BIDDEFORD — Main Street, the heart of downtown Biddeford, is the new location of the massage practice Hark House. The practice, formerly located in Portland, specializes in high quality therapeutic massage.

Located at 180 Main St., the practice is focused on massage, which includes educating clients about their bodies and presenting strategies for self care between appointments. The name Hark House comes from the idea of listening and recognizing our bodies in order to have more control over comfort and function, according to the owners of the business. The word “hark” can be defined as “listen” and “house” is where it happens, owners say.

Together, Hark House co-owners Sean Hasey and Chrystina Gastelum have over 20 years of experience in practicing massage and bodywork. Their work includes, but is not limited to massage forms such as deep tissue, Swedish, Thai, and Shiatsu.

After working in Portland for many years, they moved the practice to Biddeford last month.

“While I’ve enjoyed my nearly two decades of working in Portland, the signs were clear that Biddeford was ready for us,” Hasey said.

As residents of Biddeford, Hasey and Gastelum intend to be a more active in the community by building their business in where they live.

“We felt that we wanted to be a part of the community where we lived,” said co-owner Sean Hasey. “(We also) want people to be educated about their bodies — it’s useful information to transfer to folks.”

Along with community involvement, the couple moved their practice from Portland in order to use fewer resources.

“We wanted to practice sustainability by using less gas,” said Hasey. “We can walk to work now rather than using (many) gallons of gas to drive to Portland every day.”

Both licensed massage therapists have a deep passion for massage and are intrigued to learn even more.

“My interest in massage came from a deep interest in the body: how it works and how to fix it myself,” said co-owner Chrystina Gastelum. “I’m consistently participating in classes and workshops to improve my skills.”

The practice of massage itself is a very personal art that allows for comfort and healing, Hasey said.

“Massage can be  a very intimate practice, and we want to be known in the community as a safe place,” said Hasey. “It’s nice when someone comes in and there’s an intimate, while boundaried, interaction.”

The Biddeford community has made the move from Portland pretty seamless, the couple said.

“Biddeford has such a great energy, and we are inspired by the community and like-minded health care practitioners in the area.” Gastelum said.

Hark House business hours are by appointment, which can be made online at www.harkhouse.me, by email at chrystina@harkhouse.me or sean@harkhouse.me, or by phone at
558-2766. The company also committed to offer a seated massage at the indoor Saco River Farmers Market each Saturday morning throughout the winter.

On Feb. 16 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., the practice is hosting a do-it-yourself massage workshop to participants to bring massage into their daily life.

Hark House focuses on body education, comfort, and a safe space to be relaxed. Both massage therapists truly love the work.

“It’s satisfying when people leave feeling more comfortable,” said Gastelum. “We get to directly impact people’s lives in a positive way. It’s great to have a job that I love doing.”