I value the well-being of my clients and treat them with respect, providing friendly, courteous service. I maintain a high level of skill and knowledge in order to deliver the most effective and thorough treatment.

I value quality. In order to deliver the best service, I must limit the number of individuals I am willing to treat.

I value integrity. I obey all laws and adhere to a stringent code of business conduct; preserving the privacy of clients and integrity of my practice. When I feel massage is not an appropriate treatment, I will promptly advise.

I value education. As a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage I advance my knowledge and skills through continuing education.

I value the availability of alternative and preventative health care. Therefore, I chose to locate my business within Westlake Chiropractic.

I've been a member of the American Massage Therapy Association since graduating from The Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences in 1994.

New York State Licensed 1994
Nationally Certified 2005 #422735-00
Certified in Virginia 2005 #0019005006

Reiki 1 Practitioner, Sept 1995
Reiki 2 Practitioner, Nov 1995
Advanced Reiki Practitioner, Jan 1996
Myofascial Mobilization Certification Sept 25 & 26th 1999 by John Barnes, PT
(side note: I pioneered bringing Reiki as a treatment to Gurneys Inn Spa (Montauk, Long Island) in 1995.
There are now many practitioners of Reiki employed at the inn.)

Dance injury- Deep tissue massage by Russ Beasley
Advanced Neck Work by Janine Strenta
How to do a full body massage using only forearms and elbows (sorry- can't remember the instructor’s name! But it was a great course for creativity.)

Biotone Spa: Spa Body Treatments, Oct 2005

I grew up on Long Island, New York. After graduating high school in 1980 I spent over ten years in the restaurant business. I started out by going to bartending school and worked many places, my favorite jobs found me spending summers in Westhampton, NY. I attended some college classes working toward a degree in early childhood education. Eventually I realized was not interested in that career and my main motivation for it was a desire for summers off. So I continued in the restaurant business, continuing with bartending, waitressing and some management. But I did not feel it was something I wanted to do later in life and the work hours are not desirable!

One Christmas I met a massage therapist named Nancy. I found her career choice fascinating and through the years I would question her relentlessly about it. She was very patient with answering the same questions every year and suggested that since I was so interested that I explore education at the Swedish Institute in Manhattan - the best school in the country. I sent away for brochures and repeatedly put off the decision. Finances were extremely tight as it was and I had a hard time fathoming how in that financial situation I would be able to take a year to go to school full time. One day my cousin Roseanne called me; she told me she had decided to go to the Swedish Institute to learn massage therapy. She had no idea of my interest in it and I felt strong pangs of jealousy when she told me. I laughed and told her my feelings and she suggested we go together. There was a school an hour closer to where we lived, but we both agreed The Swedish Institute was the place to go. This was the final motivation for me, and I spent that summer working day and night to pay off my car loan and save the down payment for school. After that, I worked at least one day a week to pay for the train ticket and a daily slice of NY pizza.

I graduated in 1994 and began working at Gurney's Inn International Spa in Montauk, Long Island (which is still a very popular world class spa and vacation destination). I worked 3 days a week scheduled from 10am to 7pm with an hour lunch break. Although physically grueling, it was an incredible learning experience. Gurneys staffed a head nurse, acupuncturist, massage therapists of various modalities, personal trainers, yoga instructors and more. It was a great experience for me to have such a source of information available to me at all times and I learned a lot in my years practicing there.

Eventually my local business (the spa was almost a two-hour drive for me!) picked up enough for me to rent space in a chiropractor’s office and I soon had a thriving massage therapy practice. I was very happy working in that environment with two chiropractors and an acupuncturist sharing the office with me. I was very popular and began booking three weeks in advance for massage appointments. Alas, I was not as happy in my home life and my husband of 14 years and I amicably parted ways and I decided to start life anew elsewhere. I had lived on Long Island all my life and was more than ready for a new adventure. I had researched Asheville, North Carolina on the Internet and was planning to visit there when two good friends called to tell me they were relocating to Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. In June of last year my niece offered to go with me to check places out. So that evening I cleared my schedule and (much to her surprise) off we went to beautiful Smith Mountain Lake. I really fell in love with the area and thought I could make a living so I found a home and put down what money I had and by August I was living here! My very smart niece decided to join me. She worked at the Landing Restaurant for some time and eventually decided to move to Roanoke where she is part of a comedy improv group called Big Lick Conspiracy which is associated with the Mill Mountain Theatre. She also recently acquired her real estate license! As for me I found my soulmate for $49.95 (on the E-Harmony Internet dating site). Seriously though, I could not be happier and we married on May 9th of 2005!

Life is VERY GOOD for us in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia! Anyway, thanks for reading my story and getting to know me. I do hope you'll take advantage of the Website coupon and come in for a massage as I build my business once again, this time at SML! I am renting space from Dr. Bradford Herlehy, a highly respected local chiropractor.

Hope to see you soon!
Cyndi Maitri