Taking the big step: A career in massage

SHARON —  It always takes an extra measure of gumption in tough economic times to leave a steady job and do something entrepreneurial.

But Leslie Eckstein, 40, did just that, and has found herself not only succeeding, but also being able to choose her own work hours and spend more time with her children.

It all began when she decided she’d had enough of the food service industry.

“I needed to change careers,† said the former co-owner of the Harvest Bakery and a former employee at the JAM food shop in Sharon. “I’ve been in food service since I was 15.â€

She went back to school and has now opened her own massage therapy practice.

“Being a mother of four, I realized how much I enjoyed taking care of people and nurturing. I like the difference I can make with people,†she said. Learning massage therapy seemed like a natural extension of that mothering instinct.

While in massage school, Eckstein said, she called on her neighbors and culinary customers to practice the skills she was learning. She said many of those  people are now her clients and see her regularly.

“I have a lot of carpenters and plumbers, people who overuse their muscles,†she said. “They kept saying to me, ‘I didn’t realize how tight I was, how sore I was, until I got a massage.’â€

Gardeners, whether they are professionals or hobbyists, and the elderly also benefit from massage, she said.

“For the elderly, it helps with not feeling isolated and it also improves their joint mobility,†she said.

Massage also helps the body repair itself after an injury and can boost the immune system.

“Which is so great, going into winter, especially with the kids back in school and bringing home every germ,†she said.

Though Eckstein has already put in 750 hours of training over two years, she’s not through learning. She is working on a course in hot stone massage and has plans to study infant massage.

“It’s a fairly competitive field, so you want to have as many modalities as you can.†         

In addition to individual massage, Eckstein also offers couples massages and what she calls a Night of Relaxation. She encourages a group of people to get together for a night of indulgence, calling on some massage therapist friends to help out with larger groups.

Eckstein said she’d also love to work with area hospitals, whether it’s with cancer patients or new moms and babies.

Eckstein offers massages in her home or in a space on Caulkinstown Road behind the former JAM space.

She will also travel to her clients for no additional charge.

Her rates start at $70 for an hour. Ninety minutes is $105 and a two-hour massage is $140. Contact her at 860-364-1633 or send an e-mail to lesliejeckstein@comcast.net.

 

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less