Chris and Alyssa's Cha-Cha-Chakra Adventure

Greetings!  Chris writing again this week...

As most of you know, Alyssa is my daughter and business partner.  One of the perks of our job is that we can justify any opportunity to get a massage and facial. One day a few months ago Alyssa returned to the store from the post office excited to have found a poster advertising a "Health Retreat" being held here in Holcombe. I immediately translated this into "opportunity to relax, get a massage and a facial"...I'm in! 

This was by far and above the most interesting spa related experience we have ever had. Alyssa loves yoga and we both are interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle (even though I struggle to actually follow thru with that interest...). The poster for the retreat advertised massages, reflexology (foot massage!) and Chakra Clearing with Number Readings. I didn't know what those Chakra things were but this sure sounded good to me.

The day of the retreat I prepared by scrubbing my feet using our Pumice Foot Scrub followed with our Hand and Foot Lotion (which left my feet tingling happily all the way to the retreat). I even shaved my legs in anticipation of a massage on the deck (I was envisioning a traditional full body massage). We arrived at a lovely A-frame home on a lake that is an off-shoot of the Holcombe Flowage. The owners welcomed us and made us feel quickly at home in their renovated walk-out basement/retreat center. They gave us a tour of their home and allowed us time to sit on their second story deck to enjoy the view and a refreshment while we waited for the other guests to arrive.

Eventually we all mosied on down to the retreat area where we settled into couches and chairs around a fireplace. At this time we were introduced and received instruction from each of the service providers who would be working with us that day.  It was great to learn about the services we would be receiving and I have to say surprising to find out what those services were!  Gary Hansen of Ladysmith gave an interesting lecture about Reflexology and what it can do to assist your body in detoxing and cleansing (as well as the awesome foot massage you get...), Carol Rudd discussed Amma Massages and how they help to re-energize you and she discussed Cranium Massage (which was given by Jane Wolf) and Mary O'Brien gave a very interesting talk about Chakra clearing.  (I'd never heard of Chakra clearing and didn't know anything about Chakras. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article about Chakras in case you would like to learn more:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra ) Mary's daughter, Lisa, was also available to help us discover and decipher our Numbers.  That was something I found very interesting!

When lecture time was over we all signed up for the services we wanted.  Even though I had originally gone into this day expecting a facial and a massage I was hooked on the fun of experiencing new things so I did not sign up for the massages, instead opting for the Reflexology (yes, okay, that was a foot massage!!), Number Reading and Chakra Clearing.  First up was Number Reading with Lisa. I entered a bedroom where we sat across from each other at a card table with a pretty tablecloth. At first I thought this was going to be like a movie-style seance but it wasn't. Lisa is a farm wife from Ashland and very down to Earth. She asked for my birthdate and then figured out my numbers from there. I am a "5" meaning I was born in the fith year of a nine year cycle. She then explained to me that we live our lives in cycles of nine years and that I am in the ninth year of a cycle. When we reviewed the literature she had (and I got to take home) I was surprised by how accurately this reflected where I am in my life right now. Being in the ninth year of my life meant that I am moving into a new phase of my life. We have just opened our first store with a second coming soon...I guess that qualifies as moving into a new phase in my life!

I then wander out onto the porch where I find Alyssa, feet up and head down in the Reflexology chair.  She's reading the information while Gary works on her feet. Interested, I begin to strike up a conversation with Gary only to be quickly quelled by a look from my daughter that says something like "Hellooooo...trying to relax here...zip it!" So I do. 

Shortly thereafter it's my turn to get my feet done. All I can say is Wow! Sign me up for more!! Not only did I get a much needed half hour of relaxation and pampering I received a very interesting discussion from Gary about the benefits of reflexology and detoxification and had fun comparing our businesses as well. I fully intend to visit his shop up in Ladysmith soon. I struggle with chronic problems with my stomach, gall bladder and liver. When I'd feel something in these areas I would ask Gary what he was doing at that moment and he'd answer with something like "I'm working on your stomach center". Every time I asked it was accurate to the area of my body I was feeling something in. I'd recently gone thru a Homeopathic doctor to receive an eight week body cleanse that was very intense and used supplements to achieve. That night I went thru something akin to the same results as what I got with the supplements but this time it was 100% chemical free (and about a quarter of the price!) I can't wait to visit Gary Reflexology in Ladysmith for a full hour treatment soon.

Following my reflexology treatment I wandered back into the basement retreat area to find many of the guests gathered around the table in the kitchen area where Mary O'Brien was conducting Chakra cleansing. This looked really interesting to me but I decided to wait for Alyssa to finish her Cranium massage so we could experience the Chakra thing together. Alyssa returned from her massage describing it as extremely relaxing with a light touch, different from the more traditional type of body massages we usually get.

Reunited with Alyssa, I made a B-Line for the open chairs at the Chakra table. We watched Mary use a crystal pendulum to "talk to her higher self". She asked the pendulum a question and it answered yes or no by the direction it swung. We watched another guest get her Chakra's cleansed. First Mary consulted a sheet of paper with an outline of the human body with the seven Chakras outlined on it. She asked her pendulum if the woman's first, second, third, etc. Chakras were clear. The pendulum said yes or no throughout then Mary went on to have the woman stand while she used her hands and prayer to open the woman's chakras. Afterwards she again consulted the paper with the pendulum to find all of the woman's chakra's had been opened. Mary ended with a few words of wisdom, the ringing of Tibetan symbols near the woman's body and a hug. 

It was Alyssa and my turn next. First she asked if we'd like to purchase some pendulums of our own...You Bet!  We cannot ever resist things like this! I chose a yellow and crystal pendulum and Alyssa chose a pretty pendulum made of seven different stones to represent the chakras. We could not resist immediately trying them out but they didn't work for us like Mary's did for her. Mary told us to spend time with them and put them under our pillow for a night to see if that would help.

Next Mary had me come over to get my Chakras opened. I sat in front of her as she stood with her hand on my shoulder and consulted the Chakra chart with the pendulum. She tells me all of my Chakras are closed (I think one might have been open if I remember correctly). She also tells me that because my first/lowest Chakra is closed that is a sign that I am dealing with some type of issues from my childhood. I reassure her I've had a normal childhood with no known issues and she tells me perhaps it is something I've carried forward in birth. Mary then proceeded to use the technique of prayer and passing of hands over me to clear my chakras. I have to admit I did not feel much different during the process. She sat me down and yes, the pendulum says my Chakras are now open. Mary ends with prayer and ringing the Tibetan symbols. That feels pretty neat as I can feel the vibration of the symbols on my skin. I thought the best part was the hug at the end.

Even though I didn't feel much different during and right after Mary's Chakra clearing I have to say I did feel great after the retreat ended. I was relaxed and happy, not feeling a bit of my previous stress. So I will call the Chakra clearing a success, as well as the rest of the retreat! I even made arrangements with Mary to come and do something similar for a staff inservice sometime...and maybe see if she can do something about Bobbie Jo's relationship with the sewing machine surger....