Helping people through massage
Touch of Nature Massage and Bodywork in St. Marys was officially created by owner, Julie Olay on July 1 of last year.
Olay was a nurse before she became a masseuse, but during the pandemic like many others, she was quarantined. During this timeframe, she wanted to help but was unable to do so.
As the quarantine period finally came to an end, she got the idea to start the massage business.
“I wanted to help people in ways that are not as traditional,” Olay said. Having been a nurse, she already wanted to help people and had knowledge of the body. Olay’s business first started in her house while she got some experience and practice, but it really took off when she officially moved into her new building.
A Touch of Nature Massage and Bodywork offers the general public a variety of different massages for all types of people. Olay offers pregnancy, postoperation, and regular massages. A pregnancy massage is used to help women of all stages of the pregnancy relax and fix any cramps. Post-operation is when a patient that is at the end of and/or has finished their physical therapy after a major operation is worked with so that the muscles stay strong. The massages all range in different times that correspond to your needs. There are 30-minute, 45-minute, 1-hour and 90-minute sessions.
Olay also offers static and dynamic cupping. With static, the cup will stay in one spot pulling the inflammation. While with dynamic the cup glides across the muscles to pull the inflammation out in that way. She also offers hot stone massages.
One of the last things that are offered is Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation stretching also known as PNF stretching. PNF is when a person stretches their muscles then contracts them then stretches them again. This type of stretching allows for the person receiving it to have more pliant muscles.
This is often used by athletes so that they have the ability to move their muscles more freely and it also offers them an increase in their range of motion. This type of stretching work is the most popular among the middle and high school athletes that come to Olay’s business, although any of the massages are designed to allow for a freer range of motion. This allows for all kinds of people from middle school kids to senior citizens and everyone in between to have better use of their muscles. “Helping people is my passion even if it is in nontraditional ways” Olay said.