Whistle while you work through the Holidays
By J. James Estrada (12/14/05)
Billy Crystal went on a cattle drive to find his lost smile in the movie City Slickers. These days, I’ve been trying to find my whistle. I’ve always been a whistler, to point of annoying those around me (it generally seems to be the same tune over and over that drives them nuts), but the stress of the holiday season has me muted.
I don’t have an inclination to saddle-up and drive cattle to Colorado, so what to do?
My search began with three ladies named Maggie, Cinamon and Amy.
These were the very gifted people who treated me like a celebrity with the unconventional stress-relieving methods found at Egyptian Secrets in my hometown of Gilbert, Arizona. Just south of Houston Street on Gilbert Road, Egyptian Secrets offers facials, massages and other specialties. I experienced the very soothing hot rock massage in my visit there recently, but someone else may have chosen a 1200-calorie dropping infrared body wrap. I was also introduced to my first European Facial, done quite expertly, by a clinical esthetician.
Maggie Hale is the owner of this luxurious day spa, which focuses on health as well as beauty. Cinamon Rezabek was my barefoot message therapist, who, at times, felt like she had eight pairs of hands. Amy Chandler proved to me she had magic fingers as she made my face feel 5 years younger. Hale said the massage I received (and left me wondering, “is this heaven?”) was called the “Jingle Bell Hot Rock.” I’m thinking this will make a great stocking stuffer. ( Gift certificates are available for purchase at the shop or online at www.egyptiansecret.net ) Hale gave me a hug as I walked out of the tucked-away storefront location, definitely feeling more relaxed than I did two hours earlier. If this is what Egypt is like, someone get me an unending passport!
After experiencing the wonderful murals and comfortable surroundings of Egyptian Secrets’ relaxation room, I thought, perhaps a change in my own decorative surroundings might help. So my next visit addressed that very need.
Medicis, a successful pharmaceutical company in the Valley, incorporates the art of Feng Shui in the design and layout of its headquarters in Scottsdale. As I walked into the spacious circular foyer, I immediately noticed a fountain and running brook. As I sat in one of the many comfortable leather chairs, the sound of the waters placed my mind at ease. The company’s receptionist, Amy Martin, mentioned that she never feels tired at the end of her busy day. Ah, there could be something to this.
I was escorted to the second floor to meet with CEO Jonah Shacknai. On the way, I passed a large aquarium where colorful fish swam calmly in their pleasant home. The carpets throughout the building were earth tone with circular designs in the pattern. These circles seem to speak of a communication flow and of a vitality and energy.
Shacknai said that he was drawn to Feng Shui by an experience he had in Hong Kong. While visiting a business associate, a Britian working in the Far East, he noticed the demolition of a building nearby. His friend told him the workers refused to work in the building since it did not consider Feng Shui as part of its purpose; a strong endorsement of the practice, to be sure.
Some Medicis employees were skeptical of the plan at first. But now, Shacknai related, those same people will not move a chair unless they consult with the Feng Shui master who developed the building’s interior design. Brayden Xaviar, who studies under Professor Lin Yung, was recommended for the project by local architects. Shacknai’s round desk literally takes the edge off his personal office space. Various plants, pictures, and symbols add to the serenity. The picture of Mt. Fuji speaks of “strength, safety and stability,” Shacknai commented.
“It’s not about an endearing religious environment,” Shacknai said when I asked about the Buddhist roots of the practice. “Feng Shui can be entirely ecumenical,” he continued. “We have people of many faiths here and what we’ve found is that finding peace is a common objective. That everyone can feel the influence of the structural design created with Feng Shui is not unusual in that context.” It did seem universally friendly.
Shacknai concluded that most of the meeting rooms in the building were designed to be non-confrontational and that tough business problems were really just complexities to be worked out. It was all a matter of perception. In the end, he said, the employees find the surroundings to be soothing and productive. It was also smoother and lighter than previous work situations and more supportive, too.
This is something to consider in my quest to quench stress and find that elusive whistle again. Many of the ideas I encountered at Medicis can be adapted at my own workspace and living quarters.
So, if the out-of-the-ordinary solutions I’ve covered with the decorative designs of Feng Shui and the soothing treatments at Egyptian Secrets somehow fits outside your lifestyle, how about these simple solutions: A bike ride to a nearby park to watch softball games being played on a cool evening? Or a hike to a mountaintop to watch the sunset? There’s always the backyard hammock under the stars or a quick weekend getaway to a nearby resort.
What ever it takes, find your whistle this holiday season before it goes as quickly as it came. Another classic movie, To Have and Have Not, starring Humphrey Bogart, gave us this line spoken by co-star Lauren Becall:
"You know you don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and ... blow."
Maybe it’s just as easy as that.
Copyright 2005 J. James Estrada
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