Restoring mind, body and spirit at Cayce Center

July 27--VIRGINIA BEACH -- A multi-million dollar renovation and the addition of a medical director have breathed new life into the Edgar Cayce A.R.E. Health Center & Spa, located in the Hospital of Enlightenment built by Edgar Cayce in 1928 on a slight rise overlooking the ocean in Virginia Beach.

Cayce, an early 20th century psychic from rural Kentucky with an eighth-grade education, established a worldwide following for his teachings -- known as "readings" -- on subjects from the paranormal to holistic healing.

Once considered outside the mainstream for predictions and cures delivered while in a trance-like state, Cayce's insistence on treating the whole person, through the integration of body, mind and spirit, has gained currency in contemporary health practice. The 2010 Affordable Care Act promotes preventive care and many insurance policies now cover what were once considered "alternative therapies," such as massage therapy and chiropractic care.

Those therapies, along with self-awareness and meditation, are central to the astounding array of treatments offered at the center. Its newly appointed medical director Jo Adamson, a Duke-trained physician, who holds a master's in public health, a degree in women's reproductive epidemiology, and owns a medical device design company, is also a certified massage therapist who trained at the adjoining Cayce/Reilly School of Massotherapy in 2012.

"Current medical research is finding that stress trickles through to all your organs. You can't disconnect and compartmentalize. You can't take them out of context, and say 'it's just a bladder problem,'" said Adamson, who sees the center as the future of health care with its emphasis on prevention, integration of care, and team work.

Gazing out from the balcony overlooking the stone labyrinth, which devotees believe has healing properties, Adamson said, "I see myself as a bridge in many ways, a bridge from the traditional medicine to the complementary therapies." These cover a range from facials and psychotherapy to dream counseling and spiritual life counseling, the whole overseen by the Department of Health.

"No matter what you need or want, they offer it. It really is your heart, mind and soul connection. It's more than just working on the body," said Stephanie Pope, a lifetime A.R.E. member who lives in Williamsburg.

Pope has taken energy balance sessions at the spa with practitioners trained in the Donna Eden method, which draws on Chinese philosophy of meridians in the body. "Now when I slump in the afternoon, I can tap into certain parts of my neck and chest to restore the energy. This happens when you do Tai Chi. You feel very energized," she said.

Cayce, described as a "medical clairvoyant" by followers who've established centers dedicated to his spiritual teachings around the world, advocated for regular exercise, a Mediterranean plant-based diet, and meditation as essential elements for maintaining health. His hospital patients were encouraged to spend time in the ocean and to walk and meditate in the adjoining state park, First Landing, as part of their healing.

"Those were the days when people 'took to bed.' Back then it was considered almost dangerous, even outlandish, to exercise," said Adamson, who conducts clinical phone consultations along with her administrative duties.

She's intent on getting away from any lingering cultish perception of Cayce, fueled by his unorthodox manner and his forward-looking views, to broaden the center's outreach. She has focused particularly on drawing in former military personnel, many of whom are now enrolled in the adjoining massage school on the G.I. Bill.

"It's a good example of how they can do something peaceful and non-violent," she said, lauding the center's effectiveness in treating those with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, in which she has a particular interest.

Almost everyone on staff, including receptionists, cafe manager Emily Davis and chiropractor A.J. Amonte, are students or graduates of the massage school.

"The spiritual component is what I feel makes the difference," said Virginia Beach resident and A.R.E. member Mary Warren Pinnell, who has tried massages at other schools and spas. She described how each Cayce massage has stages, a beginning, when the therapist lays hands on the feet or head, "attuning themselves to you," a middle, and an end, when they "ease you back into real life. They are very competent as well as reverent and respectful," Pinnell added.

The 40 therapists on staff, all licensed in their respective fields, practice according to the Cayce philosophy of integrating spirit, mind and body.

"They're trained to do their work and they're qualified. That's very important to me," said Pope. "I just know they're more in tune with what's going on inside of you. It's not so mechanical." All are also charged with considerable self-examination, from their sugar intake to their attitude.

On the main therapy floor, there are 10 treatment rooms, several with ocean views. In one, Amonte incorporates massage with his chiropractic expertise to combine soft tissue work with gentle skeletal alignment.

A 12-year student of Cayce's readings, Amonte is steeped in the philosophy that attitude and stress form the basis of pain and disease and in the importance of individualized treatments. He noted how Cayce's intuition lined up with modern practice, from using foxglove (the basis of Digitalis) for high blood pressure to his recommendations for meditation and the use of natural herbs and tonics.

"You always see something that resonates with people, from good spiritual ideals to knowing the soul's purpose," he said, commending Cayce's patient-centered approach. "He was very practical but rooted in a holistic philosophy."

Cayce never examined patients directly, but made his recommendations while in a trance-like, hypnagogic state. His pronouncements, recorded by an assistant, combined the philosophical with the practical, which included curing his wife's tuberculosis by having her inhale apple brandy fumes from a charred oak barrel.

"He was extremely down to earth and practical. There was a lot of emphasis on preventing constipation," said Adamson. "He taught about balancing the pH, the acid and the alkaline