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Keynote Speaker Experience

June 21, 2018/in Uncategorized /by Cindy Aguirre

Me onstage

I was asked to be a Keynote Speaker at the recent Trinity School of Natural Health Legacy Summit. They asked me because I am an alumni and have spent many years expanding on what I learned at Trinity, as well as several other schools and programs . They also wanted me to be a speaker because I had opened a collaborative wellness center. They asked me to touch on how my health challenges brought me to the place I am today. Those health challenges became a catalyst to the journey that has become; Aqua Serene Wellness.

Our Building

I can tell you I was honored to be asked and terrified to do it. I have some fear of public speaking, but my real fear is of video cameras, or cameras of almost any type. That is a chapter in the story of my life best left for another time.

I am hearing impaired as well and this makes speaking a challenge due to not knowing how loud I am actually speaking. Over time you loose a little of your annunciation abilities. Top that off with a microphone and Oh My! I felt sure the Mickey Mouse and Charlie Brown’s Teacher voices in me would threaten to surface and spill directly out of my mouth!

They wanted a power point to be part of the presentation…did I mention I have NEVER made a Power Point? My computer has this ability, the little Icon has sat in the tool bar lonely as the neglected function keys on my keyboard. I know they are available, but I don’t want to learn what they do.

Power point slide 1

As the time crept closer I knew I needed to start building at least the power point for them to review and tweak if necessary. I am proud to say they only tweaked some punctuation and changed a few words! I wrote notes for each slide, but this was my journey so it was not like I hadn’t lived it. I wasn’t too worried I would mess that part up.

ha ha alphabet soup

The day of the event came, my wonderful friend Leslie showed up at my house to drive me. She “crashed the event” as she so lovingly put it. She is also an alumni of Trinity and she has lived through many of my life challenges along side me, as well as being part of Aqua Serene Wellness. She has a calm about her that you search for in a turbulent sea of worry. We headed to the conference and I made her promise to take me out for a drink after, no matter if I fainted and face planted on stage or did a decent job.

When we arrived the conference was running behind schedule so we waited outside in the hallway. My nerves were starting to get the best of me…all I could think about was everything that could go wrong. The camera, the sound, the powerpoint not working, boring the socks off the already brain fried attendees, aspirating and choking on a sip of water to keep my parched mouth wet….That saying from Anne Lamott goes through my head “My mind is like a bad neighborhood. I try never to go there alone”

The double doors to the conference room open up and the organizer comes out and apologized for their lateness. She ushers us into the room and introduces me to the sound tech. I try to ignore the amount of attendees in the room and focus on the sound guy. There is a real stage, it is a bit daunting, a huge white screen for the projection of my power point, and a podium is set to the side with a built in microphone as well. The sound tech fits me with a portable headset microphone, adjusting it to fit atop of my hearing aid, avoiding feedback is tricky but he manages it. We go through the sound check and I step aside and wait my turn to take the stage.

My friend Genie (who arranged for me to be the speaker) came up to me and said in her beautiful accented voice, “ They want me to introduce you, I am nervous wreak! I don’t want to go on stage and speak! I am an English Challenged woman!” I laughed and said, “Genie you go to Toastmasters! You know how to do this stuff” She looked as pale as I felt! She took the stage, graceful and funny as I knew she would be. She introduced me and next thing you know there I am standing on stage with about 80 faces staring back at me. They were tired from two full days of classes. The pending stress of the next days practical exam looming over them, tough crowd and they were all mine for 30 minutes…Oh my.

can you see me squeezing the clicker!

I squeezed the clicker in my sweat covered palm too tightly, hoping it didn’t shoot like a cannon ball out of my hand into the front row. Breathe Cindy, just breathe I told my body and mind to calm the heck down!

I don’t remember much of the first few minutes, my mouth was dry all of a sudden and my voice seemed shaky. I really couldn’t tell if the microphone was working, but I just told myself “This is Your journey, you know this stuff, tell them your story” So I did, with each slide I brushed the surface of a much deeper struggle than most realized. To tell my whole deep dark truth, I would need to write a book.

#truth

Once it was over they clapped! A few times during they giggled or nodded understanding. Afterwards some people came up to me and thanked me for speaking and they said they could relate to the health struggles and journey. It was that same thing that brought them to be in this program getting their diplomas.

Plus I got a really cool T-shirt!

I need to thank a few people that helped make the entire thing happen. Leslie of course for being my best girl. Michelle for giving me tips on how to build a powerpoint and for the use of her clicker. Tony because he is my North when I am all over the place, Genie and Judy for believing in me, Emily, Claudia, Tricia and Julie for proof reading my powerpoint, Greg for doing Psych-K and Acupuncture on me to help ease my fear of cameras and to speak. Lauren and Chris for taking the chance I wasn’t going to crash and burn on their stage, and the nice people in the room that came up and told me they enjoyed my presentation. I want to acknowledge Sara Bee (not a person ) for her golden fizzy liquid contents of wine to calm my butt down while I was working on the powerpoint and notes. Jackson Browne for writing the lyrics to one of my life anthems “Next Voice You Hear” , and finally Nina Marie, my rescue Great Dane for listening to me practice my speech on her and kissing me when I was done.

Nina listening to me practice

Here are a few more photos of my presentation:

some of the rooms in Aqua before build out

Those same rooms after

I am glad I faced this fear and powered through. It was stressful but I feel like I have accomplished a step on the road to moving away from a very real fear (Cameras) and learning to handle my reaction to those triggers better. Some day I will write that book, then maybe I can put the dark parts of my story to rest.

it is a lonely road but has the best view

Meanwhile you will find me at Aqua Serene Wellness doing what I have built a business doing; Colon Hydrotherapy, Holistic Facials, Energy Therapies, Raindrop Technique and Jin Shin Jyutsu® We are located in Carmel Indiana and we also offer Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, Health Coaching, Functional Medicine, Coolsculpting, and organic products and supplements.

