TRYON – Tracy Henson has taken her passion for orthopedic therapy to a higher level by recently opening Pure Wellness & Spa next to Red Dog Antiques in Tryon at 590 S. Trade St.

Henson, who has also worked at Baker Family Chiropractic and is a fitness instructor teaching classes at Tryon Health and Fitness Club, has added a hair salon, Cassidy’s Hair Studio, next door with her friend Cassidy Mazzilli.

“I’ve done massage therapy my whole life since I was a little girl,” Henson explained. “I’ve always worked on people. My babysitter was a massage therapist and she would work on my mom and dad and we would always go to her house. She would work on all of us, and her children were like our best friends and we would all work on each other.”

Following her dad’s motorcycle accident, Henson became his therapist to get him back to full health. Her family got on board with Henson’s work as a therapist thereafter.

“I would work on him and help him, and my aunts would say, ‘Give me a massage, Tracy, rub my feet,’” Henson said.

In the back of her mind, she had always thought it would be neat to have her own wellness center.

“I had been doing massage therapy for four years at Baker Family Chiropractic,” Henson said. She said Dr. Baker and Donna were “amazing,” but she felt that she just needed to grow.

“I knew how many clients I would see a week over there, but I knew I wanted to do other things, too, like selling health products. I was also giving clients away to other places and thought it would be great to have them all here,” Henson explained.

Henson enlisted the services of Lauren Field Halbkat, owner of Tryon Massage Therapy, and Buffy Ashmore, owner of All Around Healthy, to help her build the Pure Wellness business; they all now work under the same roof.

“One of my clients owned this building and it used to be an insurance place,” Henson explained. She told him that he should sell it to her so she could turn it into a place where people could come to the salon and get their hair and nails done and get a massage. She knew she wanted it to be “a place where people can come and feel wonderful.”

Aside from offering massage therapy, Henson also sells skin care and wellness products like soy candles and essential oils. These products are items Henson said she loves to use herself. She is also in the process of finding an acupuncturist to work out of the building.

“Even if people want to come in, have some hot tea and hang out, I think that would be wonderful,” Henson said. “I want everyone in this building to do well.”

Henson’s rates for massages are $50 for one hour, $75 for 1.5 hours and $100 for two hours. Henson said she thinks her business is the only place in the area that offers a two-hour massage.

To schedule an appointment, contact Pure Wellness & Spa at 828-440-1400 or Henson on her cell phone at 828-817-2631. Mazzilli takes walk-in appointments at her studio and can be reached at 828-440-1401 or 828-817-9149. Pure Wellness is open on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.