a of Nouvelles... · more common alternative healing modalities such as acupuncture, chakra...

74 | MARCH 2016 | LNEONLINE.com LNEONLINE.com | MARCH 2016 | 75

As the spa industry continues to move toward integrating the mind, body and soul, more spas are adding alternative healing treatments to their service menus. While this does include the

more common alternative healing modalities such as acupuncture, chakra balancing and Ayurveda, some spas are now taking it one step further by offering a wide variety of energy

work, intuitive readings and even psychic massages.

of

a

Readings, massage and balance

by Caroline Canetti

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS GUIDEALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS GUIDE


The 90-minute service includes a mas-sage with the oil, and the guest keeps the remaining bottle after the service.

PSYCHIC MASSAGE

Mii amo Spa just happened to have three licensed massage therapists with psychic abilities on staff, which gave them the idea to provide Psychic Massage (60 minutes, $250, 90 min-utes, $290).

“We started having therapists come to us and say, ‘I was a doing a massage and I was reading their presence and understanding their energy, how can we incorporate this?’” says Clark. “So

we decided to combine the two. Each time it’s different. It depends on what is going on with the client and what the therapist is able to read. Sometimes it’s more talk than massage, sometimes it’s the opposite.”

CHAKRA BALANCING

This ancient practice involves balanc-ing the body’s seven chakras, or energy centers — root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown. This service can either be provided by an energy healer as a standalone service or incorporated into a traditional massage.

“The idea is to balance and harmo-nize your chakras so that your body,

“It’s important for spas to really look

at these older modalities because

there is a reason some of them

have been around for thousands of years... It’s simply

because they work.”

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS GUIDE

T hough many might call it “new age-y,” there actual-ly is nothing “new” about this type of work. Many of

these modalities are ancient and rooted in Eastern medicine and philosophy. “It’s important for spas to really look at these older modalities because there is a reason some of them have been around for thousands of years,” says Suzanne Chavez, spa director at The Spa at Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “It’s simply because they work. Even Dr. Oz has said, ‘Energy medicine is the medicine of the future.’”

READINGS

Readings come in many forms — angel readings, intuitive readings, psychic sessions, astrology, tarot card readings, aura color readings and more — and all of them are making appearances on spa menus.

Angel Readings

The Angelic Touch Day Spa in Ojai, Calif., offers Angel Readings (30 min-utes, $75, 60 minutes, $125) to help clients get in touch with their guardian angels. “You need to take care of the spirit to be truly healthy,” says owner Jenny Cothran, a certified angel therapy practitioner. “Everyone is born with at least two guardian angels and we can help you communicate with them for guidance on life, love, finances, etc., and connect with loved ones in the spirit world.”

The reading is done using psychom-etry in which the client brings a special metal object with them, such as jewelry. “The client sits across from me and I begin by asking the client to close his/her eyes and take a few deep breaths to get centered,” explains Cothran. “I then read a Prayer of Protection before

the actual reading begins. Then I ask the client for the metal object that they want me to use for the reading and I close my eyes to connect with the spirit and the angels.”

Intuitive Readings

The Spa at Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico offers Sage Vision Intuitive Reading (50 minutes, $135). “Our cli-ents come in for this when they need clarity on their purpose in life, or help with challenging situations and a deeper understanding of their soul path,” says Chavez. “This works well for us here because New Mexico has a long history of healers who look to the sky, herbs and beyond for spiritual guidance.”

Aura-Soma Color Reading

Mii amo Spa at Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Ariz., has several alternative therapies, including the Aura-Soma Color Reading (60 minutes, $250, 90 minutes, $290), which originates from England.

“It starts with the client choosing three colored oil bottles that they are most drawn to, and the therapist gives a reading based on what that color represents,” says general manager Jill Clark. “The service is more like an in-tuitive reading. Based on the bottles chosen, the therapist has amazing in-sight into personality, struggles, etc. It helps get you to who you really are, what you’re supposed to be doing, and achieving your higher potential.”



Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine initial visit is approximately 90 minutes for $136, and follow-up visits are approxi-mately 45 minutes for $98.

