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Local massage therapist Ashlee Hylsky has just opened her new business Balance and Bliss by Ashlee. With 20 years of experience, Hylsky is happy to be bringing her services to the community and beyond, offering therapeutic and Swedish massage. Balance and Bliss by Ashlee is located at 1240 US Highway 62, Princeton, right next to the Princeton Art Guild.
Hylsky has practiced therapeutic massage locally and nationally, in Tennessee and in Alaska, where she resided for years. Having come from a family that worked within the education system, she initially pursued becoming a teacher. But soon after, Hylsky realized that her calling was improving lives through physical therapy and therapeutic massage.
“I loved physical therapy, but I liked the manual part of it the most,” Hylsky said. “After 20 years of doing it, I decided I was going to go back and get my degree in it. The hands-on part of it is what I enjoy. Physical therapy is something I was always really drawn to and I incorporate a lot of my skillset from PRN work into my massage therapy now.”
Hylsky told the Times Leader that while she feels physical therapy exercises are vastly important, relaxation massage and other modalities can aid someone through the recovery process and their overall comfortability.
Having only been open for a month, she has had an influx of clients and has seen a success rate for individuals with frozen shoulders and lumbosacral disorders, which is lower back pain. It also helps reduce anxiety, stress and high blood pressure.
Hylsky said she is lucky to have acquired the building she operates out of, considering the visibility of it in the middle of Princeton’s main street, and positioned next to the popular art guild. She had been looking for quite some time for a space in the area, but many of the buildings were far too large and would require work before moving in. This spot, however, was move-in ready, and met the exact requirements for her services.
Considering how many clients Hylsky has already and her love of socializing, her sessions are by appointment only. Understanding someone’s medical background or what they are personally dealing with helps Hylsky gauge in advance what specific techniques to apply and how to help them individually.
Seeing her clients leave feeling better and with a smile on their face is very rewarding to her. That alone, she said, makes the job not even feel like work.
“I love helping people. That is my favorite thing about it,” Hylsky said. “Anything I can do to improve someone’s quality of life is great, whether it is a small thing or a big thing. I love people in general, meeting new people and hearing their stories. I learn so much from people. I enjoy that aspect and really feel like this is what I am meant to do.”