Rescue for Me, is Another Form of Wellness

July 26, 2017/in Uncategorized /by Cindy Aguirre

Jimi my beautiful rescue boy who never missed a meal once we saved him from starving.

Rescue is a huge part of who I am. As a kid I rescued bugs, snakes, frogs and stray anything that came into our yard. To my parents dismay I once rescued a huge snapping turtle from the middle of the road. I put it in a metal coca cola cooler, loaded it into my wagon and brought it home. My dad convinced me it was heading to a nearby creek and that I needed to take it on over to the creek and “keep mindful of your fingers, snappers love little girl fingers for lunch”! So after naming him and trying to feed him flies and a few grass hoppers to no avail, I loaded him in my wagon and took him to the creek and set him loose. The next day he was back in our yard and my dad was sure I never took him to the creek. He loaded a crying me and the turtle into his car and we took him back to the creek. I was sure he would return to justify my stance with my father, but I think after meeting my dad and watching me defend our journey, he decided to stay put.

Turtle near my childhood home

My sense of adventure was never stifled by my parents, we were encouraged to play, get dirty and more importantly experience our little world and all of it’s gifts. My first actual “job” was to collect night crawlers for all my dad’s fishing buddies. I would water the yard and wait until dark, go out barefoot with a flashlight in one hand and a Sanka coffee can in the other, catching worms for the profit of .03 cents a piece.

The neighborhood I grew up in was pretty much right out of the movie The Sandlot. We spent many summer nights playing searchlight tag, kick the can, hide and seek, and football. The neighborhood had a small lot for us kids with a basket ball goal and some bases for kickball and that was it. We all gravitated towards the woods that none of us were actually allowed to go into. We would venture deep into the woods to the swamp. We spent many winters playing ice hockey on it and many summers hanging out catching frogs and fireflies. I set them loose after a day or two in a ball jar with holes in the lid. You could say from the outside my childhood looked idyllic, but it wasn’t. Youth had it’s rough times and I spent more than my share of nights crying into the fur of whatever animal I had rescued at the time. Dogs, I find are great listeners, they want to comfort you, while cats pretty much would tell you to “shut the hell up, quit bitching and do something productive already!”

As I grew up, rescue stayed a part of me. Dogs became the focus and Giant Breeds stole my heart; St. Bernard, English Mastiff and now Great Dane. I cannot count the fosters, rehabs, evaluations, home visits, shelter visits, vet bills, transports and dogs I have held while they crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I have volunteered, been on the BOD, and have been the state coordinator for several English Mastiff Rescues. Some of those dogs became foster fails (that means they never leave, just become family) Some moved onto their perfect forever home. They all took a piece of me with them.

About 1993 My son Daniel and Two of our St. Bernards

As the years have moved on and the rescues come and go, I have to admit they have all rescued me as well. My life certainly has had it’s struggles, those that really know me know my story and if it weren’t for the dogs, my heart would be even more fractured than it is today.

This is Hank, a Neo I helped transport a few times

How does all this relate back to Wellness you ask? It does because the love you give, the care and the joy come back at you tenfold. There is no supplement, herbal, facial, massage or other treatment that can do the same as sharing and caring from a giving heart. We care for our clients with that same giving heart.

As I write this it is the summer time, that is a slower period in our industry. Learning to go with the flow and accept the slow pace is difficult, especially when the rent, utilities and bills don’t slow down with it. However giving into the slowness has opened up space…

Space for a new heart that needed rescued.

As many of you know I had to send my beautiful mastiff (rescue) boy Chino over the bridge on Easter weekend and a piece of my heart went as well. He was almost 10 and for a giant breed that is technically “beyond his life expectancy” There were not enough tears in my eyes for this moment, it seemed impossible to even breathe, let alone cry. He had a great life, he was loved by all of us, spoiled and happy until the end. We went home from the vet with his empty collar in hand, it matched the giant hole in my heart and in our home…silent, empty, sad. I cleaned up his bowls, packed up his toys, canceled the auto ship to chewy.com, threw his bed in the trash and cried. He deserved every tear that we all shed for him. For the first time in my 56+ years I was dog-less. Life no longer revolved around making sure someone was home to let him out, feed him, give him medicine, comfort him during a storm or fireworks. I only had to run the sweeper once a week, wash the nose prints off the window one final time. I placed his ashes and die cast paw print on the shelf along with the others. We could go away and not have a dog sitter, I didn’t have to go straight home from work, I could go shopping or out with a friend. It was oddly freeing and sad at the same time.

My beautiful boy Chino

Every one kept asking us if we were going to get another dog. My answer was; “in time” my heart was still hurting and I kinda wanted a “real” puppy this time (cue up Pinocchio) A well bred puppy that no one had the chance to mess up yet. The guilt of that ripped me up inside. I preached constantly “Adopt Don’t Shop” didn’t I finally deserve a dog of my choosing, one that had not been starved, neglected, abused, dumped, sick, injured, homeless, unruly, wild, afraid of men, hats, sunglasses, loud noises, trash bags, hoses, fireworks, being left alone? Hadn’t I saved enough dogs, cats, mice, frogs and turtles along the way to get a brand spanking new puppy breath, pot bellied, fur baby?

Then along came Nina….

Nina the day we got her

Nina The first time inside the house. She curled up in a corner and feel asleep.

