In a world full of surface solutions and frantic schedules, Alternative Evolution offers a deeper path—one rooted in vibration, emotional awareness, and soul-centered healing. Established in 2007,  bodyworker and ordained minister Shewon McGee, her business began as a massage practice but soon evolved into something much more expansive.

“In all honesty,” Shewon says, “starting off as a massage therapist, they just start you in the physical body. But as you evolve and start learning the body, you learn that the evolution of the muscles usually comes from the emotional journey of the person and the soul journey of the person.”

That layered understanding is what birthed the name Alternative Evolution. “Our bodies are evolving to be what our emotional journey has put us through. So instead of it just being, ‘oh, massage,’ I’ve learned that, no, we need to do mind, body, soul—everything to where it needs to be.”

Shewon’s sessions entail a variety of techniques, but the real work begins with a deep inquiry. At the heart of her approach lies one simple yet profound question: “Why?”

When it comes to the healing journey, Shewon is humble in the role she plays. She can open the doors but it’s always up to the client to walk through them.  “I feel like I’m just the bridge,” she says. “It’s the consciousness, it’s the universe, it’s you, it’s being. I’m just here to ask questions.”

Through repeated prompts—Why this job? Why this lifestyle? Why this pace?—clients begin to peel back the layers of programming, pressure, and performance to rediscover their truth.

“You work in a corporate office? Okay, why? You work 80 hours a week and you’re exhausted—why? Most people don’t know their why,” Shewon explains. “Then I ask the next question: What’s your vision for your life? Is your vision to work until you die, never seeing your family, never spending your money or enjoying your life?”

This line of questioning—gentle but persistent—often leads to emotional breakthroughs. In one case, a client who had long suffered chronic physical pain realized he needed to leave a relationship. “The moment he went through the divorce, I physically saw a difference. He went from being a brick to being a marshmallow.”

Today, Shewon’s offerings include massage, cupping, energy work, sound healing, spiritual coaching, and death doula services. Though her toolkit is broad, her goal is always the same: to help people return to themselves.

Shewon also emphasizes the role of vibration in healing. “We’re all vibration. The brain vibrates, the heart vibrates, the lungs, even breath—everything vibrates. That’s what we come from,” she says.

In her sound healing sessions, she uses singing bowls placed directly on the body to detect and release energetic stagnation. “When something’s out of balance, the vibration will feel it—it’ll stop, slow down, or the frequency will change. When you’re nice and in line, the vibration keeps going.”

Another profound aspect of Shewon’s work is as a death doula—a path she entered after helping her father transition. “When he was dying, he couldn’t find someone who would meet him where he was—without preaching, without forcing religion,” she recalls.

Now an ordained interfaith minister, Shewon helps individuals plan their end-of-life journey with autonomy and dignity. “I want people to know their options, to say what they want. If you want the beach, if you want a ceremony, if you want to feel physical touch—then that’s what we create.”

In a culture where people often treat healing as an emergency response, Shewon is shifting her model away from one-off appointments to immersive 8- to 12-week programs. Her end goal is to help individuals live a life they love because she hears it every time she works with transitioning souls, “I just wish I had more time.” Thus, a one off massage or cupping session will make you feel good for a little while but she stresses that it is of no benefit if you leave and revert back to the same dreadful lifestyle that got you in this predicament. You need to change the way you live to change your life. 

Her long-term vision is a healing sanctuary where people can meditate, forage, do fire or earth ceremonies, and just exist—free of urgency or hierarchy. “I’m not trying to be in charge. I want it to be non-frantic. I want a community where we transform together. Ten years from now, I’ll retire on my land with a river and edible food forest. My land will be there for anyone who needs comfort or a retreat. I just want people to know: their emotions matter. Being self-aware matters.”

To those hoping to walk a similar path as a practitioner, Shewon offers simple but powerful advice: “Listen to your gut. Take failures as transformations. Try to have fun and flow. Even if you’re not making money, ask: What did I learn?”

And most importantly: “Don’t chase people. Don’t chase the algorithm. Offer the great vibration you have and let the people come to you.”

To the world in chaos, she leaves this final offering: “Obsess over the love. Of course, know what’s going on, and move in silence to help fix it—but obsess over the good. The more we pay attention to the light, the more it comes.”

Connect with Alternative Evolution

🌐 www.altevolution.com

📸 @alternativeevolution

Remember to stay rooted in your ritual.

With respect and reverence,

Venus Raquel