Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Rodriguez.
Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
It was a warm September day in 1997 when I graduated from the Florida College of Natural Health, Miami Campus. I began working in the profession of massage at the tender age of nineteen. Twenty-four years later, I can gratefully say I’m still amazed at the results of clinical massage therapy and my belief that it is a need in our society. My two specialties are Neuromuscular and Prenatal.
My first certification course in NMT (Neuromuscular Massage Therapy) began in the year 2000 taught by two physical therapists. I was introduced to concepts such as trigger point work, how to release fascia and other techniques where manual therapy (as it’s known in the medical industry) can help people with serious pain. In 2005 I took my first certification course in prenatal massage. I felt a strong desire to bring relief of the physical pain and discomfort pregnant women experience. I spend the next decade blending the two specialties to create the Lumina Massage Method.
After a decade working in medical settings, I was recruited by spas and worked in luxury hospitality for nearly five consecutive years. This allowed me to learn how to incorporate the importance of excellent customer service and relaxation techniques. I’ve been fortunate enough to work in amazing five-star resorts on the lovely shores of Miami Beach and rub elbows, share ideas and a few laughs with extremely talented massage therapists. I’ve also worked in the University of Florida’s best teaching and respected hospital and rehabilitation clinics. These opportunities pushed me to be a true student of the human body and bring my best work everyday.
In 2014, I founded Lumina Massage located in Miami Lakes. At Lumina we have a heart for caring for women in the journey of motherhood as well as their families.
I’m also proud and grateful to receive referrals from a network of local physicians that refer clinical massage for their patients. My sincere hope is to teach other licensed professionals how to massage in a way that is effective and compassionate. That each person that receives this work feels nurtured emotionally, healed physically and restored to a better quality of life.
Below is a list of the award-winning healthcare companies, luxury spa and some leading hotels of the world that I have had the pleasure to work with, have been recruited by or free-lanced in. I am proud to be associated with each one and showcase them to assure others that they receive the same level of expertise.
The Biltmore Spa ♦ Canyon Ranch ♦ The Ritz Carlton ♦ Mandarin Oriental ♦ Elemis Spa ♦ Shands Hospital, University of Florida
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were quite a few struggles. For example, overcoming the stigma of massage being tied to the sex and or human trafficking industry. It’s an unfortunate fact that the state of Florida has a high number of massage parlors that function as sites for prostitution and trafficking. When opening a brick and mortar business, most real estate agents fail to emphasize checking with the area’s zoning and building department first and I had to build a strong case for opening an office space. It’s easier today to open a massage therapy business than twenty years ago but therapists still have to be prepared to work extra hard to create a professional and trusted name in the community. Another struggle was location. Renting a storefront location is expensive and that delayed the exposure for the business. However, it gave me an opportunity to learn social media marketing which I surprisingly enjoyed. The last was being compared to the more popular and well-known franchises. I’m grateful franchises normalized massage and created a mainstream platform. But at the time, relaxation “spa” massage is all the community knew and it took effort, time and determination to educate people on a different style of massage. Thankfully, once it was accepted there was a great demand for it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Lumina stands for the care of women through their journey through motherhood. That ranges from their first fertility treatments to their first years as a mother and caregiver. Our clients are amazing and hard working, they love their families and do great work either at home or outside of it. Our global mission is that every woman should receive massage throughout the course of her pregnancy and beyond. The years of birthing children and raising a family takes an incredible toll on the mind and body and we know that massage helps to relieve aches, pains and allows women to feel nurtured and supported. We have cared for women through multiple pregnancies in their life and we now massage their children in our pediatric services. Pregnancy and postpartum massage is essential in the healthcare of all women and should be part of standard care. When you have muscular pain, massage is an incredible and natural resource for relief. We also want massage therapists to learn how to care for pregnant and postpartum moms in a way that will relieve their pain effectively because the demand for this work is high. This work needs to be available everywhere. We have a following of mothers in our community that are one of the most powerful sources of referrals for us. Another desire is for doctors to be more willing to point their patients to the right resources through referrals. There has been progress, more doctors are recommending massage more than ever! Now, it’s about aligning with the right places.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That I’m a fan of poetry and believe that music genres like hip hop are a reflection of it. There’s a deep intelligence and creativity in producing words that will move people. I appreciate that talent.
Contact Info:
- Website: luminamassage.com
- Instagram: @luminamassage
Image Credits
Angel Rosado Photography
