All Entries Tagged With: "spiritual NoCo"
The Emporium: a North County salon like no other
Celebrating its grand opening on August 14, Ferguson's Emporium Salon offers traditional spa services with a holistic and organic twist.
I can’t remember exactly where I met Suz Pratt for the first time, but I do know that I liked her immediately. Suz is just one of those people who radiates positive energy, and as soon as we started talking, I felt like I had reconnected with a long lost friend.
A petite redhead and certainly old soul, Suz has a nurturing personality that feels like a nice warm blanket on a cold day. She’s also what you might call a visionary salon owner.
Visionary not because she was the first board-certified hair colorist in the state of Missouri, or because she was a pioneer in the development of “organic” hair color. No, Suz is visionary because she truly has a vision.
Formerly the owner of the Hair Emporium in Florissant, the veteran cosmetologist recently fulfilled a longtime “calling” by moving her business to a cozy old storefront in Ferguson, renaming it the Emporium Salon, and transforming it into far more than just a beauty shop. Using her extensive knowledge of holistic medicine and natural remedies, Suz now runs a unique wellness center and day spa that tends not just to the hair and body, but also to the mind and spirit.
Equal parts salon, apothecary, museum and lending library, the Emporium Salon nestles the back edge of Ferguson’s historic Bindbeutel building, a circa-1895 National Register property that’s also the largest Victorian-era commercial building left in St. Louis County. Step inside and you’ll find a wee but inviting space that’s just like Suz herself – a little bit quirky, a little bit mystical, and a little bit rock n’ roll.
Antique dressers and Suz’s massive “lucky” mirror line one wall, defining her actual work station. But look around and you’ll also discover a whirlwind of sensory delights – lush plants, sparkly crystals, weathered shelves of emerald green elixir bottles, just like an old pharmacy. Suz has even hung vintage beauty shop memorabilia from the ceiling and plastered one hallway with vintage concert posters, but her favorite parts of the salon are her colorful handmade educational displays, which discuss old-world approaches to health and hygiene.
“Bohemian is definitely a good word for it,” Suz, 47, says of her shop. “But more than anything, I want this to be a place where people just feel comfortable…where they can rejuvenate and heal and hopefully learn something.”
Suz Pratt explains the magic of her gem-infused elixir waters
As far as services, the Emporium Salon offers everything that a traditional salon does – hair cuts, color, facials, manicures, etc. And Suz, a lifelong NoCo resident who grew up in Moline Acres, truly is a skilled stylist and aesthetician. The key distinction is that she only works with all-natural products, which is awesome. Oh, and she’s a “lightworker.”
That means she takes a holistic (or whole self) approach with each of her clients, tending to the health of their physical body but also to their spiritual and energetic body as well.
“I’m not here to diagnose people or do anything that interferes with Western medicine or someone’s religious beliefs,” Suz says. “What I do is share the knowledge I have about these old-style home cures, which have been around forever and do work. I also think I’m a natural cycle-buster, in that I help people make a fresh start on their life journey…I can help them heal on many levels.”
One treatment that Suz uses frequently is the castor oil pack, a folk remedy also known as palma Christi, or palm of Christ, which the famous medical intuitive Edgar Cayce frequently touted for its remarkable healing powers. Applied to the afflicted area, castor oil packs have been known to treat everything from liver toxicity and poor digestion to headaches and circulatory issues.
Suz is also a big proponent of homeopathic Bach flower remedies, which were developed by a British physician in the 1930s, as well as gem-infused elixir waters, which she makes herself by “charging” water with sunlight or moonlight and precious gems like smoky quartz, garnet or rose quartz.
“Rose quartz can work wonders on a sunburn, and garnet can help speed up healing,” Suz says, explaining that she performs all of her spa services using elixir water that’s specially chosen for each client. “It just depends on what that person needs. Like if they needed to clear out some negative energy, I might do a facial using smoky quartz with Thieves Oil (a centuries-old herbal blend). That can be really powerful.”
Rejuvenate your cells underneath Suz's specially designed crystal grid
Also powerful, Suz believes, is the impact of blood type on your diet. Seven years ago, inspired by the work of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, she gave up meat and alcohol to suit her type-A blood and she insists she’s never felt better.
“I just knew if I was going to help people, I needed to have my own act together,” Suz says. “But I’m still a naughty girl. I still smoke. Just now I count my poisons and limit them so I can stay healthy and balanced.”
