Joshua Knight, a Marine Corps Special Operations veteran turned massage therapist — though the path between those two worlds wasn’t a straight line. For six years, Josh served in the United States Marine Corps as a combatant diver and raid operator. After his military career, he continued in the high-intensity world of executive protection and military contracting, working with CEOs, public figures, and high-value individuals across the country.

Eventually, he stepped away from that life in search of something more grounded and stable. He moved into oil rigging, working long, honest days on the floor in Michigan. Then everything changed. A catastrophic accident left him with a broken spine and forced him to reevaluate his entire life.

Recovery became a journey of trial, discipline, and humility — a long process filled with physical therapy, chiropractic care, holistic approaches, and massage. Massage was the one thing that consistently brought him relief, both physically and emotionally. It helped him heal when nothing else did.

That experience became the catalyst for everything that followed. Once he was strong enough to stand and move again, he made the decision to go to massage school. What started as a new direction quickly revealed itself as a calling. He discovered how powerful it can be to create a space where people feel seen, heard, and restored — a place where therapeutic skill meets empathy, intuition, and human connection.

Today, he pours his entire background into his work: the discipline of a Marine, the adaptability of a protector, the resilience shaped by injury, and the compassion born from his own healing. He continues to study anatomy, pathology, and holistic modalities, always expanding my craft so he can offer treatments that are not only effective, but deeply grounding and meaningful.

Stillwater Sanctuary is the result — a place built with intention, presence, and genuine care. The goal is simple: to help people feel whole again.