^ 'lln rtla u b ©bsvrucr E mbracing DIVERSITY Page B6 Peace Mind Body of continued and from Metro w om en e s p e c ia lly ,” sa id Brandsmith. But she doesn't deny that it does feel good to lay .relax and enjoy being pampered. Brandsmith also believes that a massage is an­ other way to pay more attention to your mind and body connection to get to your highest function. Mas­ sage not only helps to fight stress but also helps to fight disease. "There are medicinal purposes for massage, especially for basket­ ball and football athletes,” said Stabenow. One of the six types of massages available at Serenity is the hot stone massage, which incorporates the use of rocks to add pressure to a massage as an alternative to tradi­ tional Swedish massage with the use of heated basalt stones. The heat enhances the benefits of the massage by warming the muscles and joints, creating a deeper state of relaxation. The rocks are heated at 150 de­ grees and on the first touch, can make you cringe. But it’s only sec­ onds later that the heat soothes the aching parts of your body. Over 20 stones are used for the body vary- ing from the diameter of a quarter to the palm of an average hand. It may be hard to believe that an ordinary rock can do so much like increase circulation and exfoliate the skin. Customers can opt for 30 min- utes, one hour, or one and ahalf hour massages. Six types of massage are offered that range from $30 to $85. Serenity will have their grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 10 from noon to 5 p.m. They are located at 7911 S.E.StarkSt, Suite E. For more information call971 -322-6782 «977- 322-6783. August 24, 2005 Seren ity m a s s a g e ow ners All S ta b e n o w (left) an d B rooke Brandsm ith. photo by N icole H ooper / T h e P orti . and O bserver 2 0 0 5 CUSTOM WHEELS - OVER 2 0 0 STYITS *