Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariana Benjamin.
Hi Ariana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first found my way into massage somewhat unexpectedly in 2009. I was newly married and had just moved to Vermont while my husband was on active duty in the Coast Guard and I was serving in the Air Force Reserve. His schedule kept him at the station for long stretches, often doing physically demanding rescue work, and I found myself alone much of the time in a place where I knew no one. Looking for a part-time job that would allow us to truly be together when he was home, I applied for a front desk position at a small spa near Burlington. During the interview, the manager asked if I had ever done massage before. I hadn’t, but she offered to train me through an apprenticeship. I took the opportunity and quickly fell in love with the work, especially as I saw how much it helped my husband recover from the physical strain of his job.
Life eventually pulled me in a different direction. I transitioned into full-time military service for a period, stepped away from the spa, and later became a mother. During that time, I explored other career paths as well, gaining perspective and life experience that would later shape how I approach this work. Massage, however, never truly left me. I continued working intuitively with my husband, and later, very gently, with my son after he was born with hemophilia. Though we were initially told massage wasn’t an option for him, I discovered that safe, intentional touch brought him calm and comfort. As he grew, and as we began to understand his neurodivergence, I saw firsthand how profoundly regulating and supportive this work could be.
That lived experience is what ultimately brought me back to massage professionally. In 2018, I completed my formal education and became licensed in South Carolina. Today, my work is shaped by both training and life, rooted deeply in intuition. At its core, my approach is about creating a sense of safety, offering a place where people can soften, feel supported, and reconnect with their bodies in a way that feels deeply human.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but it has been a meaningful one. Like many people who find their way into this work, my path has included starting over more than once, balancing caregiving, motherhood, and professional growth while learning how to build something sustainable. Navigating formal education and professional spaces as a neurodivergent person also brought its own challenges, particularly in environments that weren’t always designed with different ways of learning, processing, or communicating in mind.
There were moments of physical strain, moments of self-doubt, and times when the pace and expectations of the industry felt misaligned with how I naturally work. But those challenges also taught me discernment, how to listen more closely to my body, trust my intuition, and shape my practice in a way that feels ethical, grounded, and true to who I am.
Looking back, the obstacles didn’t harden me; they refined me. They helped me build a practice rooted in patience, safety, and presence. What once felt like limitations ultimately became strengths, allowing me to offer care that is thoughtful, attuned, and deeply human.
As you know, we’re big fans of Rise & Revive Wellness, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My work centers around what I call Custom Massage. Rather than offering rigid categories or one-size-fits-all sessions, I take a fluid, individualized approach that allows each session to evolve based on the client’s needs that day. Bodies are complex, and what serves someone best in one session may be entirely different in the next. Custom Massage allows me to draw from a wide range of training and experience, including Swedish, deep tissue, myofascial, trigger point, orthopedic, sports, compression, trauma-informed touch, and therapeutic massage, to create a session that truly supports a client’s specific goals.
In addition to Custom Massage, I offer several specialized services. My Lomi Lomi work is a modernized interpretation that honors the spiritual roots of the tradition while emphasizing comfort, modesty, and intentional touch. I also provide prenatal massage, which I refer to as Mom-to-Be Massage, offered in a side-lying, gently elevated position with supportive bolstering so clients can adjust and move as needed throughout the session.
Pediatric massage is another meaningful part of my practice. Through Mini Me Massage, I use a blend of calming, intentional techniques, some formally trained and others developed through lived experience, to support growing bodies, physical performance, and nervous system regulation. I also offer lymphatic services, including traditional lymphatic drainage using evidence-based methods, as well as lymphatic contouring for post-operative cosmetic surgery clients, blending lymphatic work with specialized wood therapy techniques to support healing, reduce fibrosis, and improve tissue quality.
I am also a VA Community Care Network provider and offer Custom Massage services to veterans through this program at no cost. Enhancement options are available as well, including pre-massage infrared sauna sessions, dry brushing for both children and adults, and warm bamboo or hot stone enhancements that can be added to Custom Massage sessions.
What truly sets my practice apart, however, is the pace and presence I bring to the work. I do not operate in a rushed environment. Sessions are intentionally spaced, with time built in for clients to decompress and for me to fully reset between appointments. This allows each person to receive the same level of care and attention, whether they are the first client of the day or the last.
Clients often tell me they come not just for the work itself, but for the feeling of safety and care they experience in my space. My studio was created to feel calm, grounding, and human, a place where people can slow down, feel seen, and trust that they are being treated with genuine intention. At its heart, my brand is about care that is thoughtful, adaptable, and deeply personal.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Risk has always been a familiar companion in my life. Long before massage or business ownership, I learned how to move forward without guarantees, sometimes very young, sometimes with very little, and often guided more by intuition and conviction than by certainty. Many of the defining moments of my life came from trusting that there was purpose in taking the next step, even when the path wasn’t fully visible.
Over time, my relationship with risk evolved. Becoming a mother shifted something in me. I learned how to be an anchor, not by avoiding risk altogether, but by approaching it with greater intention and care. The risks I take now are calculated and rooted in long-term vision rather than impulse. They are guided by the question: Does this move us closer to the life we are being called to build?
At the core of that trust is my faith. For me, risk paired with integrity and self-trust is only possible because I believe God walks with me through uncertainty. That faith doesn’t eliminate fear or difficulty, but it provides clarity and courage when decisions feel weighty. I respect that people arrive at their values in different ways, but I don’t separate my faith from how I live, work, or lead.
Today, I see risk not as something to chase or avoid, but something to honor. When approached with discernment, purpose, and faith, it becomes a powerful tool for growth and meaningful change.
Pricing:
- Custom Massage sessions are priced based on session length, with rates typically ranging from $60-$140.
- Specialty services such as prenatal, pediatric, lymphatic, and post-operative care are priced according to the level of customization and time required.
- VA Community Care Network clients receive Custom Massage services at no cost through the program.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.riserevivewellness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riserevivewellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riserevivewellness
- Other: https://share.google/aigyoVXAjAMfO12Gq
