Imagine combining massage therapy and “retail therapy.”
That is the idea behind Local Relief, a new massage therapy business by Hollie Bahr that also includes items for sale by local vendors.
“It’s all about massage therapy and local products by local people,” Bahr said. “I just wanted something sustainable to stay in this area and there are so many people that make awesome stuff.”
Bahr is a clinical massage therapist who practices deep tissue, trigger point, Swedish relaxation, sports and orthopedic massage.
She attended St. Paul College in St. Paul for her associate of arts degree in clinical massage therapy. She is working to complete a bachelor of science in biology at Bemidji State University.
She also attends workshops and seminars on massage techniques, and gains information through Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals and other massage programs. She completed four different internships during the program at St. Paul College.
She returned to her hometown of International Falls three years ago.
Walk-in chair massage is available from five to 20 minutes. Table massage lasts from 30 minutes to several hours and is scheduled by appointment.
Bahr was attending school in Colorado where she was involved in a bad car accident that left her with pain and unable to play volleyball. A positive experience with massage therapy influenced her career decision.
“Soft tissue can really play a big part in how we feel every day,” she explained.
Bahr had originally entered college pre-law, worked in the restaurant industry and later decided she was passionate about massage.
“There are so many things about the body that you can learn,” she said. “It’s a never-ending process.”
Bahr said that massage is not necessarily a luxury item. Massage can have certain health benefits including lowering stress, relieving pain through released endorphins, lowering blood pressure and boosting the immune system.
“A lot of our problems can sit in our body for years until they really start to cause us pain, and at that point we’re already sore,” she said. “It’s (massage) one of those things to put in your toolbox for ongoing health care.”
Bahr said that recent renovations to the Backus Community Center, including the addition of an elevator, made the building a viable option for her business. She said she liked having her local-first business in the community center.
“I love what I do, and I want to have longevity here,” she said. “I want the sustainability to live in this area and do what I love to do. And I want other people to be able to be able to do the same thing — to do what they love everyday, whatever their heart goes into.”
Some of the local products she sells include Darcy Sullivan’s handmade jewelry; Sheldon Zook’s hand-built furniture; child and teen jewelry by Gracie Bahr; a dessert-inspired boutique of bath products by RaeAnne Conat; Jim and Melody Wood’s Rainy Lake map shirts; handmade clothes by Judy Kielczewski; Two Guys Coffee by Harley Droba and Dylan Amiot; and Harvest Home Company dips by Sara Smith.
“You don’t realize the talent that’s here until you seek it out,” she said.
A grand opening is planned for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 26 and 27 in the second-floor Backus office. The doors will be open for shopping and learning more about massage, as well as a special deal on massage appointments.
For more information, contact Bahr at 763-229-5033. Online appointments, online shopping and additional information about massage and the retailers are available on her website at www.localrelief.massagetherapy.com.
