Aiyana Fraley, MA
Massage Therapist & Educator
I am just a human being trying to make a difference in the world. I have acquired quite a bit of healing tools throughout the years and I share them with people who entrust me to care for them.
I am an experienced massage therapist based in St. Petersburg, Florida, with over 23 years of experience. My journey in bodywork and meditation has been a profound exploration of the human spirit, grounded in a deep passion for learning and understanding.
Over the years, I have honed my skills in various healing modalities, including Eastern bodywork techniques like Reiki, Shiatsu and Thai massage. Through my private practice, Hand to Soul, I have had the privilege of supporting clients on their healing journeys, in their spiritual growth, and have seen incredible transformations take place within them.
I was curious about the healing arts early on and couldn’t wait to start learning about it, that in my last year of high school I enrolled in massage therapy school. By 19, I was working full time as a massage therapist and had a successful budding practice. While working, I continued with college and earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in anthropology, sociology, and journalism.
The years I spent studying into the wee hours of the night at the FIU and UM library nurtured me many ways. I sometimes dream about walking through those library halls again; the smell of the old books and ink bring me back there. Those years nurtured my curiosity about diverse cultures and religions. It gave me the foundation to start my massage business.
I began teaching massage therapy professionally in 2016 and have developed an enriching program rooted in traditional aspect of life force energy. Focused on self-improvement for aiding others, my courses encompass reiki, aromatherapy, meditation and massage therapy.
In 2020, I was guided to learn herbalism through the connection I had to tending my late mother’s beloved plants. This journey revived memories of the folk healing remedies she used on me during my childhood and the kitchen herbalism practiced by my grandmothers and aunts. Now, I integrate this wisdom into my practice, honoring Latino traditions and ancestral knowledge.
My healing practice embodies the divine light that flows uniquely in each session, drawn from the love shared with me by my family, the gifted teachers I’ve studied with from around the world, and above all the Creator. Serving the community brings me immense joy, and I hope that my experience and services benefit you on your own path of healing and self-discovery. Read about my in-studio services and mobile massage.
Interviews and Mentions
Latest Interview…
I share how challenging times are the start of a healing journey in this interview with Voyage Tampa.
"In retrospect, I wouldn’t change anything about my journey. While there were moments that were challenging to my heart, I grew tremendously from them. I experienced loss, was in one difficult relationship after another, and felt I was gliding in an existential crisis for a number of years. Those bumps in the road led me to understand what healing actually is, and that in itself was life-changing."
In this interview with Bold Journey I shared how hardships in my life shaped me into a resilient person.
"Each obstacle I experienced molded me into a more resilient version of myself. I grew up in a spiritual way and learned a lot about what it takes to have spiritual grit."
Read more about my thoughts on successes and failures in the Bold Journey article.
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I was interviewed by Canvas Rebel on how I started my business and what it’s been like. Here is a quote from the Q & A.
"I believe that we have to be honest with ourselves and live in a way that honors the truth of our soul. This is how I live. My work is not separate from me and I am not separate from it. My work is an extension of me and it is how I express my truth."
Read full interview with Canvas Rebel here.
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Voyage Tampa interviewed me about my school, Hand to Soul School of Reiki & Healing Arts.
"The school is about personal transformation and re-learning the innate skills of self-healing and healing others. I teach in a way that makes abstract concepts easy to understand and practical to life. This is what I would say is my gift."
Read the full interview on Voyage Tampa here.
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I shared my heart on reiki story in this interview with Mystic Magazine.
"Reiki speaks to the soul what it needs to hear and it awakens a greater sense of awareness within. I have witnessed it be the beginning of a spiritual journey for many people."
Read the full interview with Mystic Mag here.
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In this interview with Voyage Tampa I share my back story and who inspired me to keep going.
"My biggest supporter is my mom. From the first day, I told her I wanted to do healing work as a career, she supported my dreams. There were times I was told it could only be done as a hobby and I can’t make a living from it or even worse I shouldn’t charge for it because doing so is not spiritual... she always made me feel they were not only possible but surpassable."
Read the full interview with Voyage Tampa here.
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I shared with Massage Magazine, what it really means to be a reiki master.
"Being a Reiki master is an embodiment of the energy of Reiki. It is not about spiritual superiority. No one truly becomes a master in that sense; rather, it is the path one commits themselves to that can be mastered."Read the full article on Massage Magazine here.
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As a yoga nidra teacher, I truly enjoyed sharing my thoughts on this practice and interviewing some of the best nidra teachers for Massage Magazine.
"If I told you there was a yoga that could give you more restful sleep, relax your busy mind, relieve stress and tension in your body, and offer you a door toward enlightenment, all without having to do a single pose, would you sign up?"Read the full article on Massage Magazine here.
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Are you a beginner at yoga? Check out my article on You Aligned on how to start a yoga practice for beginners.
"Yoga teaches us so much more than how to become flexible or the name of poses. A good yoga teacher will guide you in and out of each yoga pose. A great teacher will also give you the tools you need to have a successful yoga practice."
Read the full article on you Aligned here.
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I was interviewed by Redfin on how to energetically detox a new apartment. Here’s a short bit on what I shared:
"Our home is a container of energy that holds the energetic imprint of past arguments and negative actions, as well as positive ones, that have occurred within it. If the walls of your home could speak, what would they say?"
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In this article with Reiki Rays, I share the benefits of reiki for pregnancy.
"Reiki has supported me through this life changing event. The positivity, lightness and laughter it has brought into my life is immeasurable. It helped me during the different stages of my pregnancy..."
Read the full article on Reiki Rays here.
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Plant medicine is incredible and in this article on You Aligned I share the top five essential oils for gut health.
"Essential oils can help get your digestion back on track. There are many studies that show the essential oils on this list are excellent choices to bring about healthy digestion."
Read the full article on You Aligned here.
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Credentials
- Florida College of Natural Health, Licensed Massage Therapist since 1999
- Florida International University, Bachelor’s of Arts in Anthropology & Sociology
- University of Miami, Masters of Arts in Journalism
- Thai Massage Therapist since 2016
- AOBTA Certified Shiatsu Practitioner
- Reiki Master Certification various lineages including traditional Usui Reiki and Tibetan Reiki
- Yoga Alliance registered educator at the E-RYT 500 level
- Community Herbalist Certification
- Many other certifications to list here including Ayurvedic bodywork, TCM based massage, cupping, herbal applications etc.
Professional Involvement
- Contributing Writer, MASSAGE Magazine
- Professional Member, American Massage Therapy Association, AMTA
Accreditations
