Wellness from the inside out

By Carolyn Sloan

The Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Eight years ago, massage therapist JC Mongiat started making the connections that changed his life.

Rather than relating to his body, emotions, spirituality and environment as separate entities, he began to see these aspects of being as deeply entwined. JC began to listen to his body, and discovered that he had his own internal gauge of health and well being. It was at that point, as well, that he left his career behind to pursue a healing profession.

“It was just a crossroads in my life,” he explains. “[For many of us], it’s like your body is something you have to negotiate with. It’s really quite a shift to listen to what your body’s telling you, and [to know] it’s telling you that for a reason.”

Listening to JC’s story, Cindy Hearn can relate. She went through a similar experience that changed the way she thought about health – “a friendly tap on the shoulder,” as she calls it. Having worked in health care administration, she’s often heard patients talk about the need for facilities that can offer a more personal approach to well being.

As such, both JC and Cindy are proud to be part of a new facility that will provide the community with a holistic approach to wellness, based on the particular needs of each client. The Annapolis Royal Wellness Centre and Spa, which just opened its doors on April 9, will house a number of local professionals, including a doctor of natural medicine, a Zero Balancing therapist, a reflexologist, a crania sacral therapist, an Indian Head Massage therapist, a journaling counsellor, a reiki therapist, an anti-aging and nutritional counsellor, and of course, JC as a massage therapist.

“For a lot of people, it’s an opportunity, a tremendous opportunity to grow their business,” he explains. “We can provide them with a [venue] to expand their business, expand the interests that they have.”

In terms of benefiting the town and surrounding communities, the new facility brings together a wide range of health care services under one roof.

“Now more people will realize what’s available [locally],” says JC. “Health is all about your empowerment [to make choices]. If you don’t know what’s out there, you can’t make those choices.”

As the centre’s office manager, Cindy is excited about the facility’s potential now, and down the road. Not only will the wellness centre provide a personalized service, but it can also operate as a kind of collaborative practice.

“I believe in the vision,” she says. “I believe that it is long overdue. I believe it can be a benefit to the community.”

While there is still some education to be done, both JC and Cindy have seen the benefits as natural medicine and therapies become more widely known. Even the spa, while not often included within similar facilities, is a part of this particular centre because of its therapeutic advantages, such as detoxification and de-stressing.

“When you’re talking about complimentary medicine, you’re not talking about something exclusive,” he explains. “[This type of health care] forces you to think about the person involved in what you are trying to achieve – perfect health.

“It’s a term we don’t hear enough.”