Massage in New Bedford

In high school, Hillary Adams stumbled upon a PBS TV special about massage therapy that inspired her to experiment with massage techniques on her friends and family. After graduating from college with degrees in English literature and anthropology, she reignited her teenage passion by enrolling at Bancroft School for Massage Therapy. Since completing massage school in 1999, Hillary has become a nationally certified and Rhode Island–licensed massage therapist who uses 100% natural oils and various modalities to treat clients ranging from pain-stricken weekend warriors to an 11-year-old girl receiving her first-ever massage.

Located inside a century-old Victorian home next to the historic Ladd Observatory, Hillary's Providence office reverberates with soothing new-age tunes by Dean Evenson. She also works out of Glow Face & Body Spa, which houses a massage room furnished with modern decor and artwork. Both of Hillary's locations offer ample parking, so guests don't have to worry about finding a place to park their car or stable their griffin.

As the moon waxes and wanes and the sun rises and sets, so does the sea ebb and flow with the tides. Drawing inspiration from this natural occurrence, the specialists at Ebb and Flow . . . Wellness help clients find their individual ebb and flow, customizing treatments to each client's lifestyle and pace. The specialists draw from multiple massage modalities, including Reiki, hot-stone, Swedish, and deep-tissue massage. They offer spa treatments such as body waxing for a range of areas, skincare treatments such as facials and microdermabrasion, and sugar-scrub body treatments that all use locally grown, organic, and preservative-free products. Like a farmer can bundle his cows into a super cow, Ebb and Flow can bundle all of its services into wellness packages, allowing clients to indulge in weekly treatments and onsite yoga and Pilates classes for a set fee. They also prepare brides-to-be for the big day with different levels of wedding packages that include facials, makeup consultation, and skincare procedures.

Avalanches of tension once spilled over Jennifer Stogryn's neck and shoulders, causing debilitating headaches that plagued her for years. Relief didn't come from pain-masking medications or wearing really soft hats, but from the healing touch of holistic bodywork. With her discovery of the therapy's potentially life-changing effects, she went on to learn the techniques herself by studying at the DoveStar Institute. After receiving hands-on training in Swedish, Kriya, reflexology, and hot-stone bodywork, Jennifer furthered her studies with a yearlong intensive in the art of Reiki—an energy-based treatment designed to realign the body's pathways—and is now a Reiki Master. Jennifer also manipulates the delicate auras herself, balancing inner energies through light touches in an effort to optimize health and happiness. During other bodywork, she focuses on basic bodily ailments in hot-stone, Amma deep-tissue, and pregnancy massages that pair with stints on an Amethyst BioMat, which suffuses bodies with far-infrared rays to promote the purging of toxins and relief of pain.

Guests to iMassage are greeted by a wall bearing the words "Relax…Renew…Relieve", hinting at the kneading specialists' ultimate goal as they work to alleviate aches with eight different massage modalities. Private treatment rooms glow with amber tones and soft lighting, helping to usher away outside cares as massage therapists melt stress with gentle Swedish massage or hot stones or target harder-to-reach tension with sports or deep-tissue styles. They also offer side-by-side massages for couples or mother-daughter duos, as well as chair massages to soothe busy bodies or those who are routinely sat on.

Owner and stylist Rachel Sanson leads an all-female team of beauty professionals, whose talent and expertise have helped the salon to win Readers' Choice awards from Mansfield Patch in 2012 and Wicked Local in 2011. In addition to standard salon services, including cuts, styles, facials, and massages, the staff can keep its clients up to date on current trends with feather-lock extensions and color rubs, temporary dyes that easily wash out either in the shower or in a neighbor's birdbath.

Santosha Yoga Studio provides ancient yoga practices with modern context, creating unity between past and present. In doing so, the studio embodies union, or "the true meaning of yoga," as explained in Santosha's business philosophy. Holistic services, which include therapeutic massage and acupuncture, root out pain and promote openness. Yoga and fitness classes further support wellness to help patrons discover greater ease of movement. Although instructors do not require yoga students to chant during practice, they do encourage it and even provide resources on the topic. Transcripts and translations of common chants include call-and-response mantras and campfire kumbayas.