A bit over a month ago I got a phone call from a good friend with mastiff rescue. She said “We need a foster home and great dane rescue hasn’t answered the call” (giant breed rescue people help each other’s breeds out) there was no room at the Inn as usual, foster homes were full. I was at work, listened to her tell the story of this desperate girl. She was 6 months old, had been bounced a few times and was being tied outside, neglected. She was hungry, dirty, sick, eating bugs, milk bones and dirt. The people couldn’t take the proper care of her that she needed. I am so happy a friend convinced them into contacting rescue instead of dumping her. I don’t want to begin to imagine what her life would have been if they put her on Craigslist or gave her to the shelter.

I hesitated on the phone before answering my friend, a Great Dane was not really something I wanted. I had a mastiff once that had great dane mixed in, and he was absolutely the best dog ever, but I was a mastiff mommy after all. Then she said’ “you wanted a puppy” and I thought well crap…I did put it out in the Universe that I wanted a puppy, and the Universe knew my guilt and struggle with the need to rescue, not buy….So I said OK, we can foster her, rehab her and move her along to a wonderful Great Dane home… Yeah, Right!

“Princess Nina” will be officially a foster fail. She is a 70 pound (underweight) handful of giant puppy. She was quite sick, covered in fly and flea bites, her hair was falling out in patches, ear infections, parasites, an intestinal infection and her toe was about chewed off, plus she was filthy! You could count every rib, there was literally no meat on this girl. She had zero manners, pulled you everywhere on a leash and puked all over the back of my truck on the ride home. She was so hungry we had to hand feed her small amounts, and wet down her food or she would throw it back up and eat it again. She didn’t know what to do inside our house. Those first few days all she did was eat, and sleep. She was so exhausted and starved that I think she would not have made it much longer outside in the elements.

Nina doing her best Guard Dog impression

She has a grateful heart, a sweet soul and the best kisses and hugs you could ask for. Her name was not Nina, we changed it immediately. I named her after Nina Simone, an R& B Soul signer from the 50’s. The song “Feeling Good” is her theme song now, and she does chase butterflies. She is learning to be a house dog, can clear the coffee table and the ottoman in one giant leap. Her nose is even with the kitchen sink and if you leave a dirty spatula or plastic container she will grab it and take off. She hates her crate, only because it means she is going to be alone. I have not taken a shower or gone to the restroom alone in a month! Her name is NINA MARIE, Or NINA NO STOP THAT When she is in trouble, which is often. She finally has gotten a clean bill of health from the vet, even though she is still underweight. We are getting there, she is learning that there will always be food, she will never live outside alone chained up and be eaten up by the flies, mosquitoes and fleas again. She is filling the empty space of my heart that Chino took with him. She is rescuing me…

This is Nina on Fly Patrol, she still thinks she needs to eat bugs!

Follow us on Instagram to keep up with Nina and her progress (antics) . We love her, even when she eats the corner of the kitchen wall, drinks your coffee when you aren’t looking or decides the tops of your feet are great to dance on.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, we hope to see you soon! We are located at:

301 E Carmel Drive

Suite C-100

Carmel Indiana

317-564-0930

Tues, Weds, Thurs 10-6:30

Friday and Saturday* 10-3:30 (*Closed the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month)

We offer Digestive Support, Colon Hydrotherapy, Holistic Skin Care, Raindrop Technique, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, Energy Therapies, Ionic Foot Detox, Massage, Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Health and Wellness Coaching

Valentines and Porcelain

February 8, 2017/in Uncategorized /by Cindy Aguirre

It is that time of year again where love is in the air. Hearts, roses, chocolates, and Porcelain… What, did I say Porcelain? Why yes I did and I will circle back to that farther on down the line! Ha! If you know me then you get both of those statements.

Valentine Roses

We all have a few Valentine stories, and I am no exception. It is not a favorite day of mine I will confess. Many years ago I got engaged on Valentine’s Day (1980) That is a story for a glass of wine or something stronger, so I will leave that right there.

Back even further there were the years in school before political correctness that we could give Valentines to whom ever we wanted too, not the whole class. I remember being so upset when a boy I liked in fifth grade didn’t give me one. He turned out to be a class A Jerk so I guess the Universe saved me from future agony. On top of that I learned about rejection and how to deal with it early on so for that I am grateful.

Old School Valentine

In high school you could pay for a candy gram to be delivered in class along with a song and dance. I never got one of those either, partly because my boyfriend went to another school and partly because I was in DE so I went to school part of the day then worked the other, and I guess mostly because I was not in the “in” crowd.

Before that my dad was my best Valentine. He got me a big heart box of candy every year with….a porcelain doll on top, her beautiful satin dress was part of the box covering and her face and finger nails were hand painted…what I would give to have those now. I stored them in a box that was eventually designated to my parents basement which flooded ruining most of my childhood memories.

Valentine Heart Doll

When my kids were small we had to go out and get Valentine cards and sit down and address each one to every kid in the class. Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles were the popular choices, I was room mom so I made cookies and cupcakes. No one learned about rejection….

As the years went by I received my share of roses and chocolates, homemade Valentine cards from my kids and always something from my mom and dad. Now that dad is gone I send my mom chocolate covered strawberries and a card. These past six years without him here on Valentine’s Day I think of those little porcelain dolls and how much I miss him. I cannot imagine how much my mom does too.

My Dad and I

I will never forget my Dad on Valentine’s Day

Three years ago on Valentine’s Day I was at Lowes looking for the perfect Valentine gift for my boyfriend Tony. I was looking for maybe a tool or some manly gift and I spotted a bathroom sink cabinet on sale. I bought it for our half bath. I think I got him a tool too, I cannot remember actually, but the sink was NOT the gift. I was excited for a new little sink to replace the awful one in our circa 1950’s half bath.

My new sink

I dropped the sink off at home and he reluctantly began installing it. I had left to go to the grocery store when I got a phone call from him. It went sort of like this:

Me: Hello?
Tony: Hey can you stop by Lowes and pick up a toilet?
Me: Why? Our toilet is not that old, I am sure it is still OK.
Tony: No it’s not ok, I accidentally broke it installing your sink.
Me: Hmm……OK
Off to Lowes I go for the new toilet to accompany my “On Sale” new sink.

