JEWELS OF THE LOTUS - JEWELRY AND THERAPY FOR THE SOUL
August 12, 2014 -- A soothing hum emanates from a large quartz crystal bowl as Catherine Russo Epstein gently brushes a soft mallet around its outside edge demonstrating a technique used in one of the many “energy work” therapies that she offers at Jewels of the Lotus, located at 316 Sea Cliff Avenue. Combining her expertise as a gemologist with her embrace of alternative healing methods, Ms. Epstein’s business is both a jewelry shop and a healing center.
Opening as Artisans Well Designs in 2004 in the spot that is now home to Wabi Sabi Salon, selling gems, crystals, and hand-crafted jewelry, as well as offering weekly meditation classes, Ms. Epstein relocated two years later to her current, larger storefront. And, as she further studied Energy and Yoga Consciousness, decided to re-name her business to better reflect not only the products and services she provides, but also her guiding philosophy. The Lotus, she explains, is the symbol of enlightenment, and the Jewels represent the awakening of consciousness. “Jewels of the Lotus [as a name for the business],” Ms. Epstein said, “was a better fit for me.” Now a trained and certified Transformational Life Coach and offering a variety of “energy work” alternative therapies to clients on an individual and group basis – including Reiki, Sound and Vibrational Healing, Shamanism, essential oils, and crystal healing, as well as Mindfulness and Stress Reduction, Ms. Epstein describes Jewels of the Lotus as a haven for people seeking greater spiritual balance and satisfaction in their lives. As a transformational life coach, Ms. Epstein offers counseling to “people who want to make changes in their lives and who want to live more fully from the heart.” Therapy sessions offer clients help in “identifying their needs and values in a very supportive and non-judgmental environment” and to shift into those life changes they desire. She describes Reiki as an “energy massage” in which the therapist, without touching the body, transfers energy to the client through meditation and motions of the palms, and combined with crystal therapy, in which a crystal grid is placed under the massage table, helps to create a state of balance. With Sound and Vibration Healing therapy, Ms. Epstein incorporates the “playing” of bowls made of quartz crystal (based on ancient Tibetan metal bowls) – each varying in size and tuned to a different energy center of the body. Creating “singing” vibrations with the bowls, Ms. Epstein guides each participant into a state of deep relaxation and serenity. “I play what I am guided to play based on the energy of the class – I try to tune into each participant,” she says. Ms. Epstein also teaches classes in Mindfulness and Stress Reduction, helping students become more aware of the relationship between mind and body and how unconscious thoughts and feelings can affect one's emotional and physical well-being. In addition to the jewelry, which is hand-crafted in the United States using sustainable metals and gemstones, one can find many other products for sale at Jewels of the Lotus, including amethyst bio-mats, books, crystal kits, heart stones, and the quartz crystal singing bowls – and with each purchase every customer receives a Gratitude Rock. Saying “I’ve always believed that giving back to the community is important,” Ms. Epstein is also active in many community and service organizations, including the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) food bank, Make a Wish Foundation, Snow Leopard Trust, and Seraphim 12, an organization that seeks to protect wild horses in the American west. Jewels of the Lotus is open Monday through Friday by appointment, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 4 pm. The phone number is (516) 759-1217, or visit Ms. Epstein’s website at www.livinglotusgroup.com. BACK TO HOME BACK TO WEEKLY |