By Alexander Shedd
The Roanoke Valley is home to innumerable holistic traditions, from the rich stories of ghosts and witchcraft that Appalachia is famous for to the myriad newer businesses successfully marketing self-care remedies, massage therapies, essential oils, organic farm products, artwork and every kind of crystal imaginable. On Sunday, May 15, practitioners of these folk arts gathered at the Salem Civic Center from around and beyond the Valley for the second Roanoke Valley Holistic Expo.
Sponsored and hosted by Glow Healing Arts, a holistic wellness center in Salem that offers classes and wellness sessions featuring many different teachers and practitioners, the expo was a massive success throughout the day. Around the three rooms taken up by the expo, local business tables were constantly crowded with patrons. Around the space, visitors were receiving massages, sound therapy featuring a gong, fortune readings and education on arts and crafts they would not otherwise be aware of.
Glow Holistic Arts had their own table set up just inside the space, where they sold crystals and a wide variety of tarot cards. They also advertised for their upcoming events, which include activities almost every day, such as a Supporting Stress, Sleep & Focus session on Saturday, May 21 at 10 a.m.; an Awaken Community Drum Circle on Tuesday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m.; and a Group Sound Healing session on Friday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m.
Set up in the lobby behind the Glow table was a small lounge space with couches, put together by Roanoke’s Bodhi Lounge. The group puts on a number of events regarding cannabis education and safe consumption, as well as wellness activities, classes and “lounge parties and chill sessions.”
Also in attendance was Salem bookstore Wonderous Books & More, where owner Savannah Oaks sold books on witchcraft and holistic healing, as well as can
dles, tea packets and “spell box” kits for personal rituals put together by
herself and her family and sold under the brand Salem Apothecary.
Other businesses at the expo included Azurae Windwalker Shamanic Healing Arts, The WellNest, Aphrodette North, Balanced Energy Arts, Jillie Intuitive Coaching, Spiritual Insights, Wonderful Land of Oils, JMC Healing and Wellness Academy, Healing with Yvette, Chinese Medicine Works, Kimberly Olah, Earth’s Essentials, Keeter Chiropractic, Charles Stokes-Collins, Clear Space Energy Healing, Zen my Brain, Rebecca Jerrod Consulting, Metta Vibrations, Belightful Healing, Healing Heart Energy Therapy, Jesi V Arts, Tracy and Angie, Jackie Lunger, Healing Harmonics, Rising Lotus, Karen Simpson, Theresa Huber, Wisdom of the Ages, Trinity Divine Metaphysical Study Group, Roanoke Metaphysical Chapel, The Beat Goes On, Spiritually Beaded, Bales Herbal Remedies, and Pellucidity In Live.