I pick up a good old American Standard and a beeswax ring and bring it home….well it didn’t fit. Yep old houses have a different spacing between the wall and the hole in the floor. So off to the plumbers supply store we head to buy and rather expensive retro toilet to fit our bathroom.

Tony installing toilet

The new porcelain!

A comment I received that day telling a friend the story was “Happy Valentine’s Day, Nothing Says Love Like New Porcelain”

Considering what I do for a living (Colon Hydrotherapist) how appropriate was it to get the gift of a sparkling new retro fit toilet on this day dedicated to hearts and roses!

So Porcelain it was as a small child on a heart shaped box and Porcelain it is still….Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you, I hope you cherish your Valentine memories as much as I do.

We have a contest going until Valentine’s Day. Share this blog on social media, and leave a comment about one of your favorite memories of Valentine’s Day and you will be entered to win a Dr. Hauschka Gift! I posted a video below showing the gift, Click the link. It is on our Facebook Page as well.

valentine special

Come see us at the spa, we are located at: 301 E Carmel Drive Suite C-100 Carmel Indiana

317-564-0930

Tues, Weds, Thurs 10-6:30

Friday and Saturday 10-3:30

We offer Digestive Support, Colon Hydrotherapy, Holistic Skin Care, Raindrop Technique, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, Energy Therapies, Massage, Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Holistic Nutrition and Weight Loss

My Personal Journey W/ Red Skin Syndrome & Eczema

January 4, 2017/in Uncategorized /by Cindy Aguirre

Red Skin Syndrome, also known as Topical Steroid Addiction and Withdrawal, is a debilitating condition that can arise from the use of topical steroid creams to treat a skin problem such as eczema. (credit: Itsan.org website)

This condition can affect people who use or overuse topical steroids for eczema, rashes, acne and skin treatments after cosmetic procedures. Topical steroids come in creams, ointments, lotions and gels. They can be purchased over the counter or in stronger formulations by prescription. Other names are cortisone, glucocoticosteriords, coticortisteroids.

Not everyone who uses these topical steroids will develop RSS and it is unknown why some people are affected and others are not. Often when prescribed for Atopic Dermatitis it works initially, but when the cream is stopped a rebound will occur, often with even worse symptoms or it can show up elsewhere on the body. Many mistake this for the original problem spreading when often times it is a result of the use of a topical steroid and the withdrawal symptoms.

I have suffered from RSS due to many years of having eczema (atopic dermatits). I have been told there is no cure for my eczema, only treatment. My father had it as well and it is often linked back genetically in families. There was a time in my life when my skin burned, itched, cracked and bled at every knuckle and bend on my palms. Every crease in my legs, between my toes, along my hairline, in my scalp, my ears and the cracks and folds around my nose and mouth. I spent many years covering my skin with over the counter, as well as prescribed creams and lotions. They would relieve it for a little bit then my skin would burn and itch tenfold. I soaked in oatmeal baths, tried coconut oils, shea butters, African Black soaps, apple cider vinegar, and more. I tried to cover the red and cracked areas on my face with makeup, only to have it look worse. The mirror became the enemy, so did my clothes.

Me with a calming mask on my face

My anatomy teacher and mentor in massage school would tell me at times I looked like I had pseudo-icthyosis. It was a play on words for a real condition called Icthyosis. This is also a genetic skin disorder that often appears as fish scales or thickened cracked and peeling skin on portions or all over the body, again, no cure only treatment.

I cannot begin to tell you how miserable it feels to be inside a body that constantly burns and itches, let alone to look in the mirror and see yourself looking like you just survived a fire or chemical spill. Clothes rub and itch, cold weather burns your skin, the sun helps but then there is the conundrum of sun exposure, SPF stings, bug spray burns, perfumes, scented soaps, laundry detergent, make up, the list goes on and that is only topical irritants. Then there are the foods that trigger it; gluten, dairy, sugar, preservatives, dyes, alcohol, spices, etc.

From my own personal experience I will tell you what has helped me over the years. The FIRST thing is stepping away from topical steroids, this took many months (about 20) of rebound and misery. The SECOND was trying to learn the triggers that set off the eczema to begin with. For me it was stress, certain foods, and household and personal care items. I began using only high quality organic skin care products and toiletries. Eliminating chemicals in my home, ie: cleaners, fragrances, pesticides, etc. I wear organic cotton clothes when I can or very soft fibers. I rip out the tags, or buy things without tags.

THIRD and probably most important: Education, it equaled freedom for me! I am not suggesting you go to the extremes I did, the reason I did was to help others as well as myself.

I learned about the gut and how it plays such a huge role in our health and mental health as well. I became certified in the digestive wellness arena; Colon Hydrotherapy, Loomis Digestive Enzyme Specialist and other digestive supplementation workshops. I learned about nutrition, absorption, assimilation, and elimination. What to eat, what not to eat, hydration and so on. This eventually became my career and it helped get my digestion in order, but the skin component was missing. I could not discuss this on a expert level with clients so I decided to go back to school to learn about the skin. I needed to add that missing part to the puzzle of helping myself as well as others.