The acupuncture appointment starts with a medical consultation by a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and is often combined with a consultation about herbs and supple-mental therapy as the two go hand-in-hand. “We have an herbal pharmacy here where we can create the formula that the doctor recommends, so it’s highly customized based on what is going on with the client,” she adds.

AYURVEDA

Ayurveda, which aims to integrate and balance the body, mind and spirit, origi-nates from India and is one of the oldest medical systems. It focuses on the treat-ment and prevention of illnesses and removing blockages that hold people back from living a well-balanced life.

Ayurveda treatments are anoth-er staple of The Dragontree’s menu and philosophy. They offer four Bliss Therapies, which are treatments within Ayurveda. Garshana (25 minutes, $44) is a dry brushing of the skin with light, vigorous strokes that helps with circu-lation, exfoliation and the release of toxins. During the Swedana treatment (30 minutes, $66), a steam tent is used to warm and relax the body and open the pores while the client’s head re-mains cool as they receive a scalp and facial massage.

Abhyanga (60 minutes, $110) is a warm oil massage designed to deeply relax and remove blockages. During the Shirodhara (30 minutes, $76) treat-ment, a therapist pours a stream of


mind and soul are all in sync,” says Chavez. “I liken it to a car engine where this belt moves that pulley, which moves the engine and so on. We look at the body that way with each chakra. They all need to be working in sync to work. It’s a light-touch modality with the prac-titioner holding their hands on or above the body at each chakra point.” The Spa at Loretto offers Chakra Balancing for 50 minutes at $135.

NATIVE AMERICAN RITUALS

Native American-inspired treatments are popular at many spas in the Southwest. Fortunately, these are easy to incorporate as long as you honor and

execute their traditions authentically. The Spa at Loretto’s Native American Ritual features a sage clearing and hot stone massage (110 minutes, $265).

“We start with a sage blessing that I wrote and the sage smudge, which helps to cleanse people energetically and spiritually,” explains Chavez. “You can hold the smoking sage in your hand (you first burn it, blow it out, and let the smoke waft in the air) or put it in a ceramic dish and just walk around the body, and we say our blessing before the sacred stone massage.” However, spas that choose to adopt a version of Native American rituals should learn about the culture’s customs and beliefs. “It’s important to do your research to make sure you don’t disrespect their traditions,” Chavez explains. (See LNE & Spa’s July 2014 article “Wisdom from the Land” for more.)

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is an alternative healing therapy that involves tiny needles gen-tly placed into key points on the body to help relieve a variety of health and emotional issues including depression, anxiety, stress, pain, constipation, PMS, asthma, insomnia and more.

“It’s essential to our spa because The Dragontree is a place for your health,” says Briana Borten, found-er and CEO of The Dragontree Spa, which has two locations in Portland, Oreg., and one in Boulder, Colo. “Our treatments are therapeutic and that includes some Eastern philosophies and medicines including acupuncture, Chinese herbs and supplements, and our Ayurveda menu.” The Dragontree’s P

hoto

co

urte

sy o

f M

ii am

o R

eso

rt &

Sp

a an

d T

he E

ncha

ntm

ent

Gro

up.



LAUGHTER THERAPY

As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. Recent research indicates laughter produces gamma waves, the same ones achieved during meditation. Gamma is the only frequency that af-fects every part of the brain, research-er and professor Lee Berk told TIME Magazine. Laughing engages the entire brain at once, achieving contentment and clear focus from being in sync.

At Laughter Yoga Salon NYC in New York, N.Y., owner Francine Shore of-fers laughter yoga sessions dubbed “spa-ha-ha” wellness workouts (60 min-utes, $10; private sessions or events 90 minutes, $150). Shore’s laughter yoga sessions can involve deep breathing, clapping, dancing, stretching, a sitting laughter meditation and other move-ment. “It’s a very rigorous cardio work-out that burns many calories, but is ul-timately exhilarating and enriching like a spa treatment,” she says. “Laughter from the diaphragm oxygenates all the cells in your body, the facial muscles are aglow when doing laughter yoga.”

