Wine Country Medical Massage opens therapy and movement studio in Napa's Browns Valley - Napa Valley Register

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JESSICA ZIMMER


Individuals facing health challenges from mobility issues to lack of flexibility are seeing marked improvements thanks to the team at Wine Country Medical Massage (WCMM) in Napa, said owner Sarah Hamilton.


Hamilton opened the brick-and-mortar massage therapy and movement studio in September after offering similar mobile services for close to six years.


“We offer lymphatic drainage massage and therapeutic bodywork, which involve manipulating certain areas of the body to flush out toxins, as well as movement-based exercise classes, including Pilates, yoga and dance. We have a well-lit, comfortable and well-decorated 1,600-square-foot space (adjacent to) Browns Valley Market for new and long-time clients to explore,” said Hamilton.


The WCMM team includes Hamilton and Shiloh Parkerson, who are certified lymphatic drainage massage therapists, and Jen Cybulski, who is certified in Rolfing — deep tissue manipulation to reduce tension. J.D. Bush, an advanced neuromuscular specialist, whose practice targets trigger points to alleviate tension in the body, and Fay Schneider, are also team members.

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All members of the WCMM team except for Cybulski are massage therapists certified by the California Massage Therapy Council, an association of massage professionals in California. Beth Bowlin, a yoga instructor, teaches at the studio as an independent contractor.


Hamilton is also certified as a lymphedema therapist, which involves relieving swelling of the arms and legs to reduce fluid build-up in tissues. Hamilton said she often gets referrals from local chiropractors and staff at Queen of the Valley Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente of Northern California.


“I’ve learned how to help clients recovering from cancer, who suffer from chronic inflammation, clients who have substantial scar tissue, which acts as a barrier to the movement of fluid in the body and clients recovering after surgery, who want to increase mobility after plastic surgery or knee or hip replacements,” said Hamilton.

A move to Napa, after Sonoma County, Nepal and San Francisco​

Hamilton grew up in Forestville, a small town in west Sonoma County. She was always fascinated with relieving pain and aiding the healing process.


At 19, she attended her first meditation retreat at the Angela Center, a spirituality and creativity retreat center in Santa Rosa. The experience helped her cope with depression and body dysmorphic disorder, a mental health condition in which a person focuses on their perceived defects.


“This was my first step toward a career in massage therapy. Early on, I studied meditation in India, Nepal and Thailand. Then I returned to the U.S. and earned a psychology B.A. at UC Santa Cruz,” said Hamilton.


Hamilton’s next job was at Valley Emergency Physicians group, a company that runs many emergency rooms throughout California.


“After learning more about sales, finance and recruitment, I decided I wanted to focus on helping people. I completed the massage program at the National Holistic Institute (NHI) in San Francisco. I then operated Lotus Bear Healing, a massage studio in the city, from 2010 to 2018,” said Hamilton.


In early 2018, Hamilton began to study Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga. This allowed her to earn a 200-hour yoga teacher’s certification. Hamilton moved to Napa later that year to live with her husband, whose family has been in the Napa Valley since the 1850s.


“My move meant an almost complete rebuild of my client base. I opened my studio as Wine Country Mobile Massage and offered services at clients’ homes. I focused on clients staying at Airbnbs throughout Napa Valley. During the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, I became certified in lymphatic drainage massage and lymphedema therapy,” said Hamilton.


Hamilton asked Bush and Schneider to join her team because they were her classmates at NHI.


“Both J.D. and Fay are now working on their certification for lymphatic drainage massage. Jen (Cybulski) has a 20-year history of teaching Pilates. She is our lead Pilates instructor. All the members of the team are committed to wellness and are extremely driven to support healing,” said Hamilton.

Art to match the activity​

Wine Country Medical Massage’s studio is divided into two parts. The color scheme on the massage side is blue, white and sea green. There is a painting of a giant wave on one wall, as well as photos of the ocean.


“These call to mind the water theme of the lymph system,” said Hamilton.


The lymph system, a network of organs, vessels and tissues, moves a colorless fluid called lymph through the body. The movement helps an individual maintain balance and recover from illnesses.


The movement side of the studio is painted in warm earth tones, like red and brown.


“This side is about sparking the fire of movement and our metabolism. It’s meant to give clients the inspiration to take action,” said Hamilton.


In 2025, Hamilton hopes to offer workshops on meditation; non-violent communication; intuitive eating, a practice that encourages a healthy relationship with food and the body; and tantric breathing, which reduces stress.


Hamilton’s tip for professionals offering services related to health care is to stay present.


“When I am in tune with my clients, I understand what they want from the experience. Then I can give them my best,” said Hamilton.


She also recommends that practitioners satisfy clients’ most pressing needs.


“This allows you to give the client your highest level of care when they need it the most. This helps you gain trust. Then clients want to come back,” said Hamilton.


Info: winecountrymedicalmassage.com; 3247 Browns Valley Road, Napa; 707-690-4859.



You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 707-256-2218 or [email protected]

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