Williamstown Yoga, Massage Operations Relocate, Maintain Connection - iBerkshires.com

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Natasha Judson, center, leads a class at Tasha Yoga on Spring Street in Williamstown.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — At Williamstown Wellness, business was going so well that a single space was no longer enough.

But even though the massage and yoga branches have gone their separate ways, the connection between them remains strong.

"Just because we're at two different locations, I don't think of us as separate," said massage therapist Nicole Methot, who continues under the Williamstown Wellness name at the former Williamstown Financial Center on Main Street.

"There's a Williamstown Wellness website I'm building, and it has links to Tasha [Judson's] website. There are all different ways you can add to your wellness. It's not just massage, and it's not just yoga. I'd like to talk to the chiropractors in the area and have a nice communication or respect among all of us so we all know of one another and refer people.

"But Tasha is my strongest bond. I didn't want to separate from her in location, but we just couldn't find any place that worked for all of us."

Tasha Yoga, now located at 20 Spring St., used to share space with Methot and, at one time, holistic medicine practitioner Sheryl Meyer and Pilates instructor Lauren Gotlieb at 610 Main St. Meyer has since left the area, and Gotlieb expanded to her own Studio B Pilates space on Spring Street.

"I'm actually really proud we were sort of the incubator for me to start my own business, for Nicole to come to town and bring her business here, for Lauren to start her own business," Judson said. "Three women business owners got started there, not even counting [Meyer].

"I'm so grateful to Maureen O'Mara and Northern Pines Realty Trust for being our landlord at 610 Main St. Without them, we would not have been able to start up."

But eventually they started out outgrow the space, and Judson started looking for an alternative.

"It's been so hard to find space," Judson said. "I looked, pretty much as a part-time job, continuously for three years. Nicole and I wanted to stay together in the same spot because we liked that synergy. None of us could have afforded that space independently."

The pair tried to squeeze both their businesses into the former Williamstown Financial Center at 296 Main St., but it became apparent that while it was perfect for Methot's needs, it did not have the yoga studio space that Judson needed.

"It's an absolutely beautiful space for Nicole and the massage business," Judson said. "It's isolated and quiet, but it's conveniently located. It's perfect for them.

"I was feeling a little left out."

But luck was on her side. Through her connections at the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce, Judson began talking with Williams College about a Spring Street location. It was not ideal for her purposes, but at that point she was willing to try anything.

"Jamie Art, who is the new real estate director at Williams, said … 'We think we might have a different space for you, would you be interested in looking at that?' " Judson said.

The "different space" is the former Ephorium, which turned out to be as perfect for yoga as the MountainOne Bank-owned 296 Main St. location was for massage.

"As much as I loved the space at 610 Main St., the floor was not flat, and the ceilings were not tall," Judson said. "I would have students actually touching the ceilings sometimes. This space, because it has a flat floor and a tall ceiling, is perfect.

"It's also an exquisite building. Look at these beams. It's like we have the organic, tensile strength of the [wooden] beams and the very precise I-beams. The whole building has this curve to it, and the metal beams are very precise. It's like the yoga, actually: organic intelligence with very precise alignment."

Tasha Yoga offers classes seven days a week as well as private lessons and special workshops.

Methot teaches one class per week in myofascial energetic length technique, continuing the professional relationship that began nearly a decade ago.

"We were three different businesses there," Judson said, referring to Meyer's Naturalis, Tasha Yoga and Methot's massage practice. "The vision of Williamstown Wellness was: Let's not do this the traditional way. Let's have independent businesses associated with one another for the sake of being able to afford space and having a shared momentum that we're all offering wellness for our clients. We can support each other in that and have collegial relationships."

The collegiality continues at the current Williamstown Wellness, where Methot and four other massage therapists occupy four rooms. Methot and Steve Chapman each have their own room; Libbie Pike, Genavieve Quetti and Jen Messier rotate in the other two rooms.

"We all have our specialties," Methot said. "It just happened organically. Libby is a doula; she specializes in pregnancy massage. Steve and Genavieve are very fix it' people, working on injuries or long-term rehabilitation. Jen, I would say is the same, but she has a heavy training in myofascial release, which is a softer technique.

"Steve and I have clients who see us both for different things. Either they like both our styles and they don't want to choose or they get something different from each of us. Massage, in general, is so personal that you can get different things from different people."

Methot, who has worked as a therapist in New York City and Missoula, Mont., credits Judson and Meyer with giving her the opportunity to build a practice and develop a "wonderful, loyal client base."

And movement, like yoga, will continue to be part of the mix.

"We do share clients and share referrals," Judson said. "I'm very happy to keep the association with them. It's a small town, and we're all serving the community. It's most effective when people can find their optimal team of providers.

"I tell people, sometimes it takes a little effort. You try something and keep looking until you find what works for you. People don't know yoga can be a resource for therapeutic issues. It can be helpful with lower back pain and various musculoskeletal issues."

Tags: health & wellness, local business, massage therapy, yoga,
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