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Stress Management from a Holistic Perspective: Q&A with The OM Shoppe & Spa
by Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer
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f there is one lesson that 2020 has crystalized for us, it’s that all human beings can—and should—benefit from rhythms of stress management. Our minds, bodies, spirits and emotions are calling out for nourishment, relaxation, tenderness and balance. Our lives are fraught with tension, and we just need some healing care. Enter: The OM Shoppe & Spa, a local wellness refuge that has stress management down to an artform. Cocooned in the walls of this establishment, the world just seems to melt away, and in the place of uncertainty, an exhale of peace is what remains. Intrigued and enticed yet? Then allow me to introduce you to Beth Snyder, a clinical hypnotherapist and owner of The OM Shoppe & Spa. Trust me, she can take it from here!
Natural Awakenings: What services do you offer that can help to manage or relieve stress in a natural, holistic way? Beth Snyder: The OM Shoppe & Spa is focused on empowering our clients, audience and customers to discover wellness in all its forms. In our tagline, we invite you to ‘come and tune-up your happy with us.’ This refers to our foundations in sound healing and 16
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vibrational medicine which we define as a holistic approach to health and wellness that takes into account the energetic nature of each life force. Our atoms are comprised of vibrational energy, and many different forms or frequencies of these energetic vibrations (colors, lights, sounds, touch, aromas) constantly affect us. Therefore, vibrational medicine takes into account a number of energy therapies to restore both ourselves and our environment back into harmonic resonance. All of our products and services are curated to be natural, holistic and effective. We meet each of our guests where they are on the healing journey which means, whatever they desire to change, we want to help with this. We feel there are enough socalled authorities out there who tell people what they should or should not be doing. But as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, I know that humans only change what they feel ready to change. For this reason, a vast array of organic and wildcrafted essential oils, sound healing tools, crystals, educational books and other metaphysical resources with practical applications fill our 3,200-square-foot showroom. We offer personalized service
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to each customer who walks inside, and we train our staff to see the divine presence in whoever enters our facility. We are deeply honored when someone comes to us for relief and renewal. In addition, our state-of-the-art energy spa features amethyst bio mats, as well as intentionally selected color and music therapies to further enhance all of our treatments. We are most proud of the new vibroacoustic and hypnosound™ therapy that we recently introduced. This incredible technology is for clients with Parkinson’s disease, in particular, but it’s beneficial for many other issues too, and the results are outstanding. Finally, our hypnotherapy sessions with trained and experienced clinical hypnotherapists also help our clients create sustainable, positive change in their lives. Natural Awakenings: Why is stress management so crucial for physical, mental and emotional wellness in these uncertain times? Snyder: The research on stress is everywhere. In fact, this could be one of the most stressful times our planet has experienced in recent history. There is no benefit to overlooking our bodies or minds and pushing ourselves to the brink. The term self-care has been reduced to a buzzword, but it should be a way of life, not a passing trend. The bottom line is this: creating balance improves our health and relationships. In this pandemic it has become even more essential to keep our immune function strong and our minds flexible. Our bodies need rest, so we must prioritize ourselves. Natural Awakenings: What health and safety precautions has the OM Shoppe & Spa taken to ensure peace of mind for your customers? Snyder: In response to COVID-19, we follow CDC guidance, as we have done from the start. This allows us to continue offering treatment services and a showroom experience to our guests. We require masks, our staff and therapists are protected, and we disinfect our space frequently over the course of each day. We have also taken the extra step of installing an additional air purifier and UV light in order to reduce the spread of airborne viruses and ensure that fresh air flow is circulating. We limit our number of
