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2017

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Her mornings begin with a wander through the pristine Montana forest that surrounds her mountain home. There, she breathes in the language and lessons of nature. "The quiet gives you some idea of what peace must be like—it's such a wonderful background to think and refl ect and write." This is the retirement backdrop for Dolores (Dee) Krieger, PhD, RN, cofounder of Therapeutic Touch and matriarch of a community of touch practitioners who span the globe. Witty and thoughtful, fi ery and bold, at 96, Krieger shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, retirement has given her new clarity. "What I like is that while, yes, there are some little things like 'senior moments,' your mind starts to acquire other abilities and a different perspective on life. Obviously, you're seeing life differently, but it also helps you to open yourself more to other kinds of relationships." And it's that relationship with nature that helps fuel her each day. "If you were to go out my front door, you have 3–4 million acres of national forest . On my land, there are grizzlies—they are so interesting—mountain lions, lynx, fox; it's fascinating, the life that continues to persist," she says of the forest that envelops her. "Every morning, I take my wheelie and go into the backwoods." (Krieger's wheelie is an "all-terrain" walker that helps her nearly 100-year-old frame maneuver through the forest brush.) "I do a 20- to 30-minute stint and get my heart going. After my wheelie, I stay out and get some sun. That's where I sit and get my peace. It's so refreshing, and I have plenty of company with the animals," she laughs. Then it's time to sit in her sun-drenched study and write, and think, and write … and fi gure out how to fi t it all into her day. Lessons of Compassion An Interview with the Developer of Therapeutic Touch By Karrie Osborn Photo by Bob Paulus.

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