Today we’d like to introduce you to Wren Quinn.
Hi Wren, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey to bodywork began with yoga teacher training. I was deep in an abusive marriage (and deep in denial), when I suddenly found myself within a pod of people who were bent on liberation and supportive community – two things of which I was being sorely starved. This was the first time in many years that I felt the inklings of what freedom could feel like, and it planted the seed that maybe there could be more than what my life had become. I began to see my body differently. I began to see that it may not be a prison after all.
This led me into the heavy woods of somatics and trauma resolution. I steadfastly pursued the teachings of such pioneers as Bessel van der Kolk and Peter Levine, under the lamb-like and misguided idea that if I could learn enough, I could help my then-husband and heal us both. It will be no surprise to you that that was not the course my story forged, but it was a surprise to me that this novice inception into learning about and experiencing my body’s physical responses would lead me to both a newly enlivened existence, and a career I could believe in.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In hind sight, I can see every step as a paving stone placed one before the other. At the time, I felt careening sways between absolute, indomitable optimism and certitude, and bleak downpours of discouragement. I left my marriage – an enormous self-victory – but this left me as a single mom with no money, lots of repression, and little but the dogged determination that our lives would be different.
Working in restaurants and bars, I chipped my way through yoga therapy training, which braided the seemingly distant practices of modern science, anatomy, spirituality, and daily habit. I leaned into the study and practice of energy work, beginning as a Reiki practitioner, but eventually allowing that title to melt away as I realized my own practice was growing from different roots. Herbalism bloomed in my consciousness around this time as well, and I have continued to stoke a fledgling garden alongside a passion for tending the earth and leaning into its support.
I graduated massage therapy school in 2023, and I now work to share my knowledge and hardworking hands with those in need of a reminder of what freedom can feel like in your body.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In the Teahouse was inspired by the feeling I want my sessions to evoke: the warmth of a cup of tea, the comfort of soft linens, the exhale you receive when unwinding old tensions.
I currently offer three specialized services at The Teahouse. For those needing targeted tension relief to the deep muscles of the body, I suggest Deep Tissue, where we focus on re-patterning chronic movements to relieve restriction. For those seeking a respite, I love providing Soothe, a deeply restorative session designed for those experiencing discomfort or overwhelm, where we use a lighter touch, soft, swaying motions, and foster an overall immersion in relaxation. Energy Weaving gently encourages energy circulation by blending energy facilitation with light-to-medium pressure massage to locate areas of both muscular and energetic stagnation.
My services are designed for those seeking a culminative, full-sensory experience that allows yourself to feel tucked into the earth. This is why I use only organic, minimalist products, including my massage oil, which I infuse myself with skin-nourishing calendula flowers that I grow in my own garden.
What makes my practice different is that I understand the power of movement to shift your body’s capabilities, and I use my background in yoga therapy to incorporate stretches, decompressions, and joint mobility to help re-pattern the movements in your body that are keeping you stagnant and perpetuating all those knots. What I hear from new clients most often is, “Wow, I have never had someone move my body like that in a massage.”
My practice is a full fusion of everything I have learned so far, such as deep, Thai massage style stretching, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, somatic-style jostling, and cupping from the Chinese medicine perspective.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Selecting a mentor is much like selecting a partner – you can’t always just grab the one that drops in front of you. I personally am someone who loves having a mentor, as I learn best from tactile experience and the asking of many, many questions. I have encountered many that I thought would be a mentor, but ended up falling away (for good reason). A true mentor will encourage your persistent questions (seriously, so many questions), provide you with true knowledge, and elect to provide you with information targeting your goals (not theirs). Most importantly, they will make you feel safe, and encourage you to be yourself. My current mentor has provided me with so much education on things that I didn’t even know I needed to know – like, not just how to target the levator scapulae muscle, but also how to start an IRA. And how to file your taxes as a small business owner. She connects me with lifelines, and reminds me that I am supported.
My advice for networking is simple. Show up. Show up as yourself. Don’t talk yourself out of being who you are, and offering what you offer. Let your spoken vision match what is in your heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://intheteahouse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrennquinn/
Image Credits
Amina Shaw
