There are people who come into your life and quietly, steadily, change it. Not with grand gestures or dramatic declarations… but with skilled hands, genuine presence, and a kind of care that reaches you somewhere deep. Ryanna is one of those people for me.

I have been seeing her as my massage therapist since 2020, and in that time, she has held my chronic tension, my creative burnout, my overstimulated nervous system, and my too-tight jaw with more tenderness than I can fully put into words. She is the kind of healer who doesn't just work on your body — she listens to it.

And now she has a home that matches her gift entirely: Woodland Wellness, a cooperative of experienced practitioners nestled in the heart of Pinetop. 7,000 feet above stress level, as their logo so perfectly says.

This one has been a long time coming. Consider this my love letter to the place — and the person — that keeps me coming back to myself.

Why Woodland Wellness Feels Like Amberlight Valley

If you've read my books, you know that Amberlight Valley is a place where healing and wonder walk hand in hand. Where the forests carry something old and wise, where the air itself feels restorative, and where the people who live there tend to one another with a kind of unhurried intentionality.

Woodland Wellness is that, made real.

The space is warm and beautifully designed, tucked between pines, created for people who are ready to be cared for — not processed. Every session is customized. Every provider brings something unique and deeply skilled. And nothing here is rushed.

It's one of those places that, the moment you step inside, your shoulders drop two inches before anyone has even touched you.

My Experience

I've had many sessions with Ryanna over the years, but three stand out as ones I want to tell you about specifically — because each one gave me something different, and all three are available to you.

I Tried Buccal Massage

I am a jaw clencher. If you are too, you already know what I mean: the constant, unconscious tension that lives right there between your ears and your cheeks, grinding quietly through your days. When Ryanna told me she had trained in buccal massage and genuinely loved the technique, I was immediately curious. I had seen videos of the treatment before, so I had an idea of what to expect — and I trusted her completely.

Buccal sculpting is an advanced facial massage that works both externally and intraorally (yes, she works inside the mouth with gloves on) to release jaw tension, improve circulation, and support a naturally lifted, sculpted appearance. It's especially ideal for those who hold tension in the jaw or grind their teeth.

Ryanna was so gentle throughout the entire process. Thoughtful and precise. We only did a small session at the end of my Honor Her Ritual… And the results were immediately noticeable. I left holding significantly less tension in my jaw, and in the days that followed, I realized I was clenching less. Like something that had been wound tight for years had finally been given permission to soften a little.

I am already looking forward to trying the Forest Sculpt Facial Ritual next. If the buccal massage alone did this much, I can only imagine what the full ritual experience will feel like.

BOOK YOUR CUSTOM EXPERIENCE

The Honor Her Ritual

This one arrived in my life as a limited Mother's Day offering — a 90-minute personalized massage session that included a back mask, a foot scrub, and a hair and scalp treatment woven throughout. I chose it as a solo session, a gift to myself, a little sanctuary carved out of an ordinary week.

Before the session began, Ryanna invited me to choose an intention card from a beautiful deck. I pulled one that read: What I seek is seeking me. And just like that, the whole hour and a half felt different. More purposeful. Like I had set a compass before stepping into the water.

What surprised me most was how deeply the back mask landed. I hadn't expected it to be the part that moved me — but there's something about warmth spreading across your back while someone's hands tend to you that just… unlocks something. It felt soothing in a way that went beyond the physical. The foot scrub grounded me. The scalp work unraveled the last stubborn knots of tension I carry in my head and neck.

And throughout all of it, I felt genuinely seen. That is the word that keeps coming back to me when I think about Ryanna's work. Not just tended to, but seen. That is rare. That is a gift.

I set my intention that day to truly tend to and express my needs. By the time I floated back out into the afternoon, I felt like I had actually honored that.

Keep an eye on Woodland Wellness's offerings — the Honor Her Ritual was a seasonal limited experience. Follow their page so you don't miss what's next.

BOOK YOUR NEXT TREATMENT

The Woodland Celebration Ritual

I experienced this one near my birthday — stepping into Chapter 39 — and it was absolutely the right way to mark it.

The ritual begins with a forest-inspired essential oil blend to awaken your senses and bring you into a state of calm. A customized therapeutic massage follows, tailored specifically to your body. Throughout the session, herbal-infused hot towel compressions provide waves of soothing warmth. And then, at the close of the experience, there is a quiet energy clearing candle moment — an invitation to breathe, pause, and set an intention for the path ahead.

That candle. I want to tell you about that candle.

It held essential oils and chakra crystal chips embedded right in the wax. The scent of the forest oils had already softened something in me, but that final moment — the stillness of it, the flickering light, the ritual of setting an intention before stepping back into the world — felt genuinely magical. It felt like something out of Amberlight Valley. Like something Brigid would have done on a quiet autumn evening before a long journey.

I left feeling whole. Honored. Like the new chapter I was stepping into had been properly welcomed.

BOOK YOUR CUSTOM EXPERIENCE

Ryanna's Gift

I've thought a lot about how to describe what Ryanna does and why it's different.

She is intuitive. That is the truest word. She has a way of finding exactly where you are hurting — not just the surface tension, but the deeper holding patterns that your body has been quietly carrying, sometimes for years. Her hands don't just apply pressure; they listen. They locate. They release.

She has held my chronic pain with such tenderness across all these years. Through burnout and creative blocks and seasons when my nervous system forgot how to soften. She has been a consistent, steady presence in my healing — and I am so grateful that she has built a space where more people can experience that.

The Details

📍 Woodland Wellness 747 E White Mountain Blvd #5, Pinetop, AZ 85935

By Appointment Only

Book with Ryanna:(928) 940-0045

Website:woodlandwellnessaz.com

Woodland Wellness is a cooperative, which means there are several skilled practitioners available depending on what you need. Whether you're drawn to therapeutic massage, energy work, advanced esthetics, or vibrational healing — there is a provider and a session waiting for you.

Browse all their services here, and if you're not sure where to start, just call. They will help you find exactly the right fit.

The White Mountains are full of magic, and the people who call this place home carry some of it with them. Ryanna is one of those people. Woodland Wellness is one of those places. I hope you find your way there soon.

Dalea Faulkner is an author, filmmaker, and creative living in the White Mountains of Arizona. Her novel The Secrets of Starlight Lake is available now. Her world is always, in some way, the mountains.