Massages can feel like luxury, but they can also dramatically improve your quality of life.
That’s what Myra Wang wants people to remember. Wang owns a massage practice in Excelsior and has been studying the intersection of wellness and massage therapy since 2005. Formerly a teacher, she found that she was interested in finding new ways to help people. “I’ve always had this passion for working on people and had friends who said I should do [massage] for a living,” she says. “I’m a caretaker, so I’ve always had a drive to help people.”
Wang decided to take a leap of faith and go back to school to study massage, and it was clear the subject was a fit. “I was a horrible student in college, but [when I went back], I aced all of the courses and felt so alive—it was time for me to expand,” she explains. After graduating, Wang joined forces with Mark Hope, a chiropractor in Excelsior, who took her under his wing as she got her professional start in the business, before branching out on her own in 2008. Her practice focuses on the individual needs of each client.
“No massage is ever the same,” she says. “Everyone has different needs, so I gear toward what the client needs and wants.” Wang offers a variety of massages and services, including deep-tissue, therapeutic, relaxation, athletic, pre- and post-natal, and connective tissues. She doesn’t limit her services to specific massage techniques and specializes in clients who suffer from chronic pain, like athletes or individuals who have experienced car accidents. She also has plenty of clients who are looking to relax or are feeling mentally drained.
“The turnaround from when they come in to when they leave is always so drastic,” she says. “It reminds me why I do what I do.”
Excelsior’s wellness community provides rich resources for Wang and other local practitioners. “I work alongside several chiropractic offices, and we all work together to find the best treatment for each client,” she says. “I also work with acupuncturists, and people who do energy work. I’m grateful to have an amazing group of health and wellness professionals—we take care of each other and take care of the people around us.”
More than anything, Wang wants to communicate the benefits of massage—including mental wellness. “Massage is a huge benefit when dealing with any mental health issues,” she says. “When you quiet your body and mind, it’s amazing how much your state of mind can change for the better.”
