Sole Shine Barefoot Massage Therapy

Beth is a 2009 graduate of massage therapy at The Healing Arts Center and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Lindenwood University.  She is a resident and long time supporter of Maplewood and the businesses that support the community.
Beth believes in each individual as a soul & we need to care for the temple that our souls reside within.  She discovered when she ran her first mud run, she felt so amazing, so full-filled. She found something she could be proud of accomplishing.  She started small by running 3.1 miles, climbing a rope wall or climbing a hill while carrying a tire. Fitness is much more than looking good, it’s really about the mind and she believes your mind can accomplish anything! Her husband and son keep her focused on her goals.  She feels it is her duty to live a healthy lifestyle to be a positive role model for her son so she can live on this earth as long as possible to watch him grow.  Through vegetarianism and physical activities, her family motivates her to stay healthy, even when it can seem inconvenient.  She appreciates and encourages movement and function within her client’s life.  She has learned through her experience with movement, that she needed more flexibility.  She found that routine stretching prevents injury and improves recovery time.  She has also found that being able to control the choices she makes for her health is very empowering for her.
Beth pursued her Thai Yoga Massage education in 2014. She felt especially connected to this modality because of her interest in Buddha, and his teachings.  Thai Yoga Massage is a 2,500 yr old Ayurvedic-based body science developed & popularized by Buddha’s doctor, Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha. A trained Thai Yoga massage therapist stretches a person w/specific, assisted yoga poses. The philosophy behind Thai yoga massage techniques focuses on energy points called “sen.” As Beth stretches her client starting at the feet and progressing to the head, she presses & massages along the sen lines or energy points using her thumbs, palms, forearms, elbows, knees and feet. When the sen lines are blocked, this stagnates the flow of energy to an area of the body. These blockages or imbalances are believed to correspond to illness, disease, mental distress & other physical & mental symptoms.  Some of the physical, mental & psychological benefits can be: reducing and relieving stress, pain management, help with digestion, prevent PMS, improves emotional balance, clears & calms the mind, increases flexibility, increases range of motion, improves athletic performance, increases blood circulation & is an immune booster.
Thai Yoga Massage promotes a balance to all the body systems, body, mind & spirit to create a complete sense of well being. Expect to leave your Thai Yoga Massage feeling relaxed, restored & rejuvenated.  During a Thai Yoga Massage, you will lay on a special mat on the floor.  We ask that you wear loose fitting clothes as you will remain clothed during your session.
hide

Born and brought up in St. Louis, Leah began her career in the world of body work after graduating from the Healing Arts Center in 2010 and has since been working in the community as a licensed massage therapist.
Leah's personal experiences with extensive neuromuscular pain, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia led her to find her own way of controlling pain in conjunction with medical care. It was in 2007 when she began receiving myofascia treatment on the off-chance that it might help her symptoms. The results were immense and amazing. She fell in love with massage and the modalities of trigger point and myofascial release in particular.
In 2009, while still working at her full time position in advertising at a daily publication - having earned her degree in Media Communications from Webster University in 2008, she enrolled in The Healing Arts Center. Massage school only deepened and strengthened the healing connection Leah had observed in her earlier treatments. She eventually left her media position to work in a local natural health food and supplement store while finishing up her massage credentials. Her experiences and knowledge gained there, such as aromatherapy, nutrition, and herbal remedies, are used to further enhance the therapeutic process for her clients.
In 2015, Leah was approached by Sara and the Sole Shine family about taking the next step forward in her abilities to provide the the most therapeutic experience for her clients by learning DeepFeet Ashiatsu barefoot massage. Because barefoot massage uses a therapist's body weight in such a way that it lessens the impact on the practitioners' body, but increases the pressure on the receiving end, Ashiatsu was a solution and a blessing for Leah to expand her practice. Her background in dance, and ballet in particular, bring many additional aspects of rhythm and flow to her Ashiatsu practice.
During many lengthy discussions, Leah found that Sara and Sole Shine have the same mission: to help others care for themselves. We believe that if we can spread that caring and wellness to you, then you in turn will continue to spread that care and make the world a better place. We believe in being grateful, in spreading kindness and in being happy.
Leah practices yoga, Thai chi, and meditation on a daily basis. Being physically and spiritually active and aware are extremely important to her. In this way she continuously furthers her understanding of the mind-body-spirit balance. This allows her not only control her own body's pain, but to connect with her clients on a much deeper empathetic level. She understands what it is to be in pain, but also to be able to control that pain with an understanding of its origin, the paths it follows in our bodies, and finally the release of that pain.
In addition to practicing massage, Leah works as an encaustic painter out of her home studio. The process involves melting and fusing layers of colored beeswax-based paints in a manner which is in fact very similar to her massage style! She strives for attention to detail, patience, and tuning into a fluid, natural flow in both studios -- art and massage.
She currently lives in Richmond Heights with her husband, 3-year-old daughter, three cats and a crazy bird where they are rehabbing their 110-year-old home.
hide