Eczema reared it’s ugly head again while I was in Esthetics school. Many of my fellow students and now friends can attest to my struggle. They were concerned working on my face or body for fear of hurting me. Anyone who has ever gone to esthetics school can relate on how much stuff they did daily to each other in order to learn as well as “get our hours of hands on in” We were introduced to many professional products some even that had steroids in them for the purpose of reducing the effects of redness and itching after treatments. I drew the line at putting those on my body. There were a few running comments in class; “No Cindy, it is not organic” “Yes, everyone has to get as well as give all the treatments” and from my own mouth “shit that burns, hurts, itches, stings…all the way up to Hell No you’re not putting that on my skin today” I had so many chemicals, petro chemicals, preservatives and acids put on my skin, waxes, dye, make up, micro-derm crystals, desincrustation fluids, galvanic, etc. that you can imagine how bad it felt. It was all in the normal course of learning and I suffered most days with a smile plastered on my face, expletives screaming in my mind and many tears alone in my car as I drove home with my skin on fire. I went in everyday on time with perfect attendance, graduating with the highest GPA of my class, one goal in mind; get my diploma(s) so I could continue on to learn the holistic skin care world and open Aqua Serene Wellness Spa! I went on to become the only certified Dr. Hauschka Holistic Esthetician in Indiana and have not looked back. One of these days I will write a blog about my time in esthetics school, there was much frustration as well as a few comical moments and I made some life long friends along the way.

My Esthetics class

Graduation Day!

The tagline in my business name is “from the skin to within” for a reason. It has taken all these components to battle my daily life as a person with eczema and sensitive skin, let alone the journey of life functioning with part of my large intestine missing!

From what you put in your mouth, on your skin, breath into your lungs and what you eliminate is a key factor in our health and wellness.

I still suffer from bouts of eczema, stress is the one thing I still have to conquer. I am working on that and have implemented services here at the spa to help with relaxation. We offer Massage, Jin Shin Jyutsu® and Acupuncture. We have our Far Infrared SOQI bed and our CellumaPro LED Light panel.

Our Beautiful SOQI Spa room

CellumaPro LED

Celluma LED

We offer two different types of foot Detoxes as well as other energy modalities. I enjoy the times I get to sit in the cozy reception area and visit with clients and friends over herbal teas and laughter. Do not dscount those moments of joining together in conversation and giggles, those are the absolute best stress reducers, and money cannot buy that! I will continue my love of learning, I not only do it for myself but for my clients and family. We have some new things planned for Aqua Serene Wellness Spa in 2017 and as always we have a great team of businesses and practitioners we refer to in house as well as out.

We wish you a wonderful and health filled 2017!

We are Located at 301 E Carmel Dr Suite C-100 Carmel Indiana 317-564-0930

Disclaimer: This blog is for information only, it is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition or disease. Please seek professional medical advice before stopping or starting any medication or treatment. These are just my own personal observations and experiences and not intended to treat or diagnose.

For more information on RSS visit: http://istan.org
For more information on Ichthyosis visit:http://firstskinfoundation.org/about-ichthyosis

Thoughts on Time

December 27, 2016/in Energy Therapies /by Cindy Aguirre

Time according to Webster’s dictionary is as follows.

Time
tīm/
Noun
1. The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.”travel through space and time” 2. A point of time as measured in hours and minutes past midnight or noon.”the time is 9:30″
Verb
Plan, schedule, or arrange when (something) should happen or be done.”the first track race is timed for 11:15″
Measure the time taken by (a process or activity, or a person doing it).”we were timed and given certificates according to our speed”

I recently saw a film and it got me to thinking about a few things. I have always had this odd feeling where “time” is concerned. Like I am on the edge of knowing something, or for lack of a better way to explain it, more like “remembering something”. Have you ever had that odd moment when you cannot remember something you know you should be able to recall? It is on the tip of your tongue or edge of your brain. Scientifically speaking you still have the memory just misplace the trigger to find it. That is how I feel about the mystery of time.

They say it is not linear, that simultaneous things happen at the same time yet in different space. What one person sees or feels at that very instant another sees differently or in a lapse. They say we can transcend, that our soul is everlasting, it just spends some time in our human bodies for the experience. That a blink of an eye for our soul is a lifetime for our body. That the world was created in 7 days, but what constituted a day back then? What feels like a lifetime for a prisoner doing 5 years behind bars, yet that same time of 2629743.83 minutes seems to fly by in a flash when we see our newborn baby off to kindergarten. When a person gets that diagnosis of a fatal disease and only has months or days left, time becomes the enemy. Time is conceptional to each person and/or situation. Depending on what we fill it up with.

me heading off to kindergarten with my best friend Danny Lostoski 1966

There are many sayings to accompany it:
Wasted time
Running out of time
Time is on your side
Time is of the essence
Doing time
Time of our lives
Against time
Overtime
Next time
Time in a bottle
Time and time again….

You get the idea, we are either late, early or on time. It is merely a measurement and is different for each person. I have been “living on borrowed time” which is a concept I don’t get because I can never pay it back. You cannot bank time.

As time goes by, where does it go? If we only have right now this very moment why are we spending it plotting and planning, worrying and stressing about another moment in the future or the past? How can we use up time if it is only a concept? If we are late on bills, payments or work we are fined, docked or even turned over to collections. Time=Money for most things in life. Overtime, Time & 1/2, PTO, late fees, interest, etc. The world has to run on time, it keeps order from chaos, sets boundaries as in time zones or taking up someones time.

There are songs, movies, books, and magazines devoted to it. There are products designed to save you time, stop the signs of aging, turn back the clock etc.

My own experiment with Time:

I arrived early on the planet in 1960 by about 5 days and I am usually early to most appointments. I am not sure if this is coincidental or not because both of my kids were born on their due date naturally and are often late….In the past I tended to arrive at least 10 minutes early to everything and then get upset when people would arrive on time because there I was waiting. I would get more and more upset by each moment if they were actually late. So I decided in 2008 to be 5 minutes late to almost everything so I could better understand and empathize with those who are always late, as well as for my own sanity. I did it for about a year. I realized the anxiety excuse driven phrases that people gave me were now coming out of my mouth! It was exhausting, however now I am much more calm when people are a bit late. I try hard to adhere to the idea that the Universe has it’s reasons, and I am not early as often to everything and even late on occasion. I do still get a bit anxious if I am the one late though.

