Welcome to TEND
Bodywork & self-care for everyday life and during times of intense stress, grief, loss, burnout, and life change.
Most of us carry more than we let on and then there are the times that bring us to our knees. TEND provides a place where you can.
At TEND, you’ll find gentle bodywork and simple practices for rest and awareness that help your body let go of some of that. It’s a place where you can stop holding it together for a little while.
Services Offered:
Deeply gentle massage offering grounding, balance, and relief for the body and nervous system in everyday life and through times of overwhelming stress, burnout, grief, and loss.
Restorative Bodywork
Guided practices rooted in science offer rest, self-compassion, and deeper connection to your body, mind, and emotions, so you can better understand and care for yourself in daily life and in times of great stress.
Guided Rest & Awareness
Why does TEND offer this work?
Because mental and emotional stress has
significant impacts on the body.
How we handle stress matters.
Many folks spend their days simply holding it together. At work, at home, out in the world, it is often necessary to keep the “everything is okay” face on because that’s what gets us through. There aren’t many places where you can set that down and just be however you actually are, in your body, for a little while. TEN
That holding takes a toll. Mental and emotional stress shows up physically, often in ways we don’t connect back to what we’ve been carrying.
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Persistent exhaustion, regardless of sleep duration, is a common experience for the grieving, those experiencing burnout due to stressful jobs or caregiving, and during times of life change or challenge.
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Insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns can result from stress and grief, leading to even more chronic fatigue.
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Shallow breathing often emerges as a common symptom during experiences of grief, loss, burnout, and periods of heightened stress. Shallow breathing can lead to increased tension in the muscles, reduced oxygen supply to vital organs, and heightened feelings of anxiety.
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Headaches due to muscular tension often manifest as a physical symptom of grief, loss, burnout, and stress.
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Symptoms such as stomachaches, nausea, or changes in appetite can arise, often linked to stress or anxiety.
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Changes in appetite during grief, loss, major stress, and burnout can manifest as either a significant decrease or an increase in food intake, reflecting the complex emotional and physical responses individuals experience in these challenging times.
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Increased muscle tightness, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and back, can result from physical stress, posture, and prolonged periods of readiness.
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A constant state of heightened arousal may lead to a racing heart or palpitations, indicating the body’s stress response.
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A weakened immune system can result in more frequent colds, infections, and other illnesses, as chronic stress affects overall health. Research shows that massage therapy boosts immune system function.
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Significant fluctuations in weight, either gain or loss, may occur due to altered eating habits and lifestyle adjustments in response to stress. While massage therapy does not directly influence weight loss or gain, it can help indirectly by helping to regulate sleep, support better digestion, decrease muscle tension, and support the nervous system in its responses to life’s stressors.
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Times of stress and loss can trigger or exacerbate skin conditions, such as eczema or dermatitis, visible markers of internal distress. While massage does not heal skin conditions, it does help to support better sleep, nervous system regulation to stress which can help to alleviate skin issues.
About Abigail
I created TEND because I'm passionate about supporting people to drop into their bodies, come back to themselves, relax, and ease the tension that comes with grief, loss, burnout, life changes, and highly stressful times, and for people who really just want to drop into their bodies and relax.
My work at TEND is gentle and down-to-earth, focused on relaxation, awareness, and bringing balance to the body. It’s shaped by years as a massage therapist in high-end spas, training in a wide range of bodywork, yoga, and healing movement techniques, and specialized education in supporting the body during times of stress, grief, and loss, all grounded in a trauma-informed approach.
People come to me at some of the hardest, most depleted points in their lives for supportive bodywork care. That is sacred to me, and it’s why I believe care like this should be accessible, affordable, and approachable. I’m humbled to offer my hands, mind, and heart to this work.
TEND’s Location
@ The Sanctuary in Montford
17 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, NC 28801
There’s plenty of easy parking right along this quaint carriage house and the street in this historic Montford neighborhood.
The Sanctuary is a calm, quiet healing building, and the main floor is just for us during your sessions. Montford Park is a block away, with lovely open outdoor spaces if you’d like a little time outside before or after your appointment.
You’ll find a couple of steps at the front door and a few more steps inside, leading up to the main floor where we’ll work together. The restroom is down a flight of stairs. If stairs are difficult or not possible for you, please let me know when you book so I can check whether the downstairs treatment room is free at the time you’d like. If it isn’t, we’ll find a time that works.
A Touch of Kindness
One thing that makes TEND really unique is the Touch of Kindness, Pay-It-Forward Fund. This fund is kept going by clients and community members who chip in so others can receive care. Anyone can use it toward a session, in whatever amount they need, no questions asked.