Rumble: What is your background in terms of healing modalities, yoga, massage, etc.? 

Candra: My massage career began when I was eight-years old when I would massage my mothers' neck from the backseat of the car. As a young person, I was inquisitive, questioning who I was, and why I was here. I remember being profoundly impacted when I was about 12-years-old reading a Ralph Waldo Emerson poem called "The Transparent Eyeball" while lying on a hammock in my backyard. 

When I first moved to Wilmington for college, I was living in an apartment complex that had a pool. I would float in the pool and in order to stay buoyant, I would inhale deeply and lift my arms overhead. I would pause — holding my breath in for a bit and then exhaling while releasing my arms down by my side. My breath was audible under the pool water and this was my first introduction to meditation. I was 19-years-old when I bought my first book about healing arts called "Learn to Meditate" by David Fontana.

After college, I moved to Boone and was in love with the mountains. I worked for a few years as an apprentice for a woodworker. Although this didn't end up becoming my passion, it was here that I learned that I loved to work with my hands. I found it very therapeutic to block out the sound and watch my hands work. It was around this time that I also discovered yoga. Yoga was unlike anything physical that I had done. I left feeling altered, in a positive way. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew I needed more.

I found a yoga program in Asheville that introduced me to the area in 2006. My body, heart, and mind began to open in ways I didn't know were possible. Yoga shined a spotlight on my thoughts and I realized how much work I needed to do to unravel and decondition the erroneous views of both myself and others.  

Although I knew yoga would be a lifelong journey for me, I wanted to find something complimentary to do for a career. In yoga, a teacher is able to offer hands-on assistance to guide the student a little deeper into a pose. Through this practice, I discovered my love for massage. I remember going to bed one night and contemplating if I should go to massage school. I literally woke up in the middle of the night, sat up, and said the word, yes. I went back to bed and the next day enrolled. This was in 2007.

My studies of yoga and massage would continue through the years but it wouldn't be until 2017 that I would enroll in the 650-hour Ayurveda program with the Asheville School of Massage.  I continued my studies with Hale Pule, taking online cooking classes and group cleanses. In 2022 I took a four-month online and in-person Panchakarma training with the Maharini Academy in Santa Barbara. 

It was with Ayurveda that I learned how to deeply listen to the well-being of my mind, soul, and body. Ayurveda has taught me how to find early signs of imbalance and has given me accessible tools to overcome them. It is because of Ayurveda that I observed the health of my digestion above all else and make informed choices that keep my system pure.

Rumble: Tell us a little about the history of Maggie Valley Wellness. 

Candra: As soon as I graduated from massage school, I was looking for work. I answered an ad for Holistic Massage in Waynesville which was the start of my career. Working for Meredith was amazing and although we went our separate ways in the end, I'm still grateful to her for the start there. 

I worked at several places that have come and gone since. Integrated Wellness and In-Touch 254 to name a few. Before Maggie Valley Wellness, the space was occupied by Discovery Wellness. I rented a room in Discovery Wellness which was very short-lived. I knew the manager of the country club at the time and he offered me the tiny house next door which to many was known as the "doll house". 

I worked there for several years and through the birth of my son, Caleb. Discovery Wellness dissolved and the club offered me the opportunity to rent the space. Maggie Valley Wellness was "birthed" in 2014. I joke and call her my second child because my son was two years old at the time. 

Rumble: What is it like owning a business while also managing the roles of wife and mother? 

Candra: Two words — beautiful chaos. I am so grateful for my family. At the end of the day, it's just us in our little home and all is good. In reality, all of the moments that lead up to the final hours before my child goes to bed and sometimes after are incredibly full. There are days when the only stillness I have is for my morning meditation and if I'm lucky a follow-up cup of tea.

In the early years, I almost lost my marriage. Having no experience on how to balance family and work, I put all of my energy into work. I felt like I was trying to start a locomotive, cranking the wheels by hand and was almost constantly in a state of fight or flight. 

It is a constant balancing act to be available for your business and your family and yourself! You have to spread your energy and make sure you have enough for all three. When one pulls on you, you have to tend to it but then rebalance and shift focus on the whole and understand that self-care is essential to longevity. 

Rumble: What advice would you give other women in terms of prioritizing self-care? 

Candra: Always make room for you. It is first and foremost so incredibly important to do what brings you joy, even if it's different from your family. If you like to dance, then dance. If you like to sew, then sew. If you like to cook, then cook. If you like to skydive, then skydive! Engage in the things that make you smile but always have an honest conversation with yourself and ask, is this bringing me more into balance or moving me away from it.

Ayurveda teaches daily practices called dinacharya as ways to replenish and nourish yourself.  You find a few things that you can commit to daily and add to it as time allows. A few easy things that would be considered dinacharya are to rise and wake at the same time each day. Yes, you can have acceptions such as a celebration, but the body loves regularity. You will find your natural circadian rhythm and your body will thank you for it.  As you rise, the very first thing you should do next to emptying your bladder is to clean your tongue with a tongue scraper. Your body goes through a cleansing process through the night and you will often find accumulated ama (toxins) on the tongue. After your tongue is clean you should drink a glass of pure room-temperature water. This will help flush the system and fight off infectious diseases. 

Self-care can be simple. It can be taking a bath, spending time with a friend, or listening to the birds. Self-care is loving yourself enough to do a few things daily that help reduce your stress and send positive messages to all of the layers of your being. 

Rumble: What do you enjoy about what you do? 

Candra: Relationships. Some relationships with clients are unspoken. The only language we use is through healing touch. I may never see them again but we connect in a healthy and meaningful way and it's powerful. Other relationships are long-lasting and so special to my heart. I know their bodies so well and am invested in helping them feel better, reduce pain, and increase mobility. Several clients I even view as great mentors. They light up my life, and I think I bring a little light to theirs too. 

Rumble: What's on the horizon for Maggie Valley Wellness? 

Candra: Maggie Valley Wellness is getting ready to rebrand and expand. We will officially be known as Sundarah Wellness in the coming months and have two locations. Our second location is on Main Street in Waynesville as a collaborative effort with Waynesville Yoga Center. 

Our goals in this collaboration, in addition to offering bodywork services, are to offer more group classes and wellness programs that would include Ayurvedic cooking, kitchen spices and how they heal, the seasons and how we should shift, and Thai massage partner workshops. We also have a collaborative retreat planned September 29 - Oct 1 which will include yoga classes, massage, sound healing, Ayurveda, nutritious/catered meals, and more.

Rumble: What advice would you give women who are considering opening their own businesses? 

Candra: Go for it! Don't let anyone or anything hold you back. Find reliable resources and seek help in your areas of weakness. Know that no one else will care about the business as much as you and no one else will work harder than you. Constantly review and reinvest in your vision. Surround yourself with the best team possible. Be grateful every time the phone rings. Hold on to your mission statement. Always find time for yourself. And definitely treat yourself to a great bottle of wine from time to time. 

Rumble: Is there anything else you'd like to add? 

Candra: Thank you so much for this opportunity. I love being a part of this community. There are so many gems of people doing such great things in the county and in the world and I'm honored to both witness and be a part of it.