Calyx Natural Health - a Quiet Revolution in Healthcare
By Cameron Woodworth
When I arrived at the Calyx Natural Health center in Kirkland, I was warmly greeted and given a welcoming "foot glow." My feet were immersed in warm water with floating roses, gently massaged, and scrubbed with a blend of sea salts-what a wonderfully relaxing and invigorating prelude.
I soon learned that all Calyx guests are greeted with the foot
glow. Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist Alan Mills, who runs
the center along with his wife and partner, Lisa Canar, also an
ND, explains the importance of the ritual: "So often when
people visit the doctor, they must wait a long time in a cold
and sterile environment. Here, even though we treat people for
a wide variety of medical conditions, we help them feel welcome
and relaxed. The foot glow is the first step.
"Calyx
Natural Health offers a wealth of programs and services. In addition
to the spa, Calyx provides a natural health medical clinic, natural
apothecary, learning center and natural cooking classes. It's
all part of bringing a truly comprehensive professional approach
to natural healthcare. "Completeness and empowerment are
central to what we do," explains Mills, a warm and enthusiastic
man. "We empower people to achieve balance in their lives,
because vibrant health results from balanced living." Balanced
living means getting proper exercise, rest and nourishment, a
healthy mental and emotional outlook, sound relationships, right
livelihood, creativity and play, and spiritual practice. Calyx
offers experiential classes on all of these topics, empowering
people to take charge of their health.
Calyx Natural Health plans to open 20 large (20,000-square-foot)
holistic health centers across the country. They plan to open
the first of these centers in Bellevue, in about a year and a
half. Currently, Calyx is run out of a residential building, set
in a classic and aesthetically pleasing Japanese style. My treatment
included a couple of turns in the sauna, as well as an hour-long
Calyx signature massage that combined Swedish massage, Japanese
shiatsu, Hawaiian lomi-lomi with heated stones underneath my back,
and aromatherapy. The massage oil was specially blended for me.
By the end, I felt like I was floating. Check out more about Calyx
at: http://www.calyxnaturalhealth.com