Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayde Chacon.
Hi Hayde, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hesed Bodywork was born from a deeply personal journey that blends healing, family, and community.
I immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico as a teenager/young adult, carrying with me a strong sense of resilience, faith, and a desire to help others. That calling became much clearer when my daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis. As a mother, I wanted to understand her condition beyond appointments and X-rays. I wanted to truly understand how the body adapts, how pain develops, and what supportive, noninvasive care could look like. That desire to help my child is what motivated me to go back to school and begin formally studying the human body.
Massage therapy quickly became more than a profession; it became a language of care. I trained as a medical massage therapist and spent years working in clinical and pain-management settings, including with military service members and veterans. In 2022, after PCSing to NC, I was juggling three jobs, working at two massage clinics and teaching at a massage therapy school. While the work was meaningful, the pace was unsustainable, and it often pulled me away from the people who mattered most.
I opened Hesed Bodywork as a way to realign my life with my values, particularly family. My nephew had been living with us for several years, and I wanted to create a space where he could learn, grow, and be part of something meaningful. Although he ultimately chose a different path, that intention to build something rooted in care, opportunity, and connection became the foundation of Hesed.
“Hesed” is a Hebrew word meaning loving kindness, and it reflects the heart of our mission. What began as a one-woman practice has grown into a multidisciplinary wellness clinic serving military families, first responders, healthcare workers, and community members. Our approach focuses on evidence-informed care, medical massage, lymphatic drainage, myofascial techniques, and integrative methods while honoring each person’s story.
My desire to understand healing beyond the treatment room led me back to school once again, this time to pursue a Master of Public Health with a focus on nutrition. This has deepened my understanding of how pain, stress, food access, and systemic inequities shape health outcomes. Today, my work lives at the intersection of clinical care and public health, blending hands-on healing with education, prevention, and advocacy.
Hesed Bodywork is more than a clinic. It is a reflection of motherhood, family, lived experience, and the belief that healing happens when people are seen, supported, and treated with loving kindness.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey has been anything but linear, and many of the challenges I’ve faced have been shaped by transition, loss, and perseverance.
After graduating in 2015, we were living in Arizona, where my children had grown up and where our family, church community, and support system had been rooted for nearly 18 years. In July 2017, we PCS’d to Texas, leaving my parents behind at a time when my father was very ill. Just months later, in November 2017, he passed away. That season required learning how to grieve while continuing to move forward in an unfamiliar place.
Like many in hands-on healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic brought additional uncertainty. In 2020, massage therapists were not allowed to work, and income and stability disappeared overnight. In 2021, I began working at a chiropractic clinic I truly loved, only to face an unexpected health crisis mid-year that required an emergency hysterectomy and several months away from work. At the end of that year, we said goodbye once again as we moved to North Carolina in early 2022 to start over yet again.
In North Carolina, I worked as a massage instructor and clinic supervisor while also serving as a massage therapist at multiple clinics. Around that time, concerns for my nephew’s well-being prompted me to open Hesed Bodywork, not only as a business but as a way to keep family close and create stability. Launching the clinic with limited savings and a personal credit card required long days of painting, building furniture, purchasing equipment, and preparing the space from the ground up. One of my daughters was by my side through that process, serving as my right hand during those early stages.
Since then, balancing multiple roles has been a constant challenge. In 2024, I began working part-time in an interdisciplinary clinical setting while continuing to oversee Hesed and teach. That same year, I decided to pursue a Master of Public Health, which added a significant academic load, especially the statistics-heavy coursework that pushed me far outside my comfort zone. At the same time, my daughter and grandson moved in with us, and later that year, the daughter who helped me build Hesed relocated overseas.
Health challenges have also been ongoing. After moving to North Carolina, I experienced lingering symptoms that were later diagnosed as an autoimmune condition affecting my thyroid and joints, particularly difficult in a profession that relies so heavily on physical ability. In 2025, a series of falls and injuries further tested my resilience, even as I continued managing work, school, and clinic operations through staffing changes and broader economic uncertainty.
Despite these obstacles, each season has clarified my purpose. I’ve learned how to adapt, ask for help, and build systems that prioritize sustainability both personally and professionally. As I complete my MPH and continue overseeing Hesed Bodywork, I remain deeply committed to healing work, while also preparing for a future that allows me to continue serving others in ways that honor both my calling and my physical wellbeing.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hesed Bodywork LLC is a wellness practice grounded in compassionate, evidence-informed care and shaped by both clinical experience and lived reality.
Hesed specializes in medical massage, myofascial techniques, lymphatic drainage, and integrative bodywork approaches designed to support pain management, recovery, mobility, and nervous system regulation. We work with a wide range of clients, with a particular focus on military families, first responders, healthcare workers, and individuals living with chronic pain, stress, or complex health histories.
What sets Hesed Bodywork apart is our whole-person approach. My background includes years of hands-on clinical work in interdisciplinary environments, along with ongoing graduate training in public health with a focus on nutrition and inflammation. This allows our practice to address pain not just as a localized issue, but as something influenced by stress, trauma, workload, inflammation, lifestyle, and access to care. Every session is individualized; there are no “cookie-cutter” treatments.
I am most proud of the culture we’ve built at Hesed. The name “Hesed” comes from a Hebrew word meaning loving kindness and reflects our commitment to ethical care, respect for the body, and realistic expectations for healing. We emphasize education, collaboration, and sustainability for clients and practitioners alike, recognizing that meaningful healing takes time and trust.
Hesed Bodywork exists at the intersection of clinical care and community wellness. It is not simply a place to receive a massage, but a space where people are seen, listened to, and supported through thoughtful, skilled care rooted in compassion and science.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are many people, past and present, whose influence is woven into both my life and my work.
Long before I ever imagined becoming a massage therapist, my grandmother planted the seed. She was an incredibly hard worker and often asked me for foot and back massages. She would smile and say, “You’re going to be a massage therapist when you grow up,” and I would always laugh it off, convinced there was no way I would ever do that. She passed away when I was only nine years old, but her words stayed with me, and I believe she recognized something in me long before I could see it myself. Her love, work ethic, and intuition remain deeply rooted in my heart.
My instructors from massage school, Carolyn and Steve, also deserve tremendous credit. They were not just teachers, but true advocates encouraging me, supporting me, and believing in my abilities even during moments of doubt. Their guidance helped shape the therapist and professional I became.
Dr. Louie King, who gave me my first official job as a massage therapist, was a mentor in every sense of the word. He was a protector, advisor, and steady presence early in my career. The staff at the chiropractic clinic in Texas, where I worked, were equally influential, generous teachers who helped me grow clinically and personally during an important season of my life.
When I moved to North Carolina, Angel Yaklin, owner of Battle Ready Bodywork, played a significant role in my journey. Working with her was a gift. She is one of the best bosses, business owners, and therapists I have ever known, and if I could do it all over again, I would gladly work with her again.
I also could not have opened Hesed Bodywork without my daughter. She was my right hand during the early days, helping clean, paint, install wallpaper, build, and prepare the clinic from the ground up. While finishing her college degree, she also helped run the front office. Her support made the vision possible.
Above all, my faith has been my anchor. God has sustained me through grief, uncertainty, and exhaustion. I truly believe I could not have taken a single step forward without His guidance and grace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hesedbodywork.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hesedbodywork/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hesedbodywork