I have a wristwatch, most of us have one or more as a fashion statement or for function. I stopped wearing one for 8 years until last year. The watch I had worn for many years was given to me by my ex husband while on a vacation to Aruba. He wanted me to think of him every time I looked at the watch. The trip wasn’t that great and neither was the marriage. When I divorced him the absolute last thing I wanted to do was look at that watch several times a day and think of him! So I took it off and never put it back on. I got used to using my cell phone to gauge time. Many people use their phones I notice more than a watch now. I am guessing that is why they have made cellphones that are watches. I got a new watch last year from my boyfriend and I wear it often. I still forget to put it on more out of the old habit of not wearing one. I like it because it is big enough that I can read it and it is a piece of jewelry that has function and beauty…a timepiece. I think of him when I look at it which makes me smile, he knows the story of me and watches and is helping me write a new chapter. Yesterday I forgot to put it on and found myself looking at my wrist out of habit for the time.

My new watch

I always need to know what time it is, and to top it off I set the clock in my truck, at home and on my watch 8 minutes ahead so I can do math, because I tell myself it keeps my brain “fresh”. I hate math by the way.

The theory of “Light Years Away” always blows my mind. That the light we are seeing from a star is calculated to have traveled 6 trillion miles in a year, therefore it is light from a time (x) amount of years ago…Space-time continuum; Space and Time used in a mathematical equation that is a four dimensional continuum…did I mention I hate math, but I love science…you cannot have one without the other, Grrr.

The morning moonlight

Where am I going with this whole rambling of a blog you ask? I am not quite sure, I know it was time I wrote a blog and open up the conversation. I hope I haven’t wasted your time.

It is a new year coming on us, another concept of measurement, time for resolutions, new ideas and letting go of the old. The year calculates to the number 1 (if you are into numerology you know the equations) so we get to begin again…It is a time for cleansing the body and mind.

Speaking of cleansing, it is one of the things we do here at Aqua Serene. We have been open one year this coming January. There are days that flew by, some dragged on and on and now it seems that the year happened in a flash! We have learned many things, met new people, did events, helped charities, introduced new products and hopefully helped many of our clients feel as special as they truly are. We really hope you have enjoyed this journey along with us and are looking forward to what is yet to unfold.

I want to wish you all they happiest of New Years with blessings, peace of mind, reflection and joy. I want to thank those of you who have been loyal clients and brand new ones. I love welcoming you, your friends and referrals to Aqua Serene Wellness Spa. Come spend some time with us, even if it is just to have some tea and give me your thoughts on the concept of this blog!

Come have tea with us!

Leave a message please and we love when you share!

Happy New Year!
XOXO
Cindy

We are located in Carmel, Indiana and offer Colon Hydrotherapy, Digestive Support, Ionic foot Detox, Holistic Skin Care Services, Energy Therapies, Massage, Acupuncture, Raindrop Technique, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, Functional Health and Nutrition. Check out the business located in Aqua Serene Wellness.

Simply Serene Massage Eastern Wind Acupuncture Wellspring Functional Health White Wolf Services

Thoughts on Holiday Indulgence from a Wellness Professional

November 30, 2016/2 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Cindy Aguirre

While pondering on what subject I should blog about during this sugar and wheat filled season of guilt, I felt compelled to write about holiday indulgence.

First off let me add a disclaimer: This is just my experience with holiday gluttony and lack of willpower. I am in no way telling you what, why, when or how much you should indulge or abstain. These are just my own observations of years and years of enjoying the guilt of the season. After all January is next and we all know that is when the real struggle begins!

So, for starters there are a few must haves before the indulgence can even begin.
1. A very good probiotic

2. Digestive Enzymes for basic digestion

3. A good heartburn remedy and plan for exit strategy (pooping)

5. Some discrepancy on where your food is sourced

We have 4 of the those 5 bases covered here at Aqua Serene Wellness!

Now onto the indulgence part.

I feel that when you eat with guilt you have just lowered the positive energy in the experience and devalued any nutrition that might have been likely in the first place. So Bless your food. Enjoy and Savor the moment, for it only comes around one time a year!

The food and aromas trigger those memories of joy and abandon, don’t ruin it with guilt and negativity, and don’t ruin my choices or anyone’s for that matter with negativity either! It is called informed consent when dealing with adults. Our kids we need to teach a little bit of pacing themselves for their own sake and for the sake of those who have to try and put them to bed at night! So as you take each bite into that buttery wheat and sugar filled cookie, pie or cake relish in the memory that comes with it. Just don’t eat the entire plate full, share and then share some more!

I love to cook and bake and yes some of my foods have flour and sugar, I warn anyone who is gluten, dairy or sugar intolerant what is in the food. I can tell you absolutely none of the food I bake has artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. I use only organic baking goods, backyard eggs (my backyard) real organic butter and dairy and when possible honey from local bees, maple syrup from my trees, and sugar that is organic and sustainably sourced. The absolute most important ingredient in any item that comes from my circa 1950’s kitchen is LOVE! This null and voids any “bad” ingredient hands down in my personal opinion.

I try to mostly feed my soul. In the Winter it is from the kitchen, cooking and baking, canning and experimenting is something that calms me, makes me happy and I love to do. This feeds the people I love and my own passions. I will say, I do miss my double convection bake oven, professional line gas stove and counter space that three people could take a nap on, but still give me a burner, a mixer, a 1950’s basic electric stove and a cutting board and I can still manage to whip out love and a thing of beauty.

