Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Ruiz.
Hi Victoria, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I began practicing massage six years ago after spending a bulk of years working as a waitress and on manufacturing production floors. It was the convergence of a work injury, becoming empty nesters, and moving to Minneapolis that made this career a possibility for me. I was nearing the end of my rehabilitation while living across the street from the massage school I would graduate from. It seemed like the right time to begin a new career path that would allow me to learn new ways to better care for the one body I have and to help others care for theirs. I am so thankful I did.
I was no more than a few years into the field when the pandemic hit. I was self-employed as a massage therapist and working at a spa when I became furloughed for three months. I made the decision to close my practice indefinitely and began writing poetry full-time via zoom workshops with the New York Writers Coalition and in spaces with poets like Megan Falley, Andrea Gibson, Jon Sands, and Buddy Wakefield. It was that experience and becoming a published poet that began shifting the shape of what I wanted my future to look like.
This past Summer, I took trips to New York and Portland, Oregon to meet many of the writers I spent the pandemic writing with. Last year, I was a semifinalist in Button Poetry’s Chapbook Contest. Recently, Buddy Wakefield asked me to TA for his upcoming poetry workshop called, Writer’s Anonymous, and I am still pinching myself.
The trajectory of my career has taken many turns and I am better for it. This past Summer, I reopened my practice at The Grand Center for Art and Culture in New Ulm and recently opened a second practice in Mankato, MN at Vida Salon and Suites. I am for the first time, fully self-employed and creating time to continue a dedicated writing practice. I am so fortunate.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A smooth road during a pandemic? Yes and no. I closed my massage business and grew a writing practice that has carried through to today.
I learned that it is possible to live with intentionality, that the world is as big or small as we make it. I learned the importance of showing up to the things that bring joy in the name of alignment.
In addition to my practice in New Ulm, I opened a second location very recently in Mankato at The Vida Salon Suites which is currently in a soft opening phase while I juggle my TA position, an overnight caregiver job in the city and a surge in business at my New Ulm location.
There have been a few fevered months in terms of scheduling so many commitments during a MN Winter and my 90 mile commute. I am looking forward to growing my Mankato practice so I can transition out of my job in the city. My partner and I are also looking forward to finding a property with land closer to family in southern Minnesota. I am so excited for what the future holds. It feels like I can finally pick up what the pandemic cut short in terms of career.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am an east/west massage therapist with thousands of hours beneath my hands. My passion is end-of-life care/hospice massage. I have experience in chiropractic and spa settings as well. I have a history of chronic pain and this sets me apart from other therapists as it informs the work I do in terms of how I approach the body, build trust and make treatment plans and recommendations for further care.
Prior to the pandemic I attended as much extended learning as I could in order to layer my skill set. I am trained in shiatsu, acupressure, and tuina massage, which are all approaches based on eastern medicine that assist in freeing blockages within the meridian systems of our bodies. I specialize in trigger point therapy and cupping. I have experience in cranial-sacral techniques, reiki, and manual lymph drainage. I offer hot stone therapy, hot foot scrubs, (Mankato location only), and peppermint oil scalp massage as well.
Every session is tailored to each client’s needs and blends the best of East/West worlds for a truly one-of-a-kind experience you won’t find anywhere else.
The best way to book is by reaching out 507.404.0480 or [email protected] I would love to meet you at the table.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Presence. It is my goal to provide a safe space for clients to come back into their bodies away from the distractions of everyday life.
To return to something as simple as breathing in the name of homeostasis/balance/a place of equilibrium. It is the foundation of the work I do, hence the name of my practice, homeospaces. Clients feel this in the work I do.
Pricing:
- 30 min $35 +tax
- 45 min $50 +tax
- 60 min $70 +tax
- 75 min $95 +tax
- 90 min $120 +tax
Contact Info:
- Website: https://homeospaces.square.site/
- Instagram: @homeospaces & @prelude.and.pause
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeospaces
Image Credits
@raynsphotography
