ORLANDO — Wayne Parker is quick to point out that he likes to be quiet where he works – very quiet.

That’s not intended to create a soothing or relaxing work environment for himself, but for his clients. Relaxation, in fact, is the key word at Lotus Blossom Massage.

“We definitely want to give customers something to make them feel good as far as their health goes,” said Parker, the owner of this new business in south Orlando. “There are a lot of people who realize massage therapy is medically necessary to help the body. If they do, their bodies will cleanse themselves.”

About a month ago, Parker and his wife Marlene opened Lotus Blossom Massage in a commercial plaza at 10249 S. John Young Parkway in Orlando, very close to the Central Florida Parkway and International Drive.  Inside, they have five rooms where customers lie on a table and wait to be relaxed, and three full time massage therapists and several on call employees ready to help those customers relieve their stress.

So far, he said, for a brand new business, they’ve been getting a steady flow of customers.

“I am totally new to the business,” said Parker, who spent years working in the trucking industry. “But with the economy being what it is, I think we’re doing well. We are a new establishment, and we are trying to be separate from the others.”

Lotus Blossom has one room, for example, where a pot steams rocks until they’re plenty warm.

“This is a room where we do the hot stone massage,” Parker said. “The stones are heated up to a certain temperature, and then they’re placed on parts of the body to relieve muscle tensions. This technique has been around for many years. It’s set at a certain temperature where it relaxes the muscles. It’s a good, relaxing feeling that people enjoy.”

Across the hall is the “couples” room – two separate tables where couples can come in and get massage therapy at the same time.

“We give the customer good services,” Parker said. “I think that’s the key to this business.”

And the reason why he urges visitors and staff alike to be relatively quiet as they walk down the halls? Customers inside these rooms don’t want to be disturbed by loud talking in the hall.

“We have a good, clean, quiet atmosphere here,” Parker said. “If you were to have a real noisy atmosphere, then you can’t relax, and it’s important for people who come in to do just that – relax.”

There are a lot of health benefits to getting a massage, Parker said. It can relieve stress in the body, which in turn can help release toxins as well.

“You have to be able to treat the problems people have,” said Lin, who has been working as a massage therapist for the past five years and now treats customers at Lotus Blossom.

“If people come in with a problem in their neck, you have to know what muscle to treat so they can leave here relaxed,” she added.

Massage therapy requires a lot more skill than people realize, Lin said.

“We know a bit about the pressure points of the body, and we do different techniques,” she said.

“All the therapists here are licensed with the state and county,” Parker added.  “We’re very professional here.”

That’s particularly true, he said, since this industry is often misunderstood.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand the massage business,” Parker said.  “They’re not aware of the benefits of a massage. I think a lot of people think it’s frivolous, but it’s not. It keeps the body healthy.”

And that request to be quiet in the hallways really is important, Lin said. Lin noted that she used to work as a hair stylist, which was a very different environment, one where the women who came to her office always wanted to talk while getting their hair done. But at a massage office, silence is more of the rule.

“At a hair salon, most of the clients are women,” she said. “With massage therapy, it’s more male clients, and they like to be quiet. Some customers like to talk, but mostly they like to relax.”

To learn more about Lotus Blossom Massage, call 407-674-7986, email info@lotusblossommassage.com, or log on to www.lotusblossommassage.com.

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