If you want to learn more about Suz’s “poisons” philosophy, she’ll happily tell you. She’s also incredibly open about her family, her spiritual journey, her aversion to electronics, and the fact that money is far from her primary motivation.
“None of this has ever been about the money,” she says. “For me, this salon is more of a social experiment…. Really, I wonder every day, how many people can I help?”
Suz already draws clients (of all ages, races and beliefs) from across the metro area, but since opening in Ferguson, her schedule has been busier than ever. “This is such a cool, motivated, spiritual place, I really feel at home,” she says. “I can already tell that I’m needed here, and I love that, since all I really want to do is help people and bring more light to this community.”
The Emporium Salon, located at 18 Church Street, is holding its grand opening celebration tomorrow, August 14, from 1-4pm. Suz is giving away several great prizes, and all are welcome!
The public is also invited to a special event on September 11, when the Emporium is offering chakra imaging (with a 15-page report) for just $40. For more info, call Suz Pratt at (314) 831-9074. By the way, the salon only accepts cash and checks.
Stop by the Emporium and you might meet Suz's daughter Chelsea. If you ask, you might also learn about using family "life charts" to erase bad karma and heal emotional wounds.
The Gospel Garage: driven by God to serve
Mike Orlando, Pastor Kevin Causey and 16-year-old Graham Buckhannon (L to R), volunteers in the Gospel Garage Christian automotive ministry in Florissant
Pastor Kevin Causey may hail from the Baptist tradition, but when I first heard of his unique mission, I was reminded of a quote from a famous Catholic, Mother Teresa. She said, “Faith in action is love, and love in action is service.” And I can tell you, nowhere is that more true than in Causey’s simple metal building known as the Gospel Garage.
An outreach ministry of Florissant General Baptist Church on Graham Road, the Gospel Garage is actually quite amazing in its simplicity: Church members live out their Christian faith by fixing up cars for people in need, usually for free.
Founded in 2007 and operating out of a large two-bay shed behind Causey’s home, the ministry reflects his belief that service to others is the best way to celebrate God. “The church is always good at telling people that God loves you, but here, we’re actually showing people that He does,” he says.
Three times every month, Causey and a small crew of volunteers give a helping hand to widows, unemployed people, single moms and other needy folks by doing oil changes, troubleshooting engine problems and performing all kinds of routine maintenance. They also take in donated cars, then fix them up and give them away.
So far, they’ve received five or six of these “turn-around” vehicles in donation and have successfully given away three – one to a single father, the others to families out of work. “Some of the cars we’ve gotten have been gas hogs, so we’re not going to give those to a family,” says Causey, a longtime “shade-tree mechanic” who grew up in Arkansas. “In those cases, we’ll just fix them up and sell them.”
It’s actually the sale of these cars and other small cash donations – usually from patrons who can afford to pay for their own parts – that keep the Gospel Garage afloat. The ministry has also received donated tools and repair manuals from local mechanics and auto body shops, but Causey is still praying for one big item: an automotive lift.
“God’s hand is in all of this, so we trust that everything we need will eventually find its way to us,” he says, brimming with optimism. Ideally, he and the volunteers would like to see an increase in donated cars so they can help more people and bring in more funds. They’d also like to continue training teenagers in basic car maintenance and eventually mentor other church groups who are interested in starting their own automotive ministry.
Mike Orlando, who has also volunteered cleaning bathrooms at local businesses, calls the Gospel Garage "just another avenue for us to share Christ's mission."
So what’s the catch, you ask? There isn’t one. Though Causey admits he’s always looking to “lead people into a relationship with Christ,” and he did end our interview with a lovely prayer, patrons of the Gospel Garage are under no pressure to join his church. In fact, he prefers that patrons are not church members, but instead just hard-working people who need a hand up.
“This is a calling that God has put on our hearts,” Causey says. “He brought us all here together and gave us the skills and the tools to do this, so why shouldn’t we use them to glorify His name?”
The Gospel Garage meets at 360 Graham Road, 63031, on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays @ 10am and 2nd Saturdays @ 1pm. To make a donation or request service on your car, call Pastor Kevin at (314) 825-6035.
The Zion Labyrinth: NoCo’s most tranquil walk
Designed by one of the world's premier labyrinth artists, the labyrinth at Zion United Church of Christ offers a peaceful place for prayer and meditation.
