Spa Makes Waves With Healing Island Ways BY DUSICA SUE MALESEIVC There is a way to be transported to Hawaii without leaving Chelsea. Healing Happy Hour — an acupuncture and Asian medical spa at 134 W. 26th St. btw. Sixth and Seventh Aves. — offers a treatment called the “Body & Soul Aloha” that mimics the waves of the idyllic islands. “It is supposed to make the patient or the client feel as if they’re lying on the waves of Hawaii,” explained Alice Kim L.Ac, LMT, a licensed acupuncturist who created the spa’s menu. “It has that kind of very deep rhythm to the massage.” Kim said the Body & Soul Aloha treatment combines acupuncture, aromatherapy and a special Hawaiian technique called Lomi Lomi, which goes slowly, and utilizes the elbow to give a deep massage. “We like to say that we’re all about the aloha life,” Dr. Nathalie Guillaume, the spa’s CEO and Medical Director, said with a laugh. “We’re trying to bring people away from their office and kind of step into that wave-like movement.” Healing Happy Hour is bringing indigenous, alternative forms of healing
Courtesy theglobalclinic.org Courtesy Healing Happy Hour
Staff member Amanda Boulware checks out a patient and offers information on nutritional supplements, Chinese herbs and homeopathic remedies from Healing Happy Hour’s medical dispensary.
found in places like Hawaii and Bali and packaging it in a New York kind of way, said Guillaume in a phone interview. There is also the “Amazonian Escape,” which involves a form of aromatherapy called raindrop therapy, said Guillaume. The masseuse drops oils in a very specific rhythm on a person’s back, she explained.
In addition, a Thai herb sack — feeling like a compression — is also used during the massage. Guillaume said the more spa-like approach to acupuncture is what sets Healing Happy Hour apart. The spa opened in Chelsea around eight months ago, she said.
L to R: Alice and Nathalie on a trip to Guatemala with Global Clinic, which provides holistic medical practices to populations with limited or no access to conventional healthcare.
Kim, who joined the spa in October, said the neighborhood — with its vibrant art scene, central location and diverse population — was a great fit for their services and philosophy. “People are more open-minded in
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+ PRESENT
Saturday, February 27th from 10am–3pm
25 Pine Street in FiDi All offerings are FREE and open to the public
Plan your summer in one day! Camp activity trials and registration all under one roof Enjoy free performances, demonstrations, family adventures and summer-themed foods as you learn more about the very best local Day and Overnight Camp options for 2016. Registration is required for drop off and drop in activities. RSVP is appreciated for family Plan & Play day attendance.
Register and RSVP at GreenIvy.com/Events .com
Battery Park Montessori Summer Camp Sampler drop off available from 10-12 and 1-3 for children 2.5-6 years old.
Pixel Academy Minecraft Club drop in to the Pine Street School Design Technology Lab available from 10-3 for kids 6-14 years old.
January 21 - 27, 2016
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