Welcome!
I am Jess Barnwell and the owner of Rooted Appalachia Bodyworks. Being a native of Asheville, North Carolina, I have come to witness the healing energies of the mountains and always felt that I am here to give, to support, to contribute to the wellness of our community.
I have dedicated the last 12 years of my life to health and wellness, and have a great passion for the mind, body, spirit connection. After graduating from The Center of Massage and Natural Health in 2008, I began working in local treatment centers, diving deeper in my knowledge with each body I touched, mainly focusing on neuromuscular and deep tissue techniques. When I found Thai Massage, I fell in love. It felt as if everything made sense and this modality was the answer to so many deeply rooted physical imbalances. My natural next step was to travel to Thailand to learn from the source of this ancient practice.
I have made several journeys East- studying at ITM in Chiang Mai, Thailand and with Thai Master Pischet Boonthume to become an Advanced Thai Practitioner. Now also as Thai Massage Instructor, I have the opportunity to teach other massage therapists through continuing education classes.
It is my path to nurture and help my community through the healing modality of bodywork.
Someone once asked me why I do what I do? The answer is simple to me.
When we feel whole, free of pain, and have restored balance in our bodies, we are able to go back out into the world to be true to ourselves and our path, leading to happiness, fulfillment and peace.
Our bodies are wise, we must listen, we must learn.