For at least 4,000 years, human beings have used labyrinths as a tool for deeper personal insight and a way to connect with nature and the divine. Taking slow, purposeful steps on a winding pathway, you’re invited to calm your mind, set aside your daily concerns, and for a short while, simply be.
Reverend Mark Milligan of North County’s Zion United Church of Christ discovered this blissful experience while attending a conference in 1998, and he was so touched by it that he eventually inspired his congregation to build a labyrinth of its own.
“When I first walked on a labyrinth, I found it to be a very moving and freeing experience, allowing me to know God’s spirit in a much different way,” Milligan says. “I came back from the conference and just started talking about it and gathering photos, and then we started integrating labyrinths into our Bible study and Sunday school classes, and then finally the congregation just decided that we should install a labyrinth as a gift to the community.”
One of a handful of permanent labyrinths in the St. Louis area, the Zion Labyrinth is the only one located in North County.
It took several years to bring the project to fruition, but the church’s “gift to North County” opened in late 2005 and has since welcomed 25-30 visitors every week. Nestled on an idyllic woodland property just west of Jamestown Mall, the 48-foot circle features a gently intertwining path of paver bricks and rests in an incredibly peaceful setting enveloped by dense forest. It even overlooks the private Lake James.
“As a congregation we wondered what we could do that no other church was doing…what really made us stand out,” Milligan says. “With this beautiful, pastoral setting that we have, the labyrinth just seemed like a natural fit.”
To build it, Milligan sought the guidance of Robert Ferre, a world-renowned labyrinth builder who just happens to be based in St. Louis. Ferre’s company, Labyrinth Enterprises, has constructed more than 1,000 temporary and permanent labyrinths all over the globe, and Ferre himself is considered the leading expert in all things labyrinth.
The result of generous donations from Waldbart's Nursery and a Missouri Botanical Garden master gardener, the zen-like landscape surrounding the Zion Labyrinth greatly enhances the sense of tranquility.
He first became interested in the subject while visiting Gothic cathedrals in Europe, and before long he was completely intrigued by the medieval labyrinth at the Chartres cathedral in France – a classic and often repeated design dating from 1220. It was this pattern of 11 concentric circles that Ferre used to create the Zion Labyrinth.
“Being able to work with someone as knowledgeable as Robert has been such a joy,” Milligan says. “Since our labyrinth was built, he and I have been able to develop a friendship, and we now work together on the International Labyrinth Society, whose mission is to educate people on the history and benefits of labyrinths.”
Historically speaking, labyrinths show up in many world cultures – Greek, Peruvian, Ukranian, even Swedish – and the pathway often represents the journey between birth and death. For early Christians, labyrinths served as a mock pilgrimage for those unable to travel to the Holy Land, while for Hopi Indians, the labyrinth has always been a much revered symbol for Mother Earth.
Today, labyrinths are believed to enhance right brain activity, balance the body’s energy system, and of course, help you relax. “Walk the labyrinth and I guarantee you will feel some positive effect,” Milligan says, noting that even those in wheelchairs can participate. “We made sure that our labyrinth is open and accessible to everyone.”
And no, you don’t have to be a church member or even a Christian to enjoy it. “There’s never a fee, and there’s never an expectation that you have to join the church,” Milligan says. “We’ve just tried to create a place where people can come to get away for a while, and we truly do view it as a gift to the entire North County community.”
On May 1, Milligan and his congregation are taking their gift one step further by hosting a festival celebrating World Labyrinth Day. Members of local African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches, who have been working with their own temporary labyrinths, are helping to organize the event, and Milligan expects to draw quite a crowd.
“It just amazes me how many positive things happen around the labyrinth, without us really doing anything purposefully,” he says. “All kinds of people are drawn to it, and now we’re even bringing people of different cultures and religions together. Really, it’s done so much more than we ever anticipated.”
Want to experience the Zion Labyrinth yourself? It’s located behind Zion United Church of Christ, 5710 N. Hwy 67, 63034, and is open every day, sunrise to sunset.
The 1 And Only Restaurant: a slow food delight
The 1 And Only Restaurant on Old St. Charles Road is not a fancy place, but it serves up some of the finest organic comfort food in the St. Louis area.
They say the Lord works in mysterious ways, and I have to agree. How else can you explain finding an all-natural, gourmet restaurant, where nearly everything is organic and made from scratch and most of the ingredients are locally grown, in a faded strip mall on the outskirts of Northwest Plaza?
