The story behind Nepantla
At Nepantla Bodyworks & Massage Therapy, we strive to help clients embody the signature resilience of Northern New Mexico.
About Nepantla
Nepantla is a Nahuatl word meaning a liminal space, a place of transition and transformation where individuals are no longer “this” or “that,” but are in the process of becoming something new.
I first read the word in Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria E. Anzaldúa.
To me, nepantla refers to the “in-between” experience of moving from pain and dysfunction into something closer to homeostasis.
Healing is rarely a fun, easy process, and “nepantla” perfectly captures this. I can assure you that I’m a calm, confident guide in this nepantla space. We navigate it together.
What people are saying
Rebecca Kuri“Megan is a great communicator and offered some suggestions to issues we have. She has a great personality and is the kind of person I would befriend in real life. If you’re looking for a great massage therapist, I strongly suggest you give her a try.”
Taos, NM
Robert Russo“Megan is an exceptional therapist. I’ve done body work for three decades, including Rolfing, and she’s at the top of my list for go-to body work that addresses issues with great success.”
Taos, NM
Devan Daniels“Fantastic job! Please book with her. We stayed in town for the weekend and booked a massage after skiing and it was great! A lot of consultation beforehand and offered a customized massage based on the concerns.”
Taos, NM
Anne Levine“Megan is such a gifted and intuitive healer. She brings a rare blend of strength, knowledge, and deep presence to her work. I’ve had several massages from Megan—sometimes just needing a bit of relaxation, and other times barely able to turn my head from tension—and every single time, she has met the moment with skill and care.”
Taos, NM
Selene Martinez“Megan is an amazing massage therapist. I’ve been to see her 3 times already in 2 months. She is very experienced and knowledgeable. She is also very in tune with kind of massage you ask for and/or need. Very kind and warmhearted person. I would definitely recommend her to anyone!”
Taos, NM
Jasmine Morrow“I received an incredible massage from Megan over a year ago and still dream of the relief I felt from the acupressure-focused session. If I still lived in Taos there’s no doubt I would be scheduling regular appointments with Megan.”
Taos, NM
All of the Nepantla Bodyworks treatments feature the following therapies intended to enhance both relaxation and advanced/clinical outcomes.
Oil Therapy
A traditional Ayurvedic medicine also called oleation or snehana. Informed by these therapies, I use organic Ayurvedic base or medicinal oils according to each client’s unique goals. I exclusively partner with Banyan Botanicals (ABQ) and Kerala Ayurveda for safety, purity, and luxury.
Thermal Therapy
Practiced for centuries across cultures in the forms of moxibustion, sweat lodge ceremonies, temazcali and saunas. Many of my treatments include all-natural heat packs applied before massage therapy to soothe and prepare the musculoskeletal system for massage therapy.
Swedish Massage Therapy
World-renowned for its ability to ease clients into a deep state of relaxation. I use soothing, repetitive, and predictable movements with ongoing informed consent to bring peace to the whole bodymind.
Barefoot Medicine
Coined during China’s Cultural Revolution as a unique, hybrid healthcare system focused on providing basic healthcare to rural communities with limited resources. In my practice, Barefoot Medicines and Therapies refer to two indigenous, traditional modalities: Marma Point Therapy for Energy Healing from Kerala Ayurveda, and Chinese Medical Massage/Tui Na from Traditional Chinese Medicine.
About the founder
Megan Yankee, MFA LMT, Nepantla Bodyworks owner
Prior to becoming a licensed massage therapist, Megan was a professional dancer who earned her Master’s of Fine Arts from Texas Women’s University. After two decades of movement coaching, applied experiential anatomy, worldwide performances, and dance pedagogy, she now leverages her experience to support clients with relaxation, pain management, and work/athletic optimization.
Megan, a first-generation mixed race healing artist, is passionate about health equity and justice. Her massage therapy practice, Nepantla Bodyworks, is her vehicle to ethically and effectively serve vulnerable, marginalized, and rural populations, including military veterans and cancer survivors, who might not easily access services. Her mission is to provide evidence-based, integrative massage therapy to equity-deserving clientele.
Megan’s commitment to care and hands-on advocacy has been recognized by the 2025 Dan R. Barrow Memorial Scholarship from the American Massage Therapy Association New Mexico Chapter and the 2025-2026 Educational Equity Mini-Fellowship from the University of New Mexico.
About Megan’s Work
Megan Yankee, LMT
Owner-Practitioner, Nepantla Bodyworks & Massage Therapy
My pain interventions are driven by a professional focus on consent & ethics, light-medium-deep tissue Swedish massage, and traditional Asian-diasporic acupressure therapies. Thanks to the plentiful healing I’ve experienced when self-applying basic principles of Chinese Medical Massage/Tui Na and Marma therapies, I primarily study and advocate for these traditional therapies. My massage therapy practice is consent-driven, trauma-informed, culturally-responsive, as well as all-ability and queer + trans friendly. I speak English, Spanglish, and un poquito de español with a decent accent.
Outside of my private practice, Nepantla Bodyworks, I’m also a faculty assistant with the UNM-Taos Integrative Massage Therapy Program and a practicing LMT with Windgate Healing Arts in Los Alamos.
We all deserve a direct path to a massage therapist that is the ideal match for us! One of my main goals is helping you and others feel safe and respected. I’m happy to help you any time along your healing journey.
“I would have to say the best massage ever. Also very kind and considerate and professional.”
John Foster