An oasis of calm, in a special setting

In a beautiful and tucked away location amid the converted mill buildings of Mason Circle in Beacon sits Valley Spirit Wellness Center, a 2,000-square-foot oasis of calm, pleasant scents, soothing decor and ample space.

Emily Morrison, the owner of Valley Spirit Wellness Center, has been a practitioner of holistic medicine since 2005. In 2016, she moved to the Hudson Valley from Oregon with her then-husband, their young son and while pregnant with their daughter. The two continued to practice together locally for five years. In 2022, Morrison founded Valley Spirit Wellness Center and began growing it into the warm, community-centered healing space it is today.

Emily Morrison
Emily Morrison (Photo by S. Rubinstein)

Morrison’s education and background in healing is extensive. She started as a massage therapist, specializing in medical massage. Then she began studying Chinese medicine and Tuina, or Chinese orthopedic massage, in 2008. Ten years ago, she earned a master’s degree in acupuncture and Oriental medicine.

Her practice integrates eastern and western modalities such as Tuina, Chinese herbal therapy, Thai massage, qigong therapy, acupuncture and all adjunctive modalities of Chinese medicine and craniosacral therapy.

From the stained-glass front door to the surprise patio space in the rear, with its pleasant waterfall roar, there are treats at Valley Spirit for all senses. Morrison says her favorite room might be the apothecary, where she stores and decants hundreds of herbs and tinctures she uses in Chinese medicine. The light is low and the atmosphere fragrant.

In another room, there is a massage table surrounded by streaming light from an oversized window with many thriving plants. Valley Spirit is filled with greenery, light-colored wood and spare but comfortable furnishings. One room is devoted to a sauna, there is a bathroom with a shower and there is a full kitchen which facilitates many types of gatherings.

Morrison’s aim is to create an environment that reflects and nurtures creativity and growth. She is also sensitive to the fraught and stressful external events that may be affecting her clients. “Because the space is so special, it provides an opportunity to ‘downregulate’ their nervous systems, because we live in a world that is so overstimulating,” she observes. Most people who come to Valley Spirit are adults, but Morrison treats children and teenagers, as well.

Morrison is determined to maintain the space for its holistic purpose, rather than see it become just another dwelling. While sustainability matters, her focus is on curating offerings that align with the space and serve the community with sincerity and intention. Morison wants to see a menu of seasoned practitioners, complementary programs and classes with a regular schedule.

Emily Morrison
Emily Morrison (Photo by S. Rubinstein)

Currently, Morrison is the linchpin of Valley Spirits operations, but she is aided by Felicia Ballos (event coordinator, clinic intern) and Sasha Geerken (social media coordinator). She has a roster of practitioners who serve the community and a blueprint for more. So far, physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, Reiki, shamanic work and hypnosis are all offered or on tap, with other harmonious modalities and lectures anticipated.

“My intention has been to collaborate with other gifted practitioners and facilitators in the area to provide the community with an integrated and deeply supportive space for healing and personal transformation,” she says.

Morrison does not rent the space for unrelated parties or events but foresees collaborative gatherings. “I’m deeply grateful for the community that is in this area,” she says.

She also appreciates her clients and fellow practitioners. “It’s pretty amazing to be in a region where there are so many talented people doing really big work,” she says. “Being supported by the community and being supported by fellow practitioners is a really beautiful thing.”

Valley Spirit Wellness logo

Valley Spirit Wellness Center
36 Mason Circle, Beacon
845-202-7316
[email protected]
valleyspiritbeacon.com

Behind The Story

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Sharon Rubinstein, who lives in Peekskill, is a freelance reporter whose work has appeared on CNN and CBS News and in Newsweek International, the Baltimore Sun and the Ann Arbor News. The Cornell University graduate is also a painter.