Sea Healing Massage and Boutique

This afternoon I had the extraordinary privilege of being invited to Sea Healing Massage and Boutique, in Lake Toxaway, NC.

 My good friend Marlene operates this business, and she invited me to come for tea, and a massage in her boutique downstairs.

Here's Marlene. Isn't she a dear? And boy, is she good at her job! "Magic hands," we should call her!

Marlene is one of my knitting buddies. Here is a small collection of her varied yarns, which were on her coffee table. She's making a prayer shawl with these colors. She makes many of these and sends them to people who are experiencing grief or illness, and need prayer.

And here's her best buddy, Sambucca. He's absolutely gorgeous, elegant, and friendly. This is his favorite spot, on his favorite throw.

Here's Marlene's teapot. Isn't it fun? I love the butterfly on the top. We had a yummy blend of black and green tea with flavors of mango, pineapple and other things that kept me pouring cup after cup.

Marlene and I talked for probably about two hours, sharing stories and laughing and getting to know each other better. Then I got to go downstairs and see her spa. Oh my! I was thrilled to see the sleek, elegant beauty -- I mean, it's perfection! This lady does everything right. Marlene loves the sea, so she has an in-wall fish tank. She has boutique items for sale. I love the colors of her walls, the lighting, the tone of the rooms. It's so soothing and lovely.

And, as you'd expect, she has wonderful knitted scarves for her customers to enjoy.

But here's my favorite place -- the massage room. Ahhhhh! There's nothing more fabulous than a good, deep, relaxing massage. It's so much more than just a "good back rub." Deep muscle massage is so beneficial for your body. If you've never tried a massage, you really, really should. Relax into it. Just think to yourself, "She has magic fingers. She is working all the stress, anxiety, pain and worry right out of my body." And you know what? It's true!

Marlene has a machine that does massage cupping. The machine applies gentle suction, through the tubing, to varied sized cups that are placed on the skin briefly. She moves them around, and looks for spots that need attention, spots where the tissue is not as loose and supple as it should be. It felt wonderful. She slowly moved the cup around my shoulder blades, and along my shoulders.

She plays soothing music during the session, and uses aromatherapy also. I enjoyed lavender and eucalyptus during my session. And Marlene has a gentle voice, and just listening to her speak is pleasant.

Some of us live with so much daily stress, we forget how it feels to relax. Our bodies, our muscles, are weary. We need to breathe, close our eyes, unwind. A massage basically encourages -- well, almost forces -- your body to do what it's crying out for you to help it do:  recover a deep contentment and rest. Marlene is excellent at this. If you live in the Asheville/Brevard/Toxaway/Highlands area, I strongly recommend her to you. You will enjoy every minute, and you will leave feeling so much better.
The number for Marlene's business is 828-966-4477. Thank you, Marlene, for a great afternoon!