MEDITATIVE YOGA

“The word ‘yoga’ is derived from a Sanskrit word that means ‘to yoke.’ Yoga in itself is a combination of phys-ical practice and spiritual practice,” says Leslie White, fitness director for Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in Vista, Calif. Cal-a-Vie offers several yoga classes (50 minutes, all classes offered as part of packages) that combine fitness of the body and mind. “Physical practic-es encourage mobility, flexibility and strength of body. Meditative practic-es encourage relaxation, confidence, and centeredness of mind,” she adds. The spa offers Climb and Soar Yoga


warm herb-infused oil onto the client’s forehead, using subtle patterns to in-duce a state of deep peace to help quiet the mind and eliminate mental distress. The Full Bliss Immersion (150 minutes, $260) combines all four. “The bliss therapies are so wonderful for calming the nervous system so they are deeply relaxing while also very nourish-ing to the skin,” says Borten.

HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

In this traditional Chinese treatment, hundreds of herbs in countless com-binations are used to treat a client’s individual needs.

Fusion LifeSpa in Deephaven, Minn., offers an Herbal Supplements consultation (60 minutes, $80) and em-ploys a naturopathic medicine doctor who creates customized formulas in the form of teas or capsules after a consultation with the client. “Dr. John Christianson, N.D. checks their pulse, tongue and other key indicators accord-ing to Chinese medicine as to what’s going on internally,” says spa direc-tor Michelle Shuster. “His services are good for anything, but he specializes in anxiety, depression, sleep issues and female issues such as irregular men-struation and menopause.”

SALT THERAPY

Known as halotherapy, salt therapy is an alternative medicine that relieves many sinus and respiratory ailments. Spas are now implementing salt rooms or caves where clients breathe in medi-cal grade salt, usually lining the walls and infused into the air.

At Salt Spa Colorado, with loca-tions in Lakewood and Louisville, Colo., salt rooms are built with three tons of salt lining 100 percent of the walls

and floor, creating a negatively ion-ized environment that calms the ner-vous system. With separate adult and children’s rooms, where the children get to play with the salt, these rooms cater to clients with asthma, chronic si-nusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia or those suffering from a cold, coughs or aller-gies, among other respiratory issues. A 45-minute session is $30.

“The key to the whole therapy is the benefit you get from the halogenerator, 90 percent of the curative effect comes it. It takes the salt and grinds it down to particle size and blows it into the room,” says owner Allen Tawa. “The therapy is a simple as sitting back in a comfortable reclining lounger and breathing in the salt. The sessions are quiet, many people read, sleep or med-itate.” (For more, see our article on “The Business of Salt” in the October 2015 edition of LNE & Spa.)

“The word ‘yoga’ is

derived from a Sanskrit word

that means ‘to yoke.’ Yoga

in itself is a combination

of physical practice

and spiritual practice.”

Angela

Highlight



substances can treat colds, infections, migraines, sore throats and chronic con-ditions like asthma, depression, autism and arthritis. Omana Natural Wellness and MedSpa Center in Houston, Texas, offers completely customized home-opathy and naturopathy treatments, beginning with an initial consultation (adults: 60 minutes, $175, children: 45 minutes, $135).

“My practice is based on nutrition, homeopathy and botanicals,” says own-er Alicia C. Omaña, M.P.H., D.PSc., Ph.D, ND. “Homeopathy is natural, safe and has no side effects if practiced correctly. In my many years of practice, I have never had a client have a bad reaction to a homeopathic remedy.”

IRIDOLOGY

In iridology, the eyes are not only the windows to the soul, but the body’s internal health systems. An alternative health science based on analyzing fi-bers in the iris, iridology can determine the tissue integrity of the body’s major organs and systems.

Cheryl Lemoine-Kainer, certified iridologist and nutritionist based in The Woodlands, Texas, says iridology is an alternative science widely used in other countries. By taking a pho-tograph of each eye with a digital iris camera and viewing it under increased magnification, Lemoine-Kainer analyz-es what the irides are revealing about the strengths and weaknesses of the body. “Iridology can reveal a person’s inherited conditions, kind of like look-ing at their DNA, but you can also see changes that occur during a person’s lifetime,” she explains. “If the person is stressed it makes what’s called stress rings in the eye, if their cholesterol is elevated it makes a white ring around the perimeter.”

