Few people would consider being in four major vehicle accidents in four years a positive thing.
Richard Maranville does.
Between the ages of 18 and 22, Maranville got first-hand experience dealing with pain and learning how it feels to be limited. Because of the accidents that fractured his spine, dislocated a knee, tore his rotator cuffs and inflicted other hard bumps and bruises, he has made it his life’s work to help others through their aches and pains with massage therapy.
“It is a personal cause of mine to help people avoid that [pain] in their lives,” said Maranville, who owns Precott’s Natural Healing Garden along with his wife, Debbie.
“This is my second go-‘round in massage. I wanted to create a community resource that would allow us to contribute in a way to give people the ability to live life fully,” he said.
Maranville has many loyal clients.
Paul Wenzel, 82, has been a client for the past five years.
“I’ve got a terrible back. My second vertebra from bottom is out of whack and I have a double fracture. Since I have been going to him and behaving myself (no heavy lifting), I am feeling really good,” he said. “I go once a week for a half hour and it gets me through the next week. I expect to go for the rest of my life.”
At the time of Maranville’s accidents, he was in the restaurant business, in which he excelled, but he changed direction and ended up in massage therapy. He started his training in 2000 in Phoenix. Now, he is able to combine his experiences with food and massage to help others.
He and Debbie are incorporating food as medicine along with massage to promote a healthy lifestyle for people who have decided to make a dietary change. Counseling and recipes are offered, as well as prepared meals.
“That is my wife’s end of things. She deals with food and my end is massage,” he said.
Special events are held at the garden center, and weddings and corporate retreats are hosted at their off-site Juniper Well Ranch, 20 minutes from Prescott.
“We do a lot of healing retreats and food support,” he said. “A part of our long-term vision is expanding the farming end of things at Juniper Ranch as a local source of vegetables.”
He said they are on the hunt for a perfect candidate to expand their food and nutrition service.
“One of my goals is to have an acupuncturist on staff,” he said.
Maranville hires his staff on the basis of their passion and common vision and goals. His massage therapists are seasoned professionals. One has been practicing for 30 years.
“That is a point of pride for the business. You get a different experience than you get at an average massage center,” he said.
Client Don LeGate agrees. “Richard is extremely knowledgeable about the human body,” said LeGate, who has been with the healing garden for four years. “If you are an athlete you have to maintain your body. Everyone should take care of their body and massage is the way to go.”
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Probably the best advice I got was from a supervisor. I had been working construction in Winnipeg. He told me to search out a well-rounded lifestyle that offered me choices, not having to work outside in harsh weather. To pursue something that used my brain and brawn, not just relying on brawn. He was telling me not to get stuck in construction.”
What character traits to you most appreciate in others?
“Dedication and loyalty.”
What is your superpower and when do you use it?
“Multi-tasking and remaining calm in stressful situations.”
What is your favorite meal?
I love Italian food and Mediterranean food, anything that has that fresh celebration of good ingredients.
What do you do for fun?
“Everything I do is for fun. I truly enjoy being outside in nature. Gardening is a good release for me. There is not an aspect in my life I consider work, Work is fun and fun is work.”
By Patty McCormac, QCBN
The Maranvilles now have about 3,000 clients. The Natural Healing Garden is located at 119 Garden Street in Prescott.
For more information, visit NaturalHealingGarden.com or call 928-237-4116.
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