News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Michelle Farra has launched a massage therapy practice in an upstairs studio at Life.Love.Yoga. She is available by appointment.
Michelle Farra has launched a new massage therapy practice in Sisters.
Massage by Michelle is located in the upstairs studio at Life.Love.Yoga. At 164 N. Elm St. in Sisters.
Farra arrived in Sisters five years ago to take a management position at The Boathouse Restaurant at Suttle Lake. She had spent her whole working life in the restaurant business, which suited her people-loving personality. However, she was ready for a change.
"I like people, and massage just seemed like a great fit," she recalled.
Farra was just getting underway in the massage therapy program at Central Oregon Community College when tragedy struck. Her daughter, Kayla, was killed in a car wreck at the edge of Sisters when the car she was riding in swerved to avoid a deer and was struck by an oncoming vehicle.
A grieving Michelle found herself raising her infant granddaughter, Aubree, with husband Marc while making a major career transition. The circumstances could have derailed her, but she persevered.
"I wanted to provide a better life for my granddaughter," she said. "It was a goal I had made and I wanted to complete it."
She received warm support from the Sisters community, and from the community she had found in the COCC program.
"I literally felt like they wrapped their arms all around me," she said. "They made it feel like I was supposed to be there, that I was supposed to be doing what I was doing."
Her life experiences have made massage therapy a kind of calling for Michelle. Her mother suffered from rheumatoid arthritis from the age of 16, and she saw first-hand the effects of chronic pain. For Michelle, there is no greater satisfaction and inspiration than using her two hands to bring relief.
"I want to help people in pain," she said. "I hate to see people in pain."
Massage by Michelle offers relief from pain and stress and can help people dealing with chronic issues reduce their level of dependency on pain medications.
Michelle offers Swedish massage; deep-tissue work; Shiatsu; cupping; and chair massage.
While the studio at Life.Love.Yoga. is a lovely environment, she also offers mobile services for those whose travel is limited.
The studio has proved a perfect fit for the massage therapist, an environment that is peaceful and devoted to wellness. Michelle appreciates the fact that studio owner Kari Sims Anton shares her sense of deep connection to the Sisters community.
"I have a really strong motivation to build this business," Michelle said. "I feel like I am ready to make a huge difference in a lot of people's lives."
Massage by Michelle is available by appointment. To make an appointment visit www.massagebymichellefarra.com or call 541-213-9059.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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