Leif Rodriguez was born in Kingston, Jamaica. His family moved to New York when he was five years old and settled in Far Rockaway, Queens. In 1996 he and his father and brother opened a fine-art framing business in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The 24-year-old Leif was drawn to the raw and little-known waterfront community. “That was a different time in Dumbo,” says Leif. “There was nothing but artists, sweatshops, garbage companies, and thugs. Everyone got to know everyone else for the sole purpose of safety.”

After a day of working at R and R Frame Shop, Leif would go to the local artist hangout, where he discovered he had a knack for recognizing when people were in pain. Artists’ work often requires repetitive motions and heavy lifting. A short shoulder rub or neck rub would soon bring relief, and word started to spread in the neighborhood about Leif’s innate ability and effectiveness.

The family frame shop closed down in 2009 because of the recession. Leif worked freelance as a man with a van, set builder, and handyman. But people in his Dumbo community and other friends encouraged him to take up massage professionally. In 2012 he took the leap and applied to study at the Swedish Institute of College of Health Sciences.

Leif now specializes in myofascial and neuromuscular release, a more medical approach to massage than some others, one that integrates physical therapy techniques. “Myo” means muscle and “fascial” refers to connective tissue. The massage therapist applies pressure gently on the skin at first without using any oils, then builds toward identifying affected trigger points as the tissues relax. Trigger points are often the source of pain that radiates out to other parts of the body. 

In his youth Leif was also a photographer on long-term projects documenting the difference between country life and city life back in Jamaica. Maybe there’s a correlation between the two skill sets that have shaped his path and led to a career in the healing arts. Both require sharp powers of observation, trusting your intuition, and keeping your finger on the pulse in just the right way to capture an exact moment. Some detective work is involved, reading the clues that lead to the heart of the matter. Myofacial and neuromuscular massage therapy works to locate, unearth, and release the crux of the story, the pain your physical body holds within it. 

Leif is dedicated to helping you heal by working to let that pain go