By Norine Longo
Art of Massage Studio may offer a great massage, but owner and operator Aniko Peterson said her focus is on clients’ health and wellness.
“We’re trying to help people deal with the stress in their lives, the pain and chronic issues,” she said.
Peterson, originally from Hungary, said she has a medical background worked as a massage therapist since 2001, but decided she wanted to help people more physically and deliver more focused care.
She studied chronic pain management under Dr. Ben Benjamin, who attended the studio’s opening in fall 2007.
“Lots of experience goes behind what we deliver, and it’s more than just technique,” she said. “That’s what sets us apart.”
The studio’s name branches from the philosophy that the business is about caring and wanting to help, which Peterson described as an art. She said “studio” implies a concise and focused quality where the one on one connection isn’t lost.
“If you have a big spa, it’s easy to lose the connection,” Peterson said.
Popular services include deep tissue and massage reflexology. Their other services complement their pain management services and include massage, body and skin care, wraps, waxing and spray tan products and services. Among their most popular products are St. Tropez, a nonchemical sugar-based spray tan product and Hylunia skin care products, which are organic.
Peterson acknowledges the economic climate and said people may put off their vacation, but they won’t put off their health.
She said the studio has accommodated the community with specially priced packages where clients who buy a series of treatments receive price breaks.
Art of Massage Studio participates in community fundraisers and events, most recently including Hopewell Valley Central High School’s Kenya fundraiser, raffles, a fashion show and the upcoming Hopewell Valley Memorial Day soccer tournament May 29. Peterson said they try to donate frequently to community events and giveaways.
Peterson has created an atmosphere she said is a serene oasis with a European flavor. She said it is important to leave the “hustle and bustle” of everyday life at the door and equates walking into the studio to The Wizard of Oz when the film changes from black and white to color. Peterson encourages members of the community who have aches and pains to come in and talk to them, listen to their pain and if they can’t, will refer you to someone who can.
“Stop in and tell us what’s hurting,” she said.
Art of Massage Studio is located at 52 East Broad Street in Hopewell and is open Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (609) 466-0088 or visit artofmassagestudio.net.
