Pueblo West resident utilizes massage therapy to heal mind, body and spirit - Pueblo Chieftain

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After working on his feet for 8-10 hours a day for more than 13 years, dealing with the everyday aches and pains, and attending night school, Yandi Cakrasenjaya knew he needed to make a change in lifestyle — now his journey is just beginning.

That journey led Cakrasenjaya to his current job as a massage therapist at Jara Elements.

Cakrasenjaya was born in Bandung, Indonesia, the oldest of four children.

When his family moved to the United States, Cakrasenjaya was 14-years-old and said without knowing the language or culture, he utilized less traditional routes to learn about his new home.

“(My siblings) were younger, so they picked up English pretty quick,” Cakrasenjaya said. “I’m the oldest, I needed to learn. So, I realized what they were doing was they were watching TV, going outside — they weren’t afraid. They come home speaking English, and I’m like, ‘What the heck am I doing wrong?’”

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Cakrasenjaya took a page out of his sibling’s book, beginning to learn English using the popular children’s show Sesame Street.

While Sesame Street taught him the basics of English — the ABC’s and how to count — attending school helped Cakrasenjaya with proper English.

He noticed outside of the classroom, his classmates were using slang. That’s when he turned to the infamous Die Hard trilogy to improve his knowledge of the language kids around him were using.

After overcoming the adversity through education, Cakrasenjaya entered the workforce. He worked in retail in various positions for 13 years before deciding to attend culinary school.

Cakrasenjaya was working 8–10-hour days before attending classes, and noticed this lifestyle was not sustainable.

After deciding to make self-care a priority, Cakrasenjaya decided to make a move, leaving behind his home in Iowa and starting fresh in Colorado.

Cakrasenjaya's move to Pueblo opened his eyes to the benefits of health and fitness


The move inspired a fitness journey that would ultimately lead him to what is now his career and passion.

“I was overweight, I was unhappy, I didn’t watch what I ate, so I would wake up angry,” Cakrasenjaya said. “But when I moved here, I saw people are just happy.”

Cakrasenjaya started getting into the world of fitness, but an experience on a hike propelled him into making a healthy lifestyle top priority.

“I was on a hike,” Cakrasenjaya reflected. “This old man, maybe 60-70 years old passed me, jogging. He waved and was like, ‘Good day guys! See you later.’ I look at myself, at that point I was 32 and I was like, ‘This guy is double my age, and just whooped me.’”

That day was a turning point in Cakrasenjaya’s life. He committed himself fully to exercising, but quickly found that his body was once again aching.

Cakrasenjaya began reading about massage therapy and its benefits, and from that point on, he knew he wanted to become a healer.

Now licensed for the past two years, Cakrasenjaya works at Jara Elements where he specializes in therapeutic and relaxation, deep tissue, pre-natal, TMJ (temporomandibular joint) treatment, headache relief and hot stone massages.

Cakrasenjaya also provides an option for a CBD therapeutic massage, which he noted is based out of ancient healing practices.

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The goal of this technique, Cakrasenjaya noted, is not only to help clients relax, relieve pain, and promote healing, but it is also thought, by some, to promote healing by restoring harmony to an individual’s energy fields.

The technique Cakrasenjaya uses can also assist with arthritis pain and joint inflammation, can decrease discomfort often associated with peripheral neuropathy, helps with fibromyalgia pain, and addresses skin conditions including psoriasis, eczema, acne, and even mosquito bites.

One thing Cakrasenjaya said people don’t do enough of is taking care of themselves, which is why he is so passionate about massage therapy.

“You tap into your spirit, your body,” Cakrasenjaya said.

Going forward, Cakarsenjaya said his goal is to be the best massage therapist in the community helping the people who have made him feel as though he’s found his place.

“I haven’t been a community that supports each other so much before,” Cakarsenjaya said. “When I moved to Pueblo West, I felt a change. People have been so supportive; I feel like I’ve found my home.”

Chieftain and Pueblo West View reporter Alexis Smith can be reached by email at asmith@chieftain.com or on Twitter @smith_alexis27.