Foster Wellness, Find Your Center

If serenity isn’t a feeling you’ve experienced recently, it’s time to rediscover it. Do you feel off-balance in today’s topsy-turvy world? There are places to help you find your center.

Well or unwell, if you want to feel better, explore the abundance of wellness centers and holistic therapies available locally. Animal-assisted and art therapies, forest bathing, trauma tapping technique and others take a new look at how we help our bodies heal and stay well. Some echo traditional practices and philosophies held for thousands of years. Some employ new techniques. These therapies aren’t meant to replace professional mental and medical healthcare but are designed to expand opportunities for honoring and benefiting a range of cultures, beliefs and needs.

Mind, Body, Spirit

“My personal exposure to sound baths and other practices came because I needed ways to reduce stress during chemo treatments and my quest for wellness,” said Jill Laufenberg, pastor at Church of the Loving Shepherd. She and colleagues are helping others with similar quests. “In the community, our friends, neighbors and colleagues are trying to work through silent burdens on their own. Being able to be still, breathe and be taken away from the noise of the world — computers, phones, news bombardment — we can focus and find comfort.”

Last year Laufenberg and four practitioners began collaborating to address the community’s demand for stress relief. The women ended up offering wellness sessions and mini-retreats at the barn and grounds of Church of the Loving Shepherd.

Two miles from the middle of West Chester Borough, the property serves as a haven for people and other creatures. Welcome to a stone barn with sides of rose and milky quartz, serpentine and field stones, a pollinator garden and a tiny pond where geese take refuge.

Rooms in the softly lit barn hold yoga and mindfulness sessions by Kathleen Metzker of Wolfsbane Wellness, therapeutic touch by Carol Busch of Natural Touch Works, personal development and stress management workshops by Sara Carkner of FAB Empowers, and singing bowl sound baths by Carol Metzker of Sound and Wellness.

Letting go of swirls of chaos, guests walk a labyrinth under evergreens’ shade. Birdcalls, five-foot wind chimes and crystal harp music sing in the breeze. Resonant tones of singing bowls float over barn beams and a former hayloft into a large gathering room. Yoga students of all levels gather in a grassy field, while a therapeutic massage in a small room eases chronic shoulder pain.

The feeling of belonging is palpable.

Start with What Fits You

Research backs many holistic practices offered throughout the Brandywine Valley. Spending time in nature, especially forests, can reduce stress hormones, found researchers at Stanford University, as does practicing yoga, according to the National Institutes of Health. A group of researchers at universities in California and Kentucky found connections between listening to singing bowls and reduced tension and depression, plus improvement in spiritual wellbeing. Harvard studies found that music can reduce pain, even in cancer patients.

If sunlight streaming through tall trees, the scent of pines and the whisper of wind in leaves delight you, forest therapy, also called forest bathing, may be the practice you’ve been seeking. Among trees that release phytoncides — substances that boost the immune system, improve sleep and can help while fighting cancer — certified forest therapy guide Jennifer Lopez of Peaceful Pines Forest Therapy carefully creates contemplative multi-sensory experiences to help you slow down.

Enter a new world as you walk through the door of Salt Works in Malvern, then enter the wooden doors of the “cave.” The dim room has a pink glow and twinkle lights overhead. Himalayan pink rock salt covers the floor. Rest on a pink blanket in the salt or recline in a zero-gravity chair. Listen to Himalayan music of harp and flute. Sleep or let your mind roam or soar while very fine pink salt is piped into the room. Walk out carefree. Called halotherapy, breathing the salty air can help with certain skin and respiratory conditions and allergies, according to some studies.

The soothing sound of a small indoor waterfall greets guests to The Healing Sanctuary responding to biophilia — humans’ natural desire to connect with nature and life even when indoors. The collaborative, holistic healing center in Exton offers a range of services including acupuncture, homeopathy and somatic experiencing. Jill Tonachio, a practitioner at the sanctuary, leads women’s circles and corporate workshops on work-life balance.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

It’s Saturday morning, and a group of women ages 27 to 74 are rocking out to upbeat music with eye-catching neon green modified drumsticks. They’re having a ball.

They’re also exercising for improved cardio, strength and movement. Welcome to Sharon Kaufman’s POUND class at The Nest, a collaborative wellness center in West Reading, not far from Chester County. Whether you’re looking to increase or decrease your speed, The Nest offers options: a large menu of yoga choices for strength, mobility and rest, Qigong, a women’s empowerment group and POUND classes.

If your body is coming closer to a standstill than you want, Bodemotion may be what it needs. Kick off your shoes for an in-depth assessment by Andrea Littlewood — certified Pilates instructor, barefoot training specialist and functional movement screen practitioner. Educating and helping people become stronger to live everyday life, Littlewood offers a small, boutique Pilates and therapeutic and functional fitness center as an alternative to a gym. Even its atmosphere, with natural light streaming onto the wooden floor in the historic Shoppes at Pickering in Chester Springs, tells you something different is afoot.

When you’re ready for a splurge, there are options for healthy eating, too. Flour and Oats Artisan Cookies, just steps away from Bodemotion, bakes small batches of scrumptious treats. A bite of the lavender honey shortbread tastes all the better for knowing it’s handmade from natural, recognizable ingredients.

Many Paths to Wellness

“Start small,” suggested Loving Shepherd’s Laufenberg. “Even a few minutes of intentional breathing or stillness each day can make a difference.” She encourages you to take a friend. Self-care isn’t selfish — it’s sacred. Find a place with a community that nurtures your whole self: body, mind and spirit. Whether that’s a circle of friends, a church or a wellness class — healing happens in relationship.

Your center is there.