HAHIRA — For South Georgians who suffer from chronic or acute pain, or just need a relaxing massage, the Healing Arts Studio in Hahira may be the place for you.
Healing Arts Studio is owned and operated by Cynthia Crawford, a California native who moved to Hahira with her husband and kids a few years ago. Her husband, Jonathan, owns Jewelry by Jonathan next door to her studio. Crawford originally trained at California Healing Arts in Santa Monica, Calif., where she learned and practiced for relaxation massage and other alternative modalities.
After moving to Hahira, Crawford began attending Moultrie Technical College for neuromuscular therapy.
“Basically what neuromuscular therapy is, it treats chronic issues and pains,” Crawford said. “Say your back goes out all the time or say you have slight scoliosis. Because we work with (neuromuscular therapy), it means we kind of look at everything — what you’re eating, what kind of stressors you have in your life, along with devising a treatment plan.”
According to Crawford, neuromuscular therapy is also a good way to treat carpal tunnel syndrome.
“We work on carpal tunnel syndrome,” she said. “We work on carpal tunnel syndrome to the point that you wouldn’t have to have surgery on it. It’s muscle-specific work. Neuromuscular therapy can treat that without surgery.”
Crawford sees a lot of people come into her studio with neck issues or people who sit at a desk all day and begin to hunch over.
“We treat muscle-specific groups in the body to treat those issues and hopefully through devising some exercise plans for them to do at home, they can actually start to restructure a few issues of their body,” she said. Crawford also has been trained in Swedish, deep-tissue, sports, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, shiatsu, reiki 1, but by far her most popular is her neuromuscular therapy.
It is also her favorite massage to give.
“I like to give massages (to people) that actually help (them),” she said. “I love to give relaxation massages (and) there’s a time and place for that for everybody. But when someone comes in to me and (they are) hurting and can barely move and they walk out of here straight, that pleases me a lot more. I see it actually do something.”
Crawford does understand that sometimes people are a little weirded out by the thought of massage, but reassures her customers that everything is as it should be.
“When people have a first-time massage, it’s a little intimidating to say ‘oh gosh, I have to get undressed in front of a stranger’ or ‘have a stranger touch me,’” she said. “But one thing any new person or a person that’s shy should know is that when they come in, it’s all about them. They come in, have a place to get undressed and can get undressed down to their comfort level. They are always draped. When I work on someone, I only uncover the part that I’m working on. It’s (a) very comfortable situation.”
Crawford recently had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Healing Arts Studio, but had customers before the real grand opening.
“Word had gotten out before hand,” she said. “Word got out that I do the kind of massage that can actually help you, not just (a) relaxation massage, but sometimes I can fix things.
“After the ribbon cutting, I have gotten some people. I do complimentary chair massages on Third Thursday (in Hahira),” she said.
Business
Related Photos
-
Cynthia Crawford in the reception area of her business, Healing Arts Studio, offering massage and neuromuscular therapy. Paul Leavy
There’s the Rub
Massages of a different variety
- Business
-
-
Gayla’s Grits: A Taste of the South
What started as a unique Christmas gift for family and friends has turned into the go-to business for the best grits in town and, possibly, the world.
Gayla’s Grits, owned by husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Gayla Shaw, began in 1997 while grinding naturally grown white corn for personal consumption. -
Graduates heading into the real world
Over the last week or so, thousands of high school students in our area have graduated and are preparing for their next step in life. Some are going straight to college, others are seeking military careers, some are going straight to work, and there are most likely quite a few who have no real plans or idea what to do next.
-
Have A Happy Free Birthday!
The only thing better than a birthday is a free birthday. I would know, because my birthday was on Friday and, yes, I am absolutely using the newspaper as a platform for a free birthday ad because Facebook just doesn’t do it for me anymore.
-
Valdosta Shared Office Space
VALDOSTA — Though Valdosta Shared Office Space is not new to Valdosta, it is newly green. The first and only shared office space in Valdosta owned by Gino Fina, just became the first Downtown Valdosta business to work with the Georgia Cities Foundation’s Green Communities Fund to implement environmentally friendly, energy-efficient improvements, reducing energy consumption upwards of 50 percent. -
Downtown businesses to be mobbed this week
A few years ago, when everyone started talking through social media, flash mobs became the new in thing to do. Primarily in the big cities, although VSU did their own a year or two ago, a designated place and time would be set and masses of people would descend on these sites, sometimes dancing, sometimes singing, sometimes acting obnoxiously.
-
Keep tails wagging when your budget is lagging
I have a problem. Though I am a tight-wad when it comes to spending my money, I cannot resist the calling to buy adorable toys, collars and, yes, even clothes for my three cuter than all get out fur babies.
-
The Valdosta Mall: Revamped and Ready for Business!
VALDOSTA — The Valdosta Mall has made tremendous strides since its rebranding away from Colonial Mall in 2007 and it’s refocus in 2008 when it made a move from serving the community to being a part of the community.
“We had taken for granted our place in the community for a long time,” said Jerry Weller, general manager of the Valdosta Mall. “We don’t do that anymore.” -
Keep your clothes looking fab to avoid looking drab
As I get older, I’m beginning to learn that there are more important things than clothes. Ugh! It pains me to even form that sentence; however, it’s true.
-
Business This Week: Happy Mother’s Day!
Today is the one day a year dedicated to celebrating mothers, although we all use their guidance and wisdom every day. But for this one day, their sacrifices, kindness, love, and advice are recognized, hopefully, by the children they raised or helped to raise. It might not even be those born to them, as most mothers don’t limit their love and it flows over onto their children’s friends, family members, and the children they influence in the classroom, in Sunday school and in volunteer activities.
-
Downtown will have a new beat this week
The Brown Bag Concert Series produced by Valdosta Main Street will begin again on Monday and last all week.
- More Business Headlines
-
