This weekend brings to our mountain The Sky Forest Holistic Faire, presented by Sky Forest Inn & Event Retreat Center, located at 28717 Highway 18. Indulge your spirit and senses in the serenity of majestic views and rejuvenating mountain breezes among a plethora of vendors showcasing a variety of holistic modalities attuned with Mind and Body renewal. From workshops and massages, to all natural products, this experience is one not to be missed.
H.O.P.E. Guided Imagery and Music Therapy Studio, brought an often overlooked style of mental healing. Hope stands for “Helping Others Purposely Evolve” AmyLynn Dimaano explained that what she does is “help people heal their brokenness using music.” This process is referred to as the Bonny Method which was developed through scientific research in the 1960’s. She specializes in trauma, addiction, PTSD, any type of grief, depression, and anxiety. Ms. Dimaano continued, “there are so many ways that different energies effect us. When your brain is processing music, and it does not matter what kind of music, your whole brain is involved.” When music is used the subconscious is mind is immediately activated and engaged. “Your limbic system, often referred to as the ID is bineurally triggered and that’s why we experience so many emotions when listening to music.” By using music in therapy, both the subconscious and conscious parts of the brain are being utilized and “you need both parts when we are trying to change a behavior, or open up new avenues in life.”
The capacity to adorn yourself with one of a kind, handmade jewelry incorporating crystals is provided by Merkababe Designs. Proprietor Carly Tway briefly explained her creative process, “I start out with copper, so everything is electroplated in copper, that way it adheres to the crystals through electricity. I chose copper, because it is a conductor of electricity, so it amplifies the energy of each stone.” Pieces glimmer and shine in the sunlight, drawing in the patrons of the event. Miss Tway elaborated, “The way I chose my stones is very intuition based, I walk around the Tuscon Gemstone events and I feel around, wherever I’m being called toward is where I walk and boom, I’ll see it.” Jenna, a resident of Sky Forest, was particularly drawn to the offerings on display. She went on to say, “I am so happy to see this type of event taking place in our area.”
Tight muscles, stress weighing you down? Erika Eickmans’ healing hands hold the treatment for relaxation and tranquility. Ms. Eickman has been certified massage therapist for over 20 years and operates Fire Horse Healing Arts, specializing in “Sports massage for humans, horses and hounds.” She is a mobile masseuse who will travel to you or your beloved pet to alleviate aches and pains. “I come to your animals space where they are comfortable and more relaxed.” She then continued, after a treatment “I can show you some techniques that you would be able to do [for your pet] on a regular basis.” She enjoys educating the fur-parents on how to maintain the relief for their babies. When asked if she had to chose between working on humans or animals, her response was, “I would love to work on the animals. The thing with animals is, they can’t lie, a person lying on the table may not say it’s too deep, and an animal will let you know through their response. They are innocent, they cant reach out for our help. They can’t tell you where they hurt or how they got hurt.” Whether you are human, or searching for reprieve for your furbaby, the benefits of massage are extensive.
As we all know, winter is upon us, and with the biting cold comes dry, itchy and irritable skin. Ambrosia Soap Company, literally has the balm to assuage the onslaught. Creator of the endeavor, Erika Karsemeyer, elaborated on her product, “The company was created in May, I’m a big fan of all natural products, unlike you can find with the bigger companies which use synthetic materials in their brands. It softens your skin while it cleanses.” She prepares a selection of scents, including Rosemary Lemon, Peppermint Grapefruit, and a limited edition Autumn Spice blend. Ambrosia Soap Company will be releasing another limited edition aroma for winter. In addition to the all natural foaming hand soaps, Ms. Tway has recently developed a Mango Butter based hand lotion as well. “The lotion bar is all natural, and super moisturizing with pure natural oils and beeswax.” This new product in her line is available in scents such as Lavender Dream, and Citrus Breeze. In addition to the gentle, cleansing soap in a smartly designed dispenser, a concentrated refill in all of her fragrances is also available.
Manager of the Sky Forest Inn and Event Retreat Center, Megan Brilman explained how the event came about, “When we got this property, it was more of a bed and breakfast. As we’ve evolved we saw a need to have events, and those events being that this is a perfect backdrop. Everyone that came commented on how magical and therapeutic it was here. We thought, we need a holistic faire, we need something to bring health through the mind, body, and spirit to the mountains.” Mrs. Brilman hopes that the visitors to the faire are taking from it, “education, knowledge, just to know that there’s other ways out there to take care of yourself, your full self.” One such guest, Catherine Skousen, a local of Lake Arrowhead, noted ” This event makes you feel alive, and connects you in synchronicity with like minded people. It makes me feel not so alone.” Another visitor, David a resident of Sky Forest expressed, “The mountain needs more events like this.” When asked if we can expect that this event will be held annually, Mrs. Brilman answered, “Yes, I was already brainstorming about 30 minutes ago about a few chambers that i will becoming a member of to launch this even bigger next year.”
