Staying Open – A Lesson from Nature Leads to Space for Healing
Chocolate River Wellness Helps People Find Alignment in All Aspects of Their Lives
Locals lovingly refer to the iconic Petitcodiac River as the chocolate river. It has lent itself to countless tourism campaigns, tidal bore adventurers, and businesses throughout the years. One such business owner found inspiration in the flowing river once the new bridge was completed in 2021, seeing parallels between her vision to help people erode the limiting beliefs that hold them back in life.
“I thought to myself, isn’t it amazing how nature heals itself when we remove obstacles and get out of the way?” said Jess Vicarioli, owner, and registered massage therapist at Chocolate River Wellness. “In that moment, Chocolate River Wellness was born. I wanted to help people remove the habits that were throwing them out of alignment (energetically and physically) and allow them to find their way back to health.”
Self-described as more than a massage therapy clinic, Chocolate River Wellness takes a well-rounded approach to patient care.
“We look at each patient holistically, exploring the mind-body connection,” she explained. “This helps us find the why of their discomfort and to create new habits to avoid further pain.”
A background in immunology, microbiology and genetic research fueled a knack for problem solving and understanding how the body works in the simplest terms.
“My education has led to an appreciation for understanding the world at a basic level. I am from Costa Rica, and I embody the relaxed, peaceful world view from my country, alongside the passion from my Italian family. My life experience has laid the foundation for being able to easily connect with people, and approach healing with curiosity.”
Finding a new pace in a new place, Riverview was in stark contrast to the cities of her youth; however, the comfort was comparable.
“I fell in love with Riverview on my first visit to the east coast,” she explained. “I have lived in in big cities in Costa Rica and Ontario. I found this town to be loyal and dedicated to family values – the perfect place to raise a family and grow a business. The majestic Chocolate River always inspired me to remember that it is possible to have highs and lows in life with grace and beauty. Since moving into the Fundy Chocolate River Station, she has loved watching the Chocolate River Station grow into the hub of downtown with Luxe Salon, Holy Whale and Cannabis NB moving in as well.”
Family is a source of inspiration for Vicarioli, she says that her children inspire her to be the most honest version of herself.
“Every decision I make is in service of being an honest role model for my children,” she explained. “They are my greatest support and my balance. Even when I did not want to, they inspired me to not only keep going, but also to rest.”
When asked what community means, the answer was simple – taking care of each other.
“Community means to me that we need to look out for and protect each other,” she said. “My favourite Riverview story is from the beginning of the pandemic, when we were in lockdown, and we all created little neighborhood chat groups to help each other, check in on each other, and make sure everyone knew they had support. That helped so much, and I hope that we can always remember how that brought us together and we continue to support our community in the same way for years to come.”
A lover of the Riverview business community and avid trail user, it was difficult for Vicarioli to choose a favourite local spot.
“We have the best places here in Riverview!” she said. “Delicious noodles from Royal Thai, countless breakfasts at Steve’s, authentic sushi at Sushi Sapporo. I have enjoyed years of beautiful hikes in Mill Creek and the Dobson trail, a million sunsets on the riverfront, and the beautiful lights every holiday season – we love our town!”
Meet Jess, alongside a number of local wellness practitioners at their Grand Opening and Wellness Festival on Saturday, December 3rd from 1-3 p.m at the Fundy Chocolate River Station 391 Coverdale Rd. Enjoy refreshments, mingle with holistic health professionals, and delight in a gift bag of goodies (first 20 people). FREE beer yoga kicks off the event at Holy Whale Beer Hall at 12 p.m. prior to the official Grand Opening. Follow along with her - Instagram and Facebook @jessvicarioli_rmt and @Chocolateriverwellness.
