Meet Luana
Holistic massage therapist and the heart behind New Moon Wellness
My story
I'm Luana, a holistic massage therapist, women's wellness facilitator, and the heart and soul behind New Moon Wellness.
I moved to Aotearoa from Brazil at 18, completely on my own. I threw myself into building a life here. Studying, achieving, working hard, ticking every box I thought I was supposed to tick. From the outside, things looked good. I graduated with a Top Scholar Award, built a career in marketing, and kept pushing forward.
But inside, I felt empty. Disconnected. Like I was performing a version of myself I had never actually chosen.
After seven years in a career that was slowly breaking me — anxiety, depression, panic attacks, a toxic workplace, and never feeling good enough no matter how much I achieved — my body finally forced me to stop. I took three months off work. I started therapy. I went on antidepressants. And for the first time in my life, I started truly listening to myself.
At the same time, I was navigating a diagnosis of severe cervical dysplasia, surgery, hormonal chaos, and chronic pelvic pain. My body was asking for attention in ways I could no longer ignore.
It was during that long, humbling, and ultimately beautiful process of healing that everything began to shift. I started asking different questions. Not "how do I succeed?" but "what actually feels meaningful to me?"
The answer that kept coming back was this: I wanted to care for people. To do something that mattered. To hold space for others the way I had needed someone to hold space for me.
How New Moon Wellness came to life
I began my training in massage therapy in Brazil, where I completed my first Manual Lymphatic Drainage course. Back in New Zealand, I went on to train formally and build a practice rooted in the treatments I genuinely love.
In 2025, I completed my Women ReWilding yoga teacher training, and that experience changed everything. It was so much more than a certification. It was a deep journey inward, back to my body, my intuition, and my most authentic self. For the first time, I felt truly connected — not just to the work, but to who I am.
That feeling of reconnection is what I now hold space for, in every massage and every women's gathering I offer.
New Moon Wellness was born not from a business plan, but from lived experience. From someone who had to learn how to slow down, soften, and come back home to herself — and who genuinely believes that this is one of the most powerful things a woman can do.
Training & qualifications
I take my practice seriously. Every treatment I offer is underpinned by formal training, and I am committed to continuing to learn and grow as a practitioner.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Leduc Method — Brazil (2024)
Holistic Massage Therapy — NZQA Level 4, Holistic Health Training, Christchurch (2024)
Manual Lymphatic Drainage — Hands on Clinic, Christchurch (2024)
Deep Tissue Massage — Holistic Health Training, Christchurch (2025)
Pregnancy Relaxation Massage — Holistic Health Training, Christchurch (2025)
Women ReWilding 100hr Yoga Teacher Training — Bali, Indonesia (2025)
What to expect when you come to me
A session with me is more than a massage.
From the moment you arrive, my intention is for you to feel genuinely welcomed and safe — not just physically, but in yourself.
Before we begin, I take time to understand how you're really feeling and what you need that day. I centre myself and connect with you, and I invite you to do the same — to arrive, to breathe, to be present before the session even starts.
Every person who comes through my door is a human being I get to support. I bring my whole heart to every single session, and I give a lot energetically, because I believe that's exactly what this work asks of me, and what you deserve.
You will feel it. My clients always do.
Ready to experience it for yourself?
Whether you’re looking to release tension, support your body, or simply take a moment that’s entirely for you… I’d love to welcome you.