It doesn’t seem possible, and yet it is. In fact, Thomas and Tracy Mathews, owners of The 1 And Only Restaurant in St. Ann, are probably cooking up some of the best and healthiest food in North County.
Both spent years working in other people’s restaurants, until they opened The 1 And Only in June 2009, after four years of saving money and amassing equipment. “We slowly collected supplies here and there, closed restaurants or sales, and then just stored everything in our basement and garage, waiting until we could afford to open our own restaurant,” Tracy says.
Joe Floyd (L), Tom Mathews and Tracy Mathews
These days, the business is in full swing, offering dine-in, carryout, delivery, and catering. Executive chef Tom cooks every meal to order – from Florentine omelets, chicken wraps and apple pancakes to five-cheese penne, salads and coconut shrimp. With the help of sous chef/brother-in-law Joe Floyd, he also creates a daily soup, fresh veggie dish and fresh starch. Today it was creamy chicken soup with brown rice, sautéed butternut squash, and real baked potatoes.
Tracy handles the sweeter side of the restaurant – and wow, is she good! I can only pass along the raves of others in describing Tom’s food (and the raves are many), but I’ve tasted Tracy’s baking myself and it’s outstanding. Grinding most of her own seeds and flour, she makes gorgeous loaves of bread from scratch: whole wheat, banana, onion, even spinach, sage and cheese. She also makes applesauce, apple butter and mouth-watering desserts, including her best seller, the Melting Snow Brownie.
Cocoa for the brownies comes from the same source as the Mathews’ organic, fair trade coffee (which they freshly grind by the pot): Dean’s Beans. “We’re the only place in Missouri you can get Dean’s,” Tom says. “And it’s the best coffee you’ll ever taste.”
Tracy's fiber-packed fresh baked wheat bread and cutie-pie mini cinnamon loaves
Tom sources all of his restaurant’s products, working closely with local farmers and other small, green-minded vendors, and he’s adamant about using strictly natural and organic items, including meat. Not because it’s trendy or because Tom considers himself an environmentalist per se, but because he and Tracy strongly believe that caring for the earth and properly nourishing their bodies is fundamental to their mission as Christians.
That’s right. The 1 And Only is not just a restaurant. It’s a Christian restaurant and lending library, where the Mathews not only serve meals but also generously share books and DVDs on Christian teachings and subjects like homeschooling. (Tom and Tracy have six kids, three of whom are currently home-schooled.)
With scripture verses streaming across the walls and tables painted to match books of the Bible, there’s no mistaking the homey café’s Christian slant. Tom might even ask you what your favorite Bible book is so he can seat you at the corresponding table. And if you’re a kid who learns the restaurant’s daily Bible verse, you’ll get a fun surprise.
That all sounds fine if you’re a Christian, and indeed, the Mathews have many customers who share their beliefs. But they’re also happy to serve anyone who shares their love of good quality natural food.
The 1 And Only has a pool table that customers can use for free.
“A woman came in from Warrenton one day, and right away told me she was an atheist,” Tracy says. “I told her I didn’t mind, just as long as she enjoyed her meal. We’re not here to preach.”
That certainly proved true during my visit to The 1 And Only. I’m about as non-religious as you get and normally avoid Christian-specific businesses like the plague, but the fact is Tom and Tracy Mathews are warm, genuine and surprisingly progressive people, and I really respect their passion, their work ethic and their talent.
In a few weeks, they’ll be hosting a number of farmers at their restaurant to discuss the possibility of creating a St. Louis-wide BSA. That’s a CSA (community supported agriculture) subscription service that would allow local restaurants to receive weekly lots of fresh produce directly from local farmers.
The Mathews regularly open their doors for community meetings like that, even welcoming some of their troubled neighbors at the “long-term hotel” on N. Lindbergh. They chose their location – in a tiny strip mall fronting what used to be the Northwest 9 cinema – precisely because it’s in a struggling area. “We thought we could reach out to people who need our help,” Tracy says.
And thankfully, that help extends to embarrassed writers with dead car batteries. Because not only did Tom and Tracy (and Joe) share their time and delicious baked goods with me, patiently telling me about their family, their faith, and their lovely restaurant. They also were kind enough to give my car a jump start, in the rain. Hallelujah!
The 1 And Only Restaurant is located at 11188 Old St. Charles Rd, 63074. (314) 298-9811. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 7am-9pm. Dine-in, carry-out, limited delivery, and catering. Full menu online.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K