Healing Rituals.

Stress is something that plagues a lot of people in the world and dealing with it can be tricky. There are so many ways to tackle stress and other health issues, but alternative, Traditional Chinese Medicine was something I never considered to deal with mine. I had heard a lot about Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques like acupuncture, acupressure, cupping, and moxa but never tried it until I found Healing Rituals in La Crescenta/Montrose.

Just walking up to the office is a calming experience. There is a really cute zen garden in the front that was a perfect place for me to sit and unwind in before my appointment.

Entering the office had an extremely relaxing effect on me. The waiting room is so tranquil with the aroma of lavender in the air, peaceful music playing and hot herbal tea awaiting clients to drink it.

The energy in the rooms alone were enough to change my mood and put my mind and body at peace. I couldn't wait to get in and see what kinds of treatments the owner/practitioner, Melina, was going to give me.

Melina has a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Health Science, a Master of Science in Acupcunture, is a licensed Massage Therapist, a certified Clean Needle Technique Instructor, a certified Reiki Practitioner, and a certified Primordial Sound Meditation Healer.

Just to preface, I had been dealing with a lot of stress from my career and a few other things and it was affecting my sleep. I wasn't able to fall asleep most nights until 6-7AM and the other nights, I couldn't stay asleep throughout the night. I also have a bout of anxiety caused by my stress. Melina was super supportive and listened to my issues and took note of every single one of them before creating a plan to help me overcome them.

The first session I had with Melina was a guided meditation. I have always tried to meditate on my own, especially in the yoga classes I've taken, but I was never able to do it. Melina guided me through it and taught me some breathing and relaxation techniques, and I was finally able to! I felt very calm and at peace with myself through her guidance. I've practiced what she taught me at home for 10 minutes a day and it has really helped me with being able to fall asleep and stay asleep. The meditation also really helped me be mindful of my surroundings and the important people in my life and why they are part of my journey. This personal growth allowed me to let energy flow freely in my heart and mind. I guess this is what it means to open up your third eye!

Additionally, I purchased a bottle of lavender aromatherapy essential oil, which I spray over my bed every night and that has also helped me fall and stay asleep tremendously, without having to take any medication!

She has some really cool merchandise you can purchase that are related to her treatments. Along with her hand made essential oil, you can buy her hand made candles, herbal teas, and crystal healing jewelry.

Melina has also given me cupping treatments both on my back and on my face, and I have to say I felt so pampered by this treatment! Fire Cupping is an ancient treatment where heated glass cups are applied to your skin creating suction. Its a way to stimulate the flow of Qi or energy in your body. It feels like a deep tissue massage and is so amazing. Chinese treatment where heated glass cups are applied to your skin creating suction. Recently, Michael Phelps has been seen doing cupping before he competes in the pool during the Rio Olympics.

I've tried cupping before, but Melina has by far been the best experience I've had. The cupping on my back was a great massage treatment that helped me with some back pain, and it also helped me feel more revived as it released some of the toxins from my body and redistributed my energy flow. The facial cupping also helped me with some headaches and sinus issues I had. Its a great beauty treatment too! Its a good Eastern alternative to Botox since it helps regenerate natural collagen, firms up muscles and releases tension in your face.

In one of my sessions, I did acupressure treatments to tackle my issues with anxiety. I've avoided taking medication for my anxiety and just practiced breathing techniques to overcome it, but I knew I needed something more, so Melina suggested acupressure. I was a very hesitant at first because I have a really big fear of needles. I can't stand looking at them and thinking of them being on different places on my body for a long period of time is enough to heighten my anxiety even more, but Melina was really understanding of my phobia and helped me relax with breathing and meditating techniques. Because of her, I was able to calm down as she placed acupressure seeds on me and it made me feel at ease. She continued to be reassuring throughout the treatment. She knew the exact trigger points to use on my body to help me deal with my anxiety.

I also had some Reiki Energy Healing secession in order to balance my chi or Ki. Reiki is a rediscovered ancient root system by Mikao Usui in the 1800s. The curative qualities of Reiki has two principles: the cleansing of meridians where energy flows and balancing of the chakras to achieve a harmonious energy flow. Reiki is a Japanese medicinal technique where the therapist channels energy into the patient, sometimes using healing crystals to release negative energy. It activates the healing process in the body and restores physical and emotional well being. Usually when energies are low, you are more susceptible to stress and feeling sick. Melina also used crystals, light therapy, and Tibetan singing bowls to guide me through meditation at the same time, and I have to say, I have never felt more calm and happy than I did during that session.

After every session she conducts with a client, Melina does sage cleansing ritual to get rid of all the negative energy that is released from the clients body so that it does not linger in the office and create a stagnant environment that will affect the next client. The sage changes the ionic composition of the air and has a direct effect on reducing stress and is linked to creating a positive mood. Burning sage is one of the oldest and purest methods of cleansing a person or space. This practice has been shared in many cultures among thousands of years. When she taught me about this, I burned sage at my work and after doing it, 4 customers immediately walked in. It really works!

Healing Rituals also holds wellness workshops a few times a month where different teachers and speakers present different topics of alternative medicine. Previous workshops have included sessions on guided meditation, sufi dance classes, pranic healing, essential oil treatments, art therapy, and natural solutions. There is an upcoming workshop for a full moon drum circle coming soon and a tarot card reading workshop during Halloween time! I'm definitely going to try to make it to one of these, they seem really fun! The workshops are a really great way for those interested in learning about alternative medicine to get educated on it and it brings the community together.

My favorite part of my whole experience at Healing Rituals was that Melina was so open and knowledgeable and she explained every aspect of her treatments to me as she was doing them. She answered all my questions and taught me a lot about what the treatments were and what they do, and that is extremely important to me. I like to know exactly what is being done and what the treatments entail. I had five sessions with her and I began feeling effects after the very first one! Overall, my experience with Melina at Healing Rituals was so amazing and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with any physical or mental issues who wants to treat them with alternative, Eastern medicine.

Healing Rituals is located at 2305 Florencita Ave. Montrose, CA 91020 and the phone number is (818) 636-1266. You can find more information and list of workshop schedules on their website, www.myhealingrituals.com, Facebook and Yelp pages.