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Virginia Beach - Part 3
Written by: Janet Pope
We slept in today, or I should say Chris opted to sleep in under those wonderfully, plush sheets and duvet. I was a good girl and exercised a little cheesecake off, after some time in the jacuzzi.
Today was the day for our long awaited massages. But these would not be any ordinary massages--we had appointments at the Association for Research and Enlightenment. A.R.E. is known as one of the world's largest centers for spiritual growth and holistic healing. They advocate therapies based on the Edgar Cayce readings. We toured the facility and got to watch a film on his life, which was done very well and proved to be very informative. We quickly learned more about who Edgar Cayce was.
Born in 1877, in Kentucky, Edgar was a "strange" child who talked to imaginary friends and read his bible everyday. Other children in the area even called him "a freak." Edgar, to the astonishment of his parents and others, could hold a book to his forehead and retain what was in its pages. Though he had special gifts, he went on to lead an ordinary life as a married clerk. In his 20s he lost his voice, but he went to a hypnotist who restored it, while Cayce was under a trance. It was soon discovered, that under a "spell", Edgar was able to give readings and actually diagnose others who were sick. Word quickly spread and Edgar spent his weekends helping others. These readings, over 14,000 of them, were all documented and are now housed in the library of this facility.
Edgar Cayce's story is undeniably an interesting one. He is known as the Father of Holistic medicine, since his readings not only came up with diagnoses, but also natural remedies to help the patient, which more often than not proved successful.
In 1927, he began a hospital on this site in Virginia Beach, which now is a Health and Rejuvenation Center. A.R.E. specializes in spa services such as massages, facials, and castor oil packs.
After the introductory film and tour, we were finally ready for our long awaited massages, and they were worth the wait. I can't really explain exactly how the massage was different or better than other massages that I have had, but it was and Christine agreed.
We felt like we were floating on air, and both of us were as relaxed as we could imagine feeling.
If you are interested in holistic healing, the life of Edgar Cayce or simply in having a wonderful massage, don't miss visiting the A.R.E. in Virginia Beach. You can spend hours in the library, relax in the Meditation Room which overlooks the ocean, or attend a free activity-- like lectures, tours, and ESP testing. But above all, have the massage.
All that relaxation actually worked up an appetite, so we set out to find Vivo, a local Italian restaurant, with wonderful atmosphere. This is a place where you can walk around and "read" the walls for hours, or at least ten minutes. Framed old photos of movie stars hang above the dark black tables and chairs, as well as the rounded striped booths. There are curtains between the Moroccan red rooms and hanging beaded lamps overhead—both adding to the ambiance.
The menu is basically antipastos, pizzas, salads, pastas and other Italian fare. We tried the clam chowder to begin with, and I tend to judge a good restaurant by its soup. The soup was delicious, as was the rest of our meal.
Before heading off to the airport, Chris and I made a few stops along the way to check out some local shopping, and then our time at Virginia Beach came to an end.
It was a great get away weekend for Chris and me. We both got to shop and eat at some wonderful restaurants. I got to sightsee and explore a new area. Best of all, Chris got her long awaited massage. All in all, Virginia Beach has a lot to offer, no matter what the season, no matter what your age.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
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