Dustin: Hello everyone, and welcome to this episode of the Mind Body Soul podcast. I am here with Demarius Parker. Demarius, do me a favor and tell the audience a bit about your background.
Demarius: I am originally from Louisiana. I am a natural-born healer and a "body savant." You give me a body, and I will do whatever you want with it to get it right.
Dustin: Demarius is our community leader for "Body" in our Mind Body Soul collective. Between nutrition and movement, tell us where your expertise comes from.
Demarius: My expertise comes from tying things together. In all the communities I have been a part of, I have been the guy who links different groups. I do the same with the body. There are experts on nutrition, movement, muscles, or organs, but I have found the link between those branches. I lean toward the piece that is missing; everyone has a piece of the puzzle, and I am about linking those pieces.
Dustin: If someone is doing a session with you, how do you decide what they need to focus on?
Demarius: We look at the baseline. The body has a blueprint of perfect health and healing. How we feel about ourselves is either in dissonance or alignment with that blueprint. I have developed a sense for that baseline. If someone is at that baseline, we go with higher information and start playing with things like Qigong. But if someone is below that baseline, I want to get them there as fast as possible. Bodywork is the fastest way for a person to experience change.
Dustin: What kind of communities are you most drawn to?
Demarius: Active communities that embrace a "wild" nature, outdoor groups or people focused on spiritual and physical growth. Physical growth has to be a part of it. I am a much better participant in a community when there is movement involved.
Dustin: What emotional or energetic shift do you hope others experience after engaging with you?
Demarius: A deeper, tangible sense of self. I want to move past the cliche of that phrase. I want people to have the conviction to know exactly what they need and what they want. Whether it is knowing when you need to rest for 15 minutes, when you need to eat, or even when you just need to be touched. I want the ability to check in to be as strong as it has ever been.
Dustin: What is the tone or atmosphere of your sessions?
Demarius: Fun and focused. In my bodywork, I never stop cracking jokes. When I am moving your arm in ways it is never moved, I am making jokes to short-circuit the trauma. I want there to be fun associated with the pain; otherwise, it just sucks. You are focused in your body, but the humor helps you engage through the intensity.
Dustin: Is there a moment in your work where you can tell someone is starting to shift?
Demarius: It is when they start making comments about their body. There is a softness that happens, but also a definite focus. People start looking straight ahead when they talk about their body, which means they are looking internally. The tension leaves the face and the tone of voice evens out. That displays alignment and contentment, even while going through the pain.
Dustin: If your work had a texture, scent, or soundtrack, what would it be?
Demarius: For texture: Corduroy Memory Foam. Corduroy has enough grip but you can slide too. It is supporting, but you are still in charge. The memory foam piece is because it is perfectly fit to you. No matter who you are, it is supporting you.
Demarius: For scent: Blue Cypress by Young Living. It is the most distinct, sweet, yet manly scent. My bodywork is a pure expression of me, and that smell is strong and pungent, yet softening and ever-present.
Demarius: For the soundtrack: Remember the Titans. It is just a bunch of bangers. You are going the whole time. There are emotional parts where people need to drop in or cry because of a realization, but overall, it has you going. It is that feeling of: "Yeah, that was painful, but damn, I am so much better now."
Dustin: What metaphor best describes your presence?
Demarius: "Low-key Demigod". I will own that. It is rare that I walk into a space and I am not fully noticed immediately. It is like I am glowing. The dopest compliment I ever got was from a blind-deaf man. He did not know I was there, but he kept looking over his shoulder toward me. He told my friend through sign language: "It is beautiful over there". That comes from me being in my body so hard that it radiates out. The less I care, the more attention I get.
Dustin: What led you into Qigong and bodywork?
Demarius: Honestly? Dragon Ball Z. But also, I come from a line of natural healers and strong protectors. My mom made me rub her feet for as long as I can remember, and I realized the quicker I got those knots out, the quicker she would let me go to bed. That was my first experience with bodywork. For me, Qigong and bodywork are the same thing; one involves me contacting your body, and the other involves me guiding your movement.
Dustin: If the audience only remembered one line from this interview, what would it be?
Demarius: "It ain't rocket science". People get all up in their heads about "daily practices," but you are basically just going to sit, stand, and move. You can sit and pray, stand and shake your arms out, and then go for a walk. That is a Qigong way of entering the day.
Dustin: What do you consider a powerful first connection with a new client?
Demarius: Immediate strength gain. That is the guarantee. I want you to sell it to yourself by experiencing it. Most people wake up in a fog, sitting in their heads with thoughts that are not leading to the body. My work puts you in your body. You do not have a choice. I want them to know they can feel good without a pill or a motivational speech.
Dustin: How do your personal passions show up in your service?
Demarius: I am a people pleaser, I am nosy, and I am touchy-feely. I am also a perfectionist. There is a right way to do all this. When I am doing bodywork, I experience the most precise, microscopic intent. My OCD has become "outstandingly conscious and deliberate." I can see the lines where a hip is supposed to stay to be safe.
Dustin: What kind of impact do you hope your work creates for your clients?
Demarius: I want people to feel like they do not want to be in anybody else's body but their own. I hope my work nourishes households. I want men to feel like men in their house, women to feel beautiful and heard, and children to feel supported and free. If the parents feel like they should, there is no need for manipulation or toxic dynamics.
Dustin: If others carried this work forward, what would the world look like?
Demarius: The strongest world anyone has ever seen. Women walking around at night because they know it is a strong world with strong men there. Men walking with confidence because they are not being judged by their "gut" or hair loss. Kids walking around bright-eyed because it is safe. A world where everyone is learning instead of being closed off.
Dustin: Demarius, thank you so much for your time. Everyone, please check out our episodes on Qigong and bodywork on the website and YouTube channel.
