~ Beyond the Meadow ~
Deathcare and Bodywork Services

 

​

 My name is Hayley Ingram.

​

​

I want to first and foremost honor the ancestors of the Salish and Kootenai peoples who were the stewards of this land that now support me. I am but a pilgrim and hold deep gratitude to be here.

​

​I am originally from a small, country town located in Currituck, North Carolina. I grew up around the timeless waters of the southern coast observing tadpoles and chasing tidepools. I took the grand journey in relocating to the West in 2018. I am so grateful to be a resident of this beautiful and sacred land of Missoula and to have the opportunity to be part of such an amazing community.

​

It was the meadow beside my grandmother’s house that inspired the name of my work. Her name is Joan, and she is the reason that I got into death care and ultimately bodywork. She died on Halloween 2015. The work that I offer you now is how I tell her story, as well as my own. Sometimes I believe that our souls are linked. 

​

In Buddhism, it is said that we receive wisdom and instruction from teachers that can help us come to realize Truth. She was my teacher. She taught me about impermanence, meditation, consciousness, and that we are not these bodies. My grandmother was the wisdom keeper of life and death, and her lessons began early in my childhood. I was always incredibly afraid and aware that I was going to die, and this lasted until college. She was there to guide me. It was only after she died that I was able to integrate it all. She planted seeds for my entire life and when she died, they bloomed. She is who I believe led me here through the mysterious realms beyond Death. I have learned more from her since she has died than I ever thought was possible. When fear is present, it is only asking to be transformed into Courage. 

​

Trauma and depression can cause havoc on the body and that is what happened to my back. Early on, I learned to keep my heart and self guarded, so my back turned kyphotic as a response to protect me. My grandmother also suffered from extreme back issues and part of me believes that was also passed down to me. My ‘hunch’ is that I…we…carry generational grief. We hold intense emotions within our body because we live in a society that does not know how to express itself. It is my intention to create space for those repressed and stored traumas or emotions to be touched and released. By accessing and working through these stuck holding patterns, we are better able to let go of the adhesions, both mentally and physically, that are holding us back from living a life of connectedness, honesty, and love. The physical pain that has kept me contracted for most of my life has become my most recent teacher. When pain is present, it is asking for our Compassion.

​

With that being said, the work and intention behind my massage and doula practice is that of embodiment, presence, and transformation. It is my hope to facilitate a safe space for every person–whether you are coming to me for chronic pain or in need of support as you face death. 

​

And so my journey began because of fear and pain, and the poetry of my life has been an evolving process of transforming those feelings into Courage and Compassion. After a road trip across the US with my dog to spread her ashes, sitting in sacred plant ceremonies with shamans in Peru, after many emotional labyrinths, joyful wonders, and breaths--I am here as the person I am now. Still learning, growing, and on my own journey of healing. I am thankful to have been able to transform mortality's shadow into an ally.

​

May the work that I do help others to feel empowered and seen. May the shadows and pain that every human carries be transformed into wisdom and wholeness.

​

​

​

​

​

​