In Summer I feed my soul by gardening, canning, eating food right off the vine and foraging in my woods for berries. Most of my “Soul Food” comes from my own yard and kitchen, and if not then I go to local markets and organic grocery stores where I tend to lose hours of my time. Did I mention I love food? I have to steer clear of kitchen gadget stores I want them all! I cannot go to a Pampered Chef party…ever!

So during this holiday party scene that is once again upon us I want to remind you that it is OK to eat the cookie, drink the holiday cocktail (as long as you have a safe way to get home) and lick the beaters, just don’t put them back in the batter! Bless the food you make with LOVE, as well as the food you eat. Share that recipe, share the cookies and share the LOVE. You are making memories for those you love and visiting memories from those that have left us.

We will have a Cleanse Special in January to help with exit strategies and get you back on track. I want to remind you it will be so much easier to reset your gut if you are eating fermented foods, taking probiotics and enzymes as well as eliminating during the indulgence season. We have 10% off our digestive enzymes and probiotics through the end of the year!

We send Love to all of you during this season from all of us here at Aqua Serene Wellness. We are located in Carmel Indiana, and the 100th Round-about just opened up on E. Carmel Drive which is where we are. Please leave a comment about a favorite holiday memory, we will choose one to feature in a drawing for a Gift Certificate for an Ionic Foot Detox!

We offer Colon Hydrotherapy, Organic Skin Care Services, Energy Therapy, Ionic Foot Detox, Massage, Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Raindrop Technique, Jin Shin Jyutsu® and Digestive Wellness. Visit the wonderful practitioners in our office: Eastern Wind Acupuncture ,

Simply Serene Massage, Wellspring Functional Health, White Wolf Services

Find us on Social Media here: Check Us Out on Facebook,

The Art of Smudging With Sage

November 2, 2016/in Uncategorized /by Cindy Aguirre

Man did not weave the web of life – he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
– Chief Seattle, 1854 treaty oration

I like to smudge sage, it is ancient Native American Tradition, as well as a tradition with many cultures throughout the world. There are many types of herbs you can smudge, sweet grass, lavender, cedar, palo santo and so on. I like to use white sage.

My paternal grandmother Lokalona, (Cherokee) taught me that you are supposed to light it with a wooden match. I have done this countless times and yesterday the match head flew off already lit when I struck it on the side of the matchbox and landed right on top my head! It burnt a spot in my part and singed my hair. Now, I do not think burning hair is recommended unless you are practicing some kind of superstition about burning hair and a vision of your future husband/wife is revealed…we will leave superstitions to another blog post and my maternal grandmother!

You should use a clay type fire proof bowl or a shell to hold the ashes and burning fragments and then offer those back to the Mother Earth when they have cooled.

Smudging with sage has many benefits and research shows it raises the negative ions in the air, helping with positive energy.

A little about a Negative Ion Field:

A Negative Ion Field may be helpful with the following:
*Stimulate the Parasympathetic Nervous System which may cause relaxation.
*Balancing adrenals
*Increasing utilization of nutrient absorption
*Decreases pulse
*Supports good bacteria
*Supports many of the body functions

You can purchase sage at many health food stores, new age centers, Native American cultural centers, the internet or grow and dry your own. Some you will find are mixed with other herbs as well.

Set an Intention: Make sure you set an intention, say a prayer to God or The Universe while you are smudging. Be clear on what your intention is. Yesterday I asked for a peaceful end to the water fight in Standing Rock North Dakota. This is something every living thing has a right to, clean water. Please take a moment and send a prayer.

Open a Window: It is said in Native American tradition that people with negative energy are offended by sage almost to the point of revulsion. It is important that when you are burning the sage to have a place for the bad vibes to escape too.

Lighting the Sage: This can be tricky, remember try to use a long wooden match just watch out for flying lit pieces of it! Once you have a flame blow it out until you see lighted embers. You will witness the fragrant stream of white smoke coming off the embers. I blow on them to keep them going, or move the smudge stick around in the air or around objects that you are smudging.

You can smudge objects to clear negative energy, like your electronics for example. Some people like to smudge jewelry or other items that might have absorbed bad vibes. You can sage people as well. The best way to do this is have them stand with arms out to the sides, almost like at the airport when they “wand” you. Do the front first, then the back.

Extinguishing your sage is important. Either snuff it out or take it outside and put dirt over the lit end. Make sure to offer any ashes back to Mother Earth and then once you are sure it is out store the sage higher than your waist. This is for respect and keeping the energy in a higher space.

Come visit us at Aqua Serene Wellness and have some tea and enjoy our many services listed below. We love the good energy it brings to come together in community. We smudge with sage at our place often and most everyone that stops in always mentions how the good the energy feels in our space. Leave a comment below, we love hearing from you!

We are located in Carmel Indiana, and offer Holistic Skin Care Services, Colon Hydrotherapy, Raindrop Technique, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, Energy Therapies, Ionic Foot Detox, Massage by Simply Serene Massage and White Wolf Services Acupuncture by Eastern Wind Acupuncture and Functional Medicine by Wellspring Functional Health.

Aqua Serene Wellness Spa, 301 E. Carmel Dr, Carmel IN. 46032 phone: 317-564-0930

info@aquaserenewellness.com

Universe Inspiration and the Butterfly Effect

October 20, 2016/5 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Cindy Aguirre

Butterfly Effect

I live in a world that has a cause and effect factor to it. On one hand I am very scientific, and on the other I am quite spiritual. As the saying goes, both hands are connected to the same body. It took many years to realize they are one and the same. That it all comes back to the Universe and Inspiration.

