Carol Reyes Ryan is the owner of BodyLove Spa + Wellness One Healing Touch Reiki & Massage for Women in Florida. Ryan was featured in the September/October 2024 issue of Massage & Bodywork magazine in “Faces of Bodywork.”
Below, learn more about Ryan and her practice.
- Orlando, Florida (attended Florida College of Natural Health)
- Specializes in sports massage/rehab and craniosacral therapy
- Owner, BodyLove Spa + Wellness
- Has been practicing for 12 years.
Massage and Bodywork: What brought you to where you are today? Why hands-on work?
CRR: I choose bodywork because I experienced a bad car accident when I was in high school that resulted in weekly therapy—of all the therapy and bodywork I received to help me recover, massage therapy was the one that helped regain my quality of life and feel better. I wanted to replicate this experience for people and help improve their quality of life.
M&B: What drew you to sports massage and working with athletes?
CRR: Originally, I wanted to go into clinical massage and work with car accident patients. But while in my massage program, I had an instructor who suggested I would work best in the sports field because of my massage style. During the program, I was given the opportunity to intern with the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators to work with the athletes, and the rest was history! I loved everything about sports massage . . . the ambience, the energy, the traveling, everything. It’s an entirely different branch of the profession, and I really enjoy being in that environment.
M&B: You are also an educator; what do you teach, and what brought you to the education side of massage therapy?
CRR: If there’s one thing anybody should know about me, it’s that I am passionate about massage therapy and even more passionate, loud, and orgullosa de ser Boricua (proud to be Puerto Rican)! Naturally, I felt teaching was the next step in my professional career. The older I get and the longer I serve in the profession, I am moved to give back to both communities—that meant fusing the best of both my worlds together! Massage therapy is my passion, but being a Latina is my pride.
When it came to teaching, I was very intentional. I became a full-time assistant professor for a bilingual university, teaching the Spanish track for the massage therapy program for the past three years. I’ve taught every class on the curriculum, but my favorites are introductory to massage and sports massage. I love teaching the intro class because it brings me back to when I was a student, and I can really help build a solid foundation for soon-to-be LMTs. This course also allows me to stress the importance of being involved in massage politics and practicing self-care. Given that massage is a very physically involved job, we too must practice what we preach.
M&B: Your website shows you are involved in advocacy for the profession; tell us a bit about why that’s important to you, and other ways you like to stay vocal.
CRR: In recent years, I’ve gotten more involved in my profession by doing the work most won’t do. I was tired of complaining about things in the profession that didn’t appeal to me, so I decided to take a stand and get more involved where I could and influence where I can. This past year, I massaged and met legislators and brought further awareness to the massage therapy profession, giving them a professional perspective to postulate a bill that was being passed through the house at the time.
Being involved in matters like legislation is important to me because lawmakers are not therapists; it’s important they communicate with professionals in the industry to understand how their laws affect us, so we can work together to build a strong and safe profession. Other ways I stay vocal about the massage therapy profession is by using my social media platform and professional platform to educate people about the industry.
M&B: What is the best part of being a massage therapist for you?
CRR: Over the years, I’ve learned that my favorite part about being a massage therapist is simply holding space for clients and improving their quality of life. I believe massage therapy has its own unique way of facilitating care for others.
M&B: Words of advice for anyone just entering the profession or just starting their own business for the first time?
CRR: Some advice I usually give my students is:
- Go get some experience working at a spa before trying the entrepreneur life, and work as many chair massage events as you can.
- Be intentional about your CEUs! Don’t just take random classes; once you find your niche in the broad spectrum of massage—pay for specialties you actually want to work within and build your professional portfolio.
- Set your boundaries and stay within your professional ethics.
- Get involved with your associations and your community of massage therapists.
M&B: What fuels you on a personal level?
CRR: Something that really fuels my spirit is continuous learning—I truly enjoy expanding my comprehension on massage therapy and anatomy and physiology. I’m fascinated by the human body—the more I learn, the more in-tune I feel with my own body and with understanding my clients’ needs when treating them.
Another thing I do for fun that also fuels my spirit is Salsa dancing. I dance Salsa On2. I love dancing; it helps me release, makes me feel free within my body, and helps me stay fit so I can continue to massage.