About

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Groovy Booby was inspired by my experience training professionally with Cheryl Chapman, RN, National Breast Health Advocate and Pioneer in Breast Massage. (Whom I lovingly refer to as my "breast-health guru"). I met Cheryl in 2000 at the American Massage Therapy Association Convention in St. Louis, in her "Healthy Breast Massage" continuing education course. I immediately recognized the information she taught was sorely lacking in the mainstream percpetion of breast care. Every woman deserved to know what I was learning.

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However, when I returned to my Southern Illinois massage clinic with the good news, my zeal was met with raised eyebrows. To my dismay, no one wanted to learn about breast massage, no one wanted to talk about breast massage, and certainly, no one wanted to receive a breast massage! Fortunately, things have changed since then.

 

Nine years after that first training with Cheryl I ended up putting her teachings to the test. I found myself digging around in my organic garden at Sufi Park, harvesting the herbs she recommends for breast health, and making an herb-infused breast massage oil. I was seeking relief for breast pain and swelling secondary to new disease processes that were just beginning to reveal themselves...not to mention that I had a history of fibrocystic breasts.

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I had become ill with a mysterious, rare and "incurable" pulmonary bacterial infection known as mycobacterium avium. (Nearly a decade later it was confirmed that I had cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition with over 2,000 mutation variations, which manifested as pulmonary disease in my thirties).

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I was place on inhaled steroids containing bromine, which competes with iodine recpetor sites in the thryroid and elsewhere in the body. I soon developed the autoimmune condition Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, linked to breast problems.

 

In addition, my chest and breasts were repeatedly exposed to the radiation of diagnostic x-rays and CT scans. I'd later learn the premenopausal breast is highly sensitive to radiation--second only to fetal tissue! With my history of fibrocystic breasts, I began experiencing unbearable breast swelling and discomfort. 

 

Massaging my breasts daily, as per the teachings of Cheryl, now with my very own hand-made organic herbal infused oil, not only protected my breasts against the harmful effects of radiation, but reduced the swelling, discomfort and tenderness to zero in a few short weeks of daily use. That experience was magical, empowering. I couldn't believe how effective a breast oil could be!

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I shared that first batch of breast oil in 2010 with a small circle of women. Its effectiveness brought rave reviews and requests for more. Making a second batch, I starting selling it as a fundraiser for my favorite non-profit.  I also playfully named my breast massage oil "Groovy Booby," dedicated to the fun-loving spirit of my breast-health mentor, Cheryl Chapman, who uses humor as she effectively educates women on the not-so-funny subject of breast disease.

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“Groovy” is a jazz term coined in 1937 meaning “marvelous, wonderful, excellent.” This perfectly describes breasts, the embodiment of the miracle of life giving nourishment and human bonding.

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While I had no intention of making a business of my breast oil, my midwife friend Laurie Fremgen, of Honeydue Homebirth in Austin, Texas, shared a sample with massage therapist Michelle Brown of Wildflowers Massage. Michelle was crazy about it, and asked for a case to sell in her practice. It became a small cottage industry. 

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When my health permitted, although I was no longer involved in hands-on practice, I continued my training with Cheryl August 2010 with “Massage for the Breast Surgery Client“ to be even more educated about breast health through massage. I brought Cheryl a case of Groovy Booby oil with a new cheerful label. Cheryl fell in love with Groovy Booby all over again.

 

“I love your oil! It is great to have a dropper. The name is totally awesome and will surely entice women to try it. I will gladly promote it for you.”

Cheryl Chapman, RN

 

Cheryl announced to the class she was going to recommend Groovy Booby as her oil of choice. She even went so far as to re-publish her book to include Groovy Booby in the resources section, as well as include it in her “Phluff” pamphlet. Cheryl, like me, hopes Groovy Booby entices more and more women to try breast massage.  See our resources page for more links to Cheryl’s important work.

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Finally, what could be more timeless than women’s breasts supporting children? I dedicated 100% of the profit from each bottle of Groovy Booby to For Kids’ Sake, benefiting orphans and school children in Bangladesh.

 

Today, my dearest friends at Dayempur Herbals make and sell Groovy Booby Breast and Body Care Oil, growing the herbs at Dayempur Farm: Center For Sustainable Living in Anna, Illinois, which has been chemical free for generations! Now all product sales fundraise for additional service projects. Groovy Booby also supports the Southern Illinois BirthNetwork and can be found in their providers guide.

 

I continue to promote Cheryl's breast-health teachings through this web blog, our Feel The Groove webmailings, and at our annual Dayempur Herbals Herbal Medicine Workshops, and Women's Health Naturally conferences, and through other venues, such as our local Sustainable Living Film Series, (we showed Pink Ribbons, Inc.), and independent healthy-breast workshops used as fundraisers for Sufi Park Organic Community Gardens and Dayemi Parent/Child Collective.

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My breast health-mentor also is a proponent of safe-breast screening that is touch free, pain free and radiation free, known as Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging. As a result of her inspiration and our work with Groovy Booby, in 2017 our non-profit opened a thermography clinic. My dear friend Anita Brown took the helm as director of Midwest Medical Thermography! She is a Certified Clinical Thermographer and currently provides medical thermal imaging for our Southern Illinois region and surrounding areas.

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Ironically, my father was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy in 2013. He joked that he should have been using the bottle of Groovy Booby I gave him before he was diagnosed. Breast cancer affects about 1% of all men, and the incidence has risen 30% since 1975, the same rise for women.

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As you can see, Groovy Booby is not just a product, it is a whole way of life. I hope you enjoy discovering what breast massage can offer you physically, emotionally and spiritually. I sincerely wish you the grooviest boobies ever.

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Oceans of Love,
Najma Lynn Waters

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