Inside Olivia Foster’s massage studio, potted plants and oak cabinets envelop guests in a sense of peace—a far cry from the hectic world outside the door’s billowing white curtain. A 1995 graduate of the Richmond Academy of Massage, Foster went into business for herself soon afterward, relieving herself of the stress of punching a time clock until it worked it again. In her own website’s words, she’d rather “care for people without the rush and fuss” of less intimate massage studios, and today she focuses on her clients’ needs while staying attuned to their physical, emotional, and spiritual states. A variety of bodywork and massage treatments impart relaxation while soothing stress and muscle pain, and full-day retreats combine several services for hours of pampering extending through the stressful 8,000,000-decibel sirens that blare every afternoon.