I read a lot, mostly books about wellness, health, chemistry, scientific energy, spiritual energy, Universe stuff. When my youngest son was eight years old he bought me a book for Christmas. It was Ripley’s Believe It or Not. When I opened up his gift that had half a roll of scotch tape and about a foot too much wrapping paper around it, I smiled. He was beaming as he watched me struggle to open the box and he said “because you like books about facts mommy” Even at that young age he knew his mommy pretty well! He is twenty-six now and we often have some interesting conversations about facts and the Universe. I recently shared a book with him that I have highly recommended to most of my friends lately; The Universe Has Your Back by Gabby Bernstein. It really hit home on many levels. Go out and get it, you won’t be able to put it down!

I get caught up at times in the chaos that is life. I lose sight of the moments because there are bills to pay, business things that need my attention, yard work, housework, meetings, family obligations, etc., and so on. When I turn on the TV it blares the most recent crimes, political bullshit and drama. I tend to only watch comedy sitcoms, no courtroom or CSI or police shows. I don’t watch CNN or FOXNews or any of the 24 hour news stations. These things take me into Fear and away from Love. I catch the evening news here and there, but usually it is to just buy time until the monologue of late night comes on or SNL. I prefer to laugh, smile and feel good and want the same if the TV is on. I much prefer nature, books, music and hanging out with my dog. The things that remind me to feed my Soul, not my Fears.

I like to engage with the energy of the Universe. I enjoy talking to the plants when I am putting them in the ground, apologize to them when I cut them back or pull the ones that are pushing out my flowers. I thank the tomato, beans and corn plants when I pick their bounty from my garden. I acknowledge the sticker bushes that latch on to my shirt or skin when I pick berries in my woods. They usually always release me without a scratch. I leave half the berries for the birds and woodland creatures, they survive on them and after all we are all connected, there is never a reason for greed in that world.

I don’t want to lose sight of the fact we are all children of the Universe, every one of us, good people, bad people, and the lost and broken, the animals, plants, anything with a life force. We all come from the same Source of Love, some people stray very far away from that, they take on traits that all link back to Fear which is the opposite of Joy and Joy is Love. The Universe always knows, is always there, in us, around us always. I like to ask for reminders, when I need reassurance I am on the right path. Recently I did this with Blue Butterflies.

About a month ago I was having a melt down moment. I was overwhelmed with trying to keep up with the overgrowth of weeds and branches that had fallen during our summer of tropical rain and storms. I was way behind because I had broken my ankle right at the beginning of summer.While it is a shared job at home it seemed I was trying to keep the house clean, mow our acres of grass, can the garden bounty, learn about chickens, deal with family drama and such on my only two days off per week. I was putting the stress of everything on my shoulders. I can be stubborn and not ask for help, another one of life’s lessons I have not quite mastered.

My new business also had so much for me to learn, and worry about. Marketing, budgeting, renting space, buying products, bills, reaching out for clients, 12 hour days, etc., It had just gotten to me and as I pulled the 300 feet of weeds strangling out the 100 baby day lilies I had planted two years ago, I broke down and sobbed. I sat on the grassy area between the road and my flower garden, overgrowth galore and begged the Universe for a sign. Was I on the right path in life or should I pack up and sell it all and cut out in the dark of the night? My life looked just like my flower bed at the moment, strangled, messy with spotty yellow flowers trying to rise above the chaos.

As I sat there, I said to the blue sky full of puffy clouds “Thank you Universe for showing me I am on the right path by giving me the gift of seeing blue butterflies” I wiped the tears from my eyes with canvas garden gloves and began to apologize to every weed and baby maple tree I pulled from the ground. I thanked the Lilies for blooming and growing and promised them I would not let the weeds take over.

About thirty minutes into my task I saw a beautiful blue butterfly land on the pile of branches and weeds I had accumulated. Mind you, I asked for BLUE butterflies because I rarely if ever see them. I see yellow, white and orange ones a lot, sometimes I will see a stunning black and purple one, but blue is rather rare. I grabbed my cell phone from my pocket and snapped a photo. I started to giggle, almost hysterically. I was so excited that the Universe had heard my question and was giving me an answer! The butterfly stayed for a bit fluttering from tree to tree then off he went. My heart was lighter.

Blue Butterfly Visitor From The Universe

I have kept my blue butterfly thing going now for about a month. My question is usually the same, am I doing the right thing, making the right decision? I thank the Universe every time I see blue butterflies and the Universe keeps on giving them to me everywhere. I giggle every time and try hard to take a photo. I did stop myself from snapping a photo at a friends wedding recently. This little old lady was wearing a blue butterfly pin on her lapel, she had a bit of an unapproachable glare so I opted out.

More Inspiration from the Universe and my mom’s shirt bottom right.

Last week I had arrived at my mom’s house after a long 350 mile drive. I had not mentioned the butterfly story to her, she is very hard of hearing and over the phone trying to explain Universal stuff and having her understand at 83.999 years old was more than I wanted to get into. I stepped into her kitchen and there she sat wearing a blue shirt with powder blue and white butterflies on it. I busted out laughing, told her the story and she started to giggle. She had just changed her shirt right before I got there because she had spilled something on the one she was wearing!

These Butterflies all showed up in one day.

So I invite you to join in on the fun. Ask for a sign, make it simple but personal to you. Be sure to thank the Universe for responding. Remember to lean towards Love, send out the good energy to those you love but also to those that are lost, broken and coming from fear. They are all part of our web and when we send out love it heals us all.
Please share your stories with me, post them in the comments section or come on over for some tea and conversation. We love when you come visit us at Aqua Serene Wellness. We love it even more when you tell your friends about us and introduce them to our services. Please share the Love, after all the Universe is telling me I am on the right path and I so much want to share that path with all of you.

We are located in Carmel, Indiana (round-abouts and construction cones are the city theme at the moment) We offer Colon Hydrotherapy, Organic Skin Care Services, Massage Therapy, Raindrop Technique, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Acupuncture and Digestive support.