Dreams grow with business HERE...

Hamburg — Dawn DeGraw, director of Garden of Life Therapeutic Massage and Yoga Center, is grinning from ear to ear these days. “This is one of the great joys of owning a business - watching your dreams grow!” DeGraw remarks. “Because of the wonderful response from our community, we are expanding - adding new classes, new services and new personnel. Many of our clients find yoga helpful for maintaining and restoring their health and well-being. They are eager to practice regularly throughout the week so they attend multiple classes. And, too, this expanded list of classes helps to make it more convenient for others to begin to work yoga into their schedules and build a consistent practice.” In the past month, Garden of Life has expanded the yoga class schedule to include more weekday morning sessions and a Sunday morning class. During the next six weeks spanning Nov. 14 to Dec. 19, Gentle Yoga will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, under the direction of Judi Spangola. This class is suitable for students with MS, fibromyalgia, arthritis, insomina, seniors and persons who just want to unwind to enjoy the season. Just in time for the holidays, when scheduling time for taking care of yourself is more and more difficult, Garden of Life will take the daze out of your holidays with an extra event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 29. There will be a midday massage refresher, geared towards moms and people who work in the area. No appointment needed - stop in for a five- or ten-minute massage and some light refreshments. Added classes have meant adding new faces to the Garden of Life staff. Hatha yoga teacher Maureen Maske is among them. Maureen is a strong advocate in the many-faceted benefits of yoga. “Physically, yoga continually cleanses the body; mentally it promotes focus and clarity of mind; and spiritually yoga creates balance and love in your life,” she says. Maureen is also a certified hypnotherapist using a holistic approach in the effective treatment of insomnia, stress, weight loss and “just about any form of personal struggle. Your subconscious mind is aware of the power and love within you to overcome any struggle. Hypnosis naturally accesses this strength, manifesting your infinite potential into reality.” Today, in conjunction with the Great American Smoke Out, Maureen is leading a group hypnosis session at the Garden of Life Center to help participants “quit smoking once and for all.” Later in the month, on Nov. 30, Maureen will also be hosting Healing for the Holidays Workshop with a gentle yoga session and hypnosis meditation. Besides hypnosis, Garden of Life has added reiki to its list of therapeutic services. Lesser known than yoga, reiki is nevertheless gaining a following. Pronounced “ray-key,” reiki is healing energy in it’s truest sense. As new staff member and reiki master Christine Ahrendt explains: “When the practitioner channels this life energy through their hands to the recipient, reiki activates the body’s natural ability to heal itself. The energy goes to the deepest levels of a person’s being where illnesses have their origin. It works wherever the recipient needs it most, releasing blocked energies, cleansing the body of toxins and working to create a state of balance. Unlike other healing methods reiki opens up the healing energy channels via the attunements - in other words, by working with what was always there. Also, reiki is a simple system. There are no complicated mental exercises, no fasting or prolonged meditation practice required.” Ahrendt also offers a variety of other treatment modalities, including myofacial release, foot reflexology, ear candling, aromatherapy, therapeutic massage and chair massage. She is also certified in prenatal massage. DeGraw sums it all up, saying “I’m so proud to make these services and classes available. I know it’s been said many times many ways but our health really is our most precious gift.” Take advantage of these healthy offerings and make the holidays truly merry and bright by calling for more details, appointments and gift certificates at 973-827-1799.