Heather Harms, 21, stands by her homemade beeswax candles. Harms sells the candles at her Honeybee Massage Therapy business and donates 25 percent of the proceeds to honeybee protection groups.

After finishing massage school in Richland last February, 21-year-old Heather Harms pulled out a map of Washington to choose where she would open her first practice.

She chose Sequim.

"The decision was precise and quickly made," she said. "I just took the leap."

Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Harms lived in Walla Walla for two years and attended New Horizons School of Massage in Richland. She didn't know anyone in Sequim, but her family was supportive of her decision and on May 1 Harms opened Honeybee Massage Therapy at 376 Bell St.

Harms chose the location for its proximity to Washington Street, "uplifting" landscaping and newly renovated interior, she said.

A fountain trickles in the hallway but can be heard from the waiting room, which has three chairs: one gold, one green and one red. The carpet is an earthy green, like a deep sage, and plants fill the corners opposite a white shelf holding Harms' homemade beeswax candles.

Harms started making the candles three years ago and donates 25 percent of the proceeds from candle sales to organizations actively working to save honeybee populations. Honeybee colonies are suffering from pesticides and other man-made hazards, threatening agriculture in the U.S., she said.

Harms has brochures on the honeybee colony crisis that include tips on how to help honeybees or learn more about them.

The candles, made from beeswax collected in Dayton, smell faintly of honey. Harms said she plans to carry a line of aromatherapy in the future and currently uses some aromatherapy in her massages.

The next room has a massage table where she offers hot stone, Swedish, pregnancy and other massages.

"I can do light as a feather or deep tissue (massages)," she said.

Harms also is trained in Reiki, a Japanese energy healing technique.

Healing is her ultimate goal and massage is a perfect gateway into that, she said.

Harms said she finds

Sequim to be a lovely, welcoming community that is supportive of new businesses. She said she is hopeful clients will continue to stop in after walking past Honeybee Massage Therapy or hearing about it through friends.

"I'm so young starting this," she said. "Doing it on my own is a really important part of establishing who I am."



Honeybee Massage Therapy

• Specializes in massage therapy, Reiki, homemade beeswax candles

• Located at 376 Bell St.

• Contact: (360) 912-2089



Amanda Winters can be reached at awinters@sequimgazette.com