After an iridology session (30-45 minutes, $90) Lemoine-Kainer can make specific recommendations based on

what she sees. This includes nutritional, herbal, vitamin or mineral recommenda-tions. It takes about six to nine months to see changes in the iris after an ini-tial analysis and implementing lifestyle changes, so some clients return for a follow up to see if that particular part of their body is back in balance.

“You can look at a person who seems like they’re in perfect health, but the eye tells me a different story. Conversely, I look at someone that may not look very healthy, but they have re-ally good DNA and may just need to make small changes in their health,” Lemoine-Kainer shares. “My favorite thing about iridology is it helps you get specific about health, making it easy to


for all levels, which includes a walk to a secluded viewpoint for silent meditation and incorporates balanc-ing yoga poses overlooking a color-ful canyon, allowing the spirit to soar. Creative Expressions is another com-bined fitness yoga class, based on the Zentangle Method of pattern draw-ing, an artistic form of meditation. To implement an “Age of Mindfulness” in your spa, see our January 2016 ar-ticle on yoga in the spa.

REIKI

Reiki, an ancient Japanese treatment, is the transferring of energy from one life source to another. To relax the client, reduce their stress and revive their life force energy, a practitioner transfers universal energy to the client by laying the hands on, or directly above, their centers of energy. Heather Dempsey, owner of the face & Body spa in Yardley, Penn., says many recipients of Reiki experience sensations such as warmth,

heat, tingling or cooler temperatures while others may not experience any sensations. “When people hear that they worry, but that doesn’t mean the treatment isn’t effective. It just means for some reason they didn’t need for their body to give off that sensation,” she explains.

The face & Body spa offers several levels of Reiki treatments, according to the experience of the practitioner: Level I (30 minutes, $50, 60 minutes, $80) Level II 30 minutes, $60, 60 min-utes, $90) Master/Teacher Level (30 minutes, $70, 50 minutes, $100) — as well as classes so people can become practitioners.

“Reiki is one of the most beautiful treatments,” she says. “There are no contraindications and it helps in more ways than a lot of people realize. Not only does it relax and reduce stress, but it balances the body, which allows it to work at its optimum capacity. We try to integrate Reiki into every department to give people as many opportunities to experience it as possible.” The spa

offers Reiki combined with facials, mas-sages and life coaching to add value to Reiki treatments and serve as a great introduction, usually resulting in clients coming back for more sessions.

HYPNOTHERAPY

Much unlike a stage magic trick, clini-cal hypnotherapy is a guided session meant to help clients alter behavior patterns, increase motivation, reach a higher consciousness or realize their true calling.

At We Care Spa, a detox and spiri-tual retreat in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., Renee Cardenas, clinical hypnothera-pist and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) trainer, offers Timeline Therapy/NLP Hypnotherapy (90 minutes, $250) to guests in the privacy of their own room. Cardenas begins a session by having a conversation with the client. As the person begins to bring out what is on their mind, she asks questions “geared to shake up the subconscious pattern of thinking.”

“The session is based on different modalities and tailored to the individ-ual’s needs,” Cardenas shares. “I like to create the analogy of yoga for the mind: we stretch, twist and breathe and that’s what I do for the mind. Like yoga, openings are created and the person starts looking at the real issues. The pur-pose is to take the person from a place of disempowerment to a place of em-powerment and excitement about life.”

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENTS

A natural method of healing based on the idea that “like cures like,” homeop-athy is aimed at treating the individual and not just the ailment. Homeopathic remedies include highly diluted natural substances to trigger the body’s natural system of healing. These safe, gentle

identify the weakest link in the body’s make-up.” See LNE & Spa’s full article on iridology, “It’s All in the Eyes,” in the August 2015 edition.

With therapies to address any kind of imbalance in body, mind and soul, alternative treatments can richly ben-efit your clients. Whether your clients are looking to relax, balance the body, heal pain or find a deeper connection, there’s a treatment that can do so natu-rally. According to a recent report from the CDC, complementary and alterna-tive medicine is one of the fastest grow-ing trends for both children and adults. If energy medicine is the medicine of the future, the future is now.

a of Nouvelles... · more common alternative healing modalities such as acupuncture, chakra...

Documents

Transcript of a of Nouvelles... · more common alternative healing modalities such as acupuncture, chakra...