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Ruston and Lucy Aaker recently opened Pipestone Massage & Wellness on Main Street in Pipestone. They’re pictured here with their children Violet (held by Lucy), Xavier (front, left) and Zuko. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
Ruston and Lucy Aaker recently opened Pipestone Massage & Wellness at 111 W. Main Street, unit 3.
The couple and their three children, two boys and one girl ranging in age from 1 to 7, moved to Pipestone from the Twin Cities in September because Ruston is from Luverne and still has family there. They said they wanted their kids to be near their grandparents and they wanted a slower pace of life. They looked for housing in the area and ended up finding a home in Pipestone.
“We went where we found housing that suited our family and had enough space for the kids,” Ruston said.
Ruston earned a diploma in advanced therapeutic massage from the CenterPoint Massage and Shiatsu Therapy School and Clinic in St. Louis Park in 2012. He said he’s worked with athletes, people with specific illnesses and injuries, and the geriatric community.
“I sort of focus on goal oriented body work and massage therapy,” Ruston said.
He also earned a certificate for completing a course in holistic abdominal therapy earlier this year. The Aakers said it’s similar to massage for the abdominal area and hips, and can help with abdominal pain, organ position, back pain, hip pain, fertility for men and women, postpartum recovery, and digestive, urinary and other issues.
“Both modalities are selected because they give us the opportunity to help people have the best possible quality of life,” Ruston said. “That’s kind of what makes it worth doing.”
Lucy said they included massage and wellness in the name of the business to convey that they focus on whole body wellness. To that end they plan to add other wellness modalities such as nutrition in the future. Lucy is a nutritional therapist, but is not currently practicing.
“Right now I’m to trying to figure out life with three little kids,” she said.
She might practice again in the future, however, and would focus on addressing health concerns using food, supplements and lifestyle. Ruston also does chi gung and kun fu and said he might incorporate those into the business at some point. The Aakers are also interested in potentially adding other therapists or practitioners in the future.
Pipestone Massage & Wellness is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. People can also schedule appointments during other times. More information can be found at www.pipestonemassageandwellness.com.
