Wholistic healing keeps you sane

The economy's freefall has made some people suicidal according to a story in the Observer, but others turning to alternative therapy to relieve stress. Across the state, holistic practitioners say many clients are looking for ways to reduce stress or postpone costlier traditional medical care.


Jill Akbay, massage therapist at Om Enerji on Central Avenue, is one of the Charlotte-area business owners who have seen an increase in business.

Akbay said clients walk in and say, “ ‘Whoa, I was able to take a deep breath for the first time today.' ”
Her sister Jennifer Thompson, a sound therapist, said many of her clients feel overwhelmed and exhausted.

“They're just stressed out and just wanting some relief,” she said. “(They want) to feel some hope, to feel there really is something out there that can help them feel a little bit better.”

Their client’s problems are similar to what other practitioners report. Rebecca Fowler, publisher of Natural Awakenings, which covers Charlotte-area holistic businesses, says advertising and circulation has increased for the magazine in the last year. Jill Milunic, publisher and editor of Natural Triad Magazine, is seeing similar trends in the Greensboro-based magazine’s circulation area.

“I’m hearing everywhere …people in general want to take care of themselves ahead of time,” Milunic said. “They want to stay well and they want to be preventive.”



The economy’s downturn hasn’t translated into new business for all holistic businesses. Ginna Browning is the educational officer for the N.C. Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She said most members of the association reported a decline in business. Browning said many clients at the massage and acupuncture clinic where she works in Raleigh complain of headaches, anxiety and depression. Some hope to delay surgery because they don’t want to miss work.

“They don’t feel like it’s a good time to have any extended leave of absence,” said Browning.
Phyllis Rollins, owner of 8th Street Yoga Studio, tried to help her stressed students by exposing them to a variety of holistic therapies. Each week, for a month, a different practitioner – from yoga to Thai massage – gave a free lesson.

“People are interested in feeling better about themselves,” Rollins said.

Rollins says she has clients who've lost their jobs and are unable to pay. Some trade services for classes.

“I've tried to make a point of not turning anybody away because they don't have money,” she said.

Strained groin on vacation

I spent my birthday weekend at Hilton Head Island, eating and drinking way too much. Sometimes you have to cheat a little to stay motivated. And I indulged.

Frugal McDougal has this great 18-bottle mix of Guinness, Harp and Smithwick's. I grabbed a box on our way to the beach. Saturday, we bought garlic king crab clusters at a little carry-out seafood joint in Savannah. Beer, crabs and homemade garlic butter was just what I needed to celebrate.

It rained everyday except Memorial Day. I was so excited about the sunshine, I ran sprints on the beach. For the last seven weeks, I've been doing an NFL sprint workout. Run 60 yards, rest 45 seconds and repeat seven times. Rest three minutes. Then run 40 yards, rest 35 seconds and repeat seven times. You keep doing these intervals until you're doing 10-yard sprints with 15 second breaks.

Somewhere between not stretching and sprinting, I strained my groin. No more sprints this week. I'm jumping rope instead. I might swim tomorrow. I have to be 100 percent for my flag football game on Tuesday. It's time for the playoffs, but we've had so many rain delays so who knows.

Did Carlton run a mile?

Operation Bootcamp - The test

Carlton jogged around a stop sign at Latta Park. The finish line was in sight.

This time, Carlton Hargro didn't need someone to jog with him to keep him motivated. He was doing his one-mile run for the physical test on the final day of Operation Bootcamp, and he was determined to run the entire way.

The other Operation Bootcamp participants stood near the lamp post waiting for him.

"Sprint," his fellow campers yelled.

Carlton threw his head back and laughed as he jogged all the way to the lamp post.

"I was very happy," Carlton said. "It was essential to show that I really have gotten more in shape."

That's an understatement.

On the first day of camp, he sweat buckets of beer. Carlton finished the mile in 11 minutes, but walked halfway through it. Today, he finished in 9:34 minutes.
He went from completing 35 crunches in one minute to doing 72. Dips went from 26 to 60 and push up went from 26 to 47.

He's not resting on his accomplishment.

"I'm still going to keep this up," he said.

He wants to lose an additional 20 pounds. He plans to drink beer one day a week. He plans to continue eating six small meals a day, and eating more steamed vegetables. One day a week, he will treat himself to junk food like fried chicken wings.

And he's going to buy some new pants.