New apuncture, massage practice opens in town

Two island women have recently joined together to create a space for acupuncture and massage in the heart of town.

Acupuncturist Karin Nelson and massage therapist Melissa Moen opened Becalm in November in the Thriftway plaza. It is directly above Amiad & Associates and has been transformed from its previous incarnation as a music studio.

Both women grew up on the island, left for many years and returned more than a year ago to live and work here.

Nelson obtained her acupuncture training at Bastyr University, graduating in 1997. Following that, she worked for 11 years on Queen Anne and since then in West Seattle.

Acupuncture can be useful for a wide range of physical and mental health problems, and Nelson said she is happy to treat “anything that comes in the door.”

Becalm’s environment was designed to soothe — which she believes is an important element of the healing process.

“My philosophy of care is that being relaxed is a big part of treatment,” she said. “When people are really comfortable and relaxed and have time to be heard, it is possible to make connections between what is going on in their life and what is going on physically,” she said.

For her part, Moen spent many years in Maui and was trained in Lomi Lomi massage, which includes long, flowing strokes. She worked at the Ritz Carlton for 10 years and more recently on Vashon at Lapis & Luxe. Before meeting Nelson and joining her in this venture, she had been hired to work as a massage therapist in Ballard — but she turned it down to be part of Becalm.

Like Nelson, she stressed the importance of relaxation.

“Once your body is in a state of relaxation, it can fix itself,” she said.

In addition to acupuncture and massage, the women also offer therapeutic foot baths, which Nelson said beyond being relaxing in their own right, can also be helpful with headaches and anxiety — and noted that warming the feet is a Chinese folk remedy for insomnia.

For more information about Becalm, see the website becalmvashon.com.