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Before Julius Arciaga put his elbows to work on my problem spots, he put his questions to work.

Where was I uncomfortable? What needed attention? At From Within, the La Verne massage practice he co-owns with his partner, Magdalena Garcia, getting to know the person on the table is part of the work.

I had been getting massage therapy for years, but after moving back to La Verne, I hadn’t found a new place to go. I met Julius and Magdalena, who goes by Maggie, at a La Verne Chamber of Commerce event several months ago. When they followed up, I jumped at the chance to get to know them and their practice.

Their space at Sola Salon near Aldi was warm, clean and inviting. I immediately felt at home. Julius worked through my problem areas with his questions, his elbows and several tools. That first session reminded me how much I value massage as part of caring for my body over the long term.

For Julius and Maggie, that kind of introduction is also how they hope to build a business: one conversation, one connection and one person’s needs at a time.

“From the beginning, our vision was bigger than simply creating a massage business,” Julius said.

The two envision a local network of wellness professionals helping neighbors feel better and return to the activities they enjoy. Partners in business and in a long-term relationship, they handle the business and massage work themselves, collaborating on client cases and sharing ideas.

Maggie said one misconception is that massage is meant for a particular kind of person. Their clients have included children, athletes, parents, older adults and people with disabilities.

“We want you to know that you are in charge of your session, and we can accommodate your needs and the issues you wish to address,” she said.

Explaining what happens during a session is part of that effort. Julius said people may associate massage with a relaxing spa visit or an intense sports massage. At From Within, he said, they combine approaches and work with clients to understand their discomfort.

“The approach uses a medical massage foundation with sports and Swedish layered on top of it,” Julius said.

They continue learning and adapting their techniques, he said, shaping sessions around each person’s needs.

Working for others had left the pair wanting more freedom to build that kind of practice. Starting a business felt intimidating, but their conversations kept returning to care, education and community connections.

After researching different communities, they chose La Verne because they felt the City valued its residents, invested in people and supported small businesses.

“We love the way it feels like a hidden town near the mountains,” they said.

For Maggie, the purpose of the work emerges in small moments. She has worked with people experiencing chronic hip pain and pregnant women navigating physical and emotional changes. Sometimes, she said, an appointment gives someone room to pause, rest and feel cared for.

“I may not always know exactly what someone is carrying when they come in, and I may not always be able to fix everything,” she said. “But I can listen.”

Their first year has brought the uncertainty of building a clientele while being new to the area. Community gatherings and networking events offer opportunities to introduce themselves and explain their work.

They hope to collaborate with other small businesses on wellness events, offer massage at workplace gatherings and eventually move into a larger space that could accommodate additional therapies.

For now, those plans begin much as my first session did: with questions, a conversation and time spent listening.

From Within offers a 15-minute demonstration for people curious about its approach. Details are available at fromwithin.care, by calling (626) 327-6250 or emailing info@fromwithin.care. Follow the practice on Instagram at @from.within.jm.