Sometimes there is nothing more relaxing than sitting down, putting your feet up and enjoying the silence.
Or, perhaps, the sound of African hymns playing softly in the background.
Aglow Mind and Body Rejuvenation — a new spa located on North Fifth Avenue — offers that and a whole lot more.
“I don’t feel like there are a lot of places in Sequim that offer full mind and body experiences,” said owner Sara Richerts, “and to me, it all runs together.”
Aglow Mind and Body Rejuvenation provides a “whole body experience” of massage, esthetics, nutrition and meditation for the enhancement of health and overall well-being.
“Everybody can use a massage, even those who say they don’t like to be touched,” Richerts encouraged. “There are massages where you don’t have to take your clothes off or ones where you aren’t physically touched. We offer something for everybody.”
Richerts is a licensed massage therapist and is attending school to earn a degree in nutritional therapy.
“It’s so important that we are educated about the food we put into our bodies,” Richerts said. “So much of what we hear is not true, so take the time to learn the facts,” she advised. “It’s personal for me (because) when you graduate from massage school they teach you to be a role model for clients and I’ve never lived a healthy lifestyle or been taught to eat right. I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”
“Everything you put into your body affects your lifestyle,” she continued. “Since I started taking care of my body and monitoring what I eat, I feel better. I feel good.”
After she finishes her nutritional therapy degree, Richerts said she would like to get trained in Watsu, a form of Japanese massage that takes place in the water.
“It’s a super soothing, out of your mind experience,” she said. “But I would need to expand my business to include a small pool first. It will probably take three to five years.”
In the meantime, Richerts wants to get involved in the community.
“I’m writing a paper on the effects food has on schoolchildren and suggestions for better nutrition,” she said. “A huge percentage of children diagnosed with ADD are suffering from malnutrition.”
When the paper is complete, Richerts plans to submit it to the Sequim School District.
“I want to help the younger generations to become healthier,” she said. “My dream is to become a nutritional therapist for the school district.”
To get her name out and to attract new customers, Aglow is participating in the First Friday Art Walk Sequim from 5-8 p.m. beginning April 4.
Paintings by Sequim artist Carrie Rodlend decorate the business’s walls and Richerts will bring in examples of the blown and fused glass and jewelry she makes.
Richerts didn’t plan to open a spa. Originally, she wanted to attend college and become an equine massage therapist.
“I turned 18 and realized I couldn’t afford my horses anymore,” she admitted. “I needed to make money and I’ve always liked helping people, so I am really enjoying this.”
Aglow Mind and Body Rejuvenation, 625 N. Fifth Ave., is open seven days a week, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. A grand opening celebration with a raffle and the chance to win a free 60-minute massage or facial is Saturday, April 19. Discounted prices are available on all appointments scheduled prior to the open house. For more information, call 683-3493.
