BY ALYSSA MAHADEO
With the everyday demands of our hectic and hard-working lifestyles, we occasionally forget that we need to take a break and put ourselves first for a change. Sometimes we just have to stop, take a beat and enjoy some rest and relaxation to recharge and rejuvenate our bodies.
Coming from a Trinidadian background, Aprile Manjoo was born and raised here in Toronto. Raised in a West Indian household, she was no stranger to working hard to get what you want out of life. While in her last year of high school Aprile did a lot of introspection, looking at her strengths and weaknesses and enrolling in various co-op placements to explore where her post-secondary options might take her. She was working on building her self-confidence; putting herself out there and discovering her capabilities where she could apply her skills and hopefully make a positive change in the way people go about their day-to-day lives.
Aprile knew that she wanted to be a Health Care Professional, but she was still unsure of which avenue she would take. She dabbled a bit in the industry trying her hand at Chiropractic and Physiotherapy before finally venturing into the areas of Massage Therapy. In each of the places that she worked, she found the massage therapist always seemed the most content with their job. After shadowing a woman who was doing RMT, she fell in love with Massage Therapy, and decided to pursue it professionally.
During that time, Aprile’s mother a woman who is very health conscious and into natural medicine, injured her back and started to regularly attend therapy. Aprile found herself immersed in the world of natural, holistic healings and therapies and she loved every minute of it; learning about the different types of treatment, how they helped to heal the body and other helpful tips that would help to prevent further damage. She would attend massage therapy sessions with her mother, allowing for the chance to experiencing them for herself and ask the therapists questions about the logistics involved. After graduating high school, Aprile went straight into private school to become a Registered Massage Therapist.
Ten years later, Aprile is still as passionate about her job as the day she began. Over the years she has gained a wealth of experience working on her own and through various Multi-Disciplinary Clinics and Spa settings where she has accumulated a diverse clientele database. Working for so many places through the years, she was able to gain very valuable experience and also created a network of other health care professionals like herself.
Following years of working for others, contemplating a bit of a change, Aprile decided to start her own business. She started with her own in house and mobile massage therapy service and later with the help of some of her colleagues started a company called Body Bar promoting a healthier, flawless lifestyle for their clients.
Body Bar is a health spa devoted to helping clients take care of themselves by dedicating some time out of their busy lifestyles to treat their own aches, pains or imperfections that will help to boost their energy levels and put their self-confidence through the roof! At Body Bar it’s all about you, and their staff is devoted to providing tailored solutions to all of your needs.
Their team of professionals includes Aprile Manjoo – Massage Laser Tech and Rehab Assistant, Jana Yogaselvam – Medical Esthetician and Laser Tech, and Muthu K. Murugesan Physiotherapist/ Personal Trainer, using their skills to help you feel the best you can be. At Body Bar they understand that every client is different and they are willing to work with everyone according to their personal needs.
“There’s certain fields of work that you go into, that you don’t see that immediate gratification,” explains Aprile. “With massage therapy someone comes to you and you can actually help them sleep better, or sit at their desk with less pain something as simple as that and it’s great to be able to help them in that way.”
Treating clients over the years, April understands that by the time they come to her, they are tired of being examined, or taking medication that doesn’t seem to be doing anything for their aches and pains. Whether it was pain triggered as a result of an accident, or built up over years of constant overuse and everyday strain her clients usually end up coming to her as a last resort. Many are pleasantly surprised that something simple, like a massage would be able to help ease their pain.
“As a society all we do is work, especially in North America. I find with a lot of my clients that taking care of ourselves is frivolous, or something only considered a luxury,” says Aprile. “I’ve noticed that a lot of cultures in Europe, India or even the Caribbean Islands, they somehow include health and wellness in their daily regime, but once you come to North America Therapeutic Treatments become a luxury that your money shouldn’t be wasted on.”
Pain doesn’t just happen, it’s something developed over years of adapting to small discomforts that we feel. These treatments are something our bodies need for regular maintenance, and unless we are being proactive about it, it tends to get worse over time.
Body Bar offers a variety of different treatments and services to fit all of your personal needs including chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, including prenatal massage, Swedish massage, chronic pain, deep tissue, and relaxation massage, aroma therapy, hot stone massage, Thai massage, fire cupping, laser hair removal, non-invasive cosmetic procedures, microdermabrasion, facials, personal training and weight loss programs.
They offer free consultations by appointment and make suggestions to cater to your needs in order to help you feel like a healthier and more flawless version of yourself.
Aprile shares that a lot of their services stem from real life experiences that she has dealt with over the years and so she knows firsthand how it feels to deal with unwanted acne, hair and even fluctuating weight gain. “We don’t force anything on anyone, we understand what you are going through and if we can offer a solution to help our clients feel a little happier in their own skin that’s what we do.”
Body Bar offers tailored one on one service with five convenient locations to choose from. Their staff is helpful, friendly, and relatable, and they are passionate about what they do. “We like to see people happy, and we want people to feel like the best versions of themselves,” says Aprile.
Give them a call and start living a healthier, flawless lifestyle today!
