Amherst Center, MA Health and Fitness

A student of Chinese medicine for more than 25 years, Hayley Mermelstein supplements her acupuncture and shiatsu massage with energy healing from the Tong Ren tradition of her mentor Tom Tam. Her studies began in 1987 under the guidance of Janet Murphy at the University of Massachusetts, where she designed her own major in shiatsu, and she opened a practice immediately upon graduation. Today, Mermelstein also leads meditation classes following the principles of her teacher Ellen Tadd. In 2003, Hayley completed her formal acupuncture training, graduating from the New England School of Acupuncture and White Pine Healing Arts and earning a mortarboard that doubles as an emergency massage bed.

At CLINIC Alternative Medicines, a team of massage therapists, acupuncturists, and holistic healers congregate in a like purpose: to heal the body without the use of drugs or surgery. Their approach to this mission involves a range of hands-on treatments such as massage and reiki sessions along with holistic modalities designed to tap into the body’s energy to locate and heal the source of illnesses. Before treating patrons with reflexology, nutritional therapy, or mind body counseling, the team demonstrates their commitment to wellness by consulting with each client to better understand their condition and goals.

Doctor of Chiropractic Jeffrey Soley graduated with honors from New York Chiropractic College in 1994 and has devoted his career to wellness services; nevertheless, he could easily talk shop with an aerospace engineer. Their workplace overlap lies in the ProAdjuster, which draws on NASA technology originally used to assess the structural integrity of space-shuttle cooling tiles. Wielding a revamped version of the same tool, Dr. Soley uncovers areas of the spine that need adjusting and catches inconsistencies before they turn into painful symptoms or unsolvable riddles. He complements this painless procedure with low-level laser therapy to repair tissue and stimulate healing, and lab testing that helps bolster clients' long-term health with custom nutrition plans.:m]]

Pure Energy Reiki's resident master, Natasha, harnesses out-of-whack energies with the chakra-balancing touches of one-hour reiki sessions. Located inside CLINIC Alternative Medicines, sessions immerse customers in a soothing atmosphere as they rid themselves of stresses and fatigue without having to send their personal voodoo doll on a Caribbean vacation. Natasha places her hands over specific nodes of the body to rebalance the body's energy flow, and while results vary, many guests report a deep sense of calm akin to meditation.

Taking a holistic approach to health care, Center for Cranio Sacral Therapy's certified therapist and Waldorf teacher John Rollinson tackles the corporeal conundrums of patients aged 1 day to 101 years with gentle manipulations of the cranial and spinal membranes. After a brief consultation to determine the best course of action, John sets about his work gently touching the scalp and spine to restore balance, alleviate stress, reduce aches, and refill the craniosacral system’s Pez dispensers. Rollinson also practices SomatoEmotional Release (SER), which helps patients to release or redirect repressed emotional energy.

Heartsound Bodywork's practitioners—David Gregoire and Nancy Carter-Price—call upon more than 20 years of holistic experience. They instruct students of all ages and abilities in the practice of reiki, a method of hands-on healing that balances the body’s natural energy flow and promotes healing and wellness. It has a variety of applications, including pre- and postoperative support, labor support, and channeling the spirit of a distant panda cousin. David is also a certified massage therapist, qualifying him to employ his hands to shoo stress from clients’ aching muscles.

Inside the studio, clients absorb every serene drop of the room's dim lighting, gentle melodies, and pudding-coated floor. David and Nancy perform soothing therapies in a private room painted a sea-green hue. A whimsical Maxfield Parrish print adorns the wall, and purified air inundates the space thanks to a salt lamp.