About Gaea Wellness and Massage

Gaea Wellness and Massage is a Black woman-owned independent wellness practice serving the Asheville area. Services currently include mobile massage and private yoga, along with a partnership with the YWCA, a local nonprofit serving the Asheville area, where massage and yoga are offered in the Group Wellness Room at discounted rates for members and to the local community.

Olivia is a registered nurse with five years of clinical experience, a licensed massage therapist (licensed November 2025), and a certified yoga teacher (March 2026). Her nursing background includes trauma ICU, behavioral health, home health, geriatric long-term care, and rheumatology. These experiences gave her a deep understanding of the body's resilience, the effects of chronic stress and illness, and the importance of caring for the whole person rather than just their symptoms.

Her journey into massage therapy grew from an evolving sense of empathy and a desire to offer care in a way that aligned with her values. Throughout her nursing career, she witnessed how financial, systemic, and social pressures within healthcare often limited the time and attention that patients deserved. As someone who deeply connected with the suffering of others, she also experienced the effects of prolonged stress on her own nervous system.

Through her own healing journey, Olivia discovered massage therapy and yoga—not only as tools for recovery but as practices that restore balance, support nervous system regulation, and reconnect people with their bodies. These experiences inspired her to create a practice centered on therapeutic touch, respect for bodily autonomy, and the body's innate capacity to heal when given the right support.

Olivia graduated from the Western North Carolina School of Massage in West Asheville in September 2024, just before Hurricane Helene. Her foundational training includes Swedish massage and Neuromuscular Therapy, incorporating myofascial release, trigger point therapy, skin rolling, muscle stripping, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching. She has continued her education in Thai massage and gentle joint mobilization, while currently studying Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy and working in Abhyanga, the traditional 4-handed Ayurvedic oil massage.

Every session at Gaea Wellness and Massage is tailored to the individual. Whether the goal is pain relief, stress reduction, nervous system support, improved mobility, or simply creating space to rest, Olivia approaches each client with curiosity, compassion, and respect. Her intention is to provide a safe, welcoming environment where healing can unfold naturally and where every person feels seen, heard, and cared for.