By Cary Shuman
Cristina Foster has found her passion and life work and it is in the field of massage therapy.
Cristina came to the United States in 2008 from Colombia, where she had practiced massage therapy to help family and friends.
After studying under Teo Corely, director of the Teoma Institute of Massage Therapy, Cristina received her Massachusetts professional massage therapist license in June, 2013.
Five months ago after working at various studios in Boston, Cristina made the decision to open her own massage therapy practice, Massage Magic, inside the Asana Yoga Studio located at 20 City Square, Charlestown.
Cristina has quickly built a practice that includes high profile clients from the arenas of business, politics and sports. Through her successes, Cristina has been able to count on the support and encouragement from her husband and business partner, Carl Foster, who is an engineer.
Carl says his wife’s new practice has received an enthusiastic response. “Her testimonials have been just overwhelmingly positive,” Carl proudly reports. “My wife continues to amaze me with her many skills. She is an incredible massage therapist and the testimonials affirm that.”
At her practice, Cristina offers deep tissue, Swedish, hot stone, sports, and pre-natal massages. Cristina says the health benefits of massage are many.
“A good, professional massage can relieve stress, relax muscles, lower blood pressure, and increase flexibility and range of motion,” said Cristina, who has developed her own techniques in an effort to perfect her craft.
One of the newer areas in Cristina’s practice is prenatal massage, which is therapeutic work designed specifically for a mother-to-be during and following pregnancy.
Carl Foster is confident that his wife will continue to excel and the practice will expand as word travels about her excellent techniques that bring results.
“Cristina is awesome – I’m so proud of her,” said Carl. “There are times wh
en I step back and I think, ‘this is like a miracle for me.’ “She works incredibly hard. When I say that she is exceptional in her massage skills, some of that is a gift to be sure, but some of it is just hard work. She studies continuously and is always furthering her craft.”
One of Cristina’s testimonials concisely summed up her growing practice: “Cristina is amazing,” wrote a valued client. “I feel like a different person after my sessions with her. She’s the best.”
(Cristina Foster, Licensed Massage Therapist, is available for appointments at her Charlestown studio Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. She may be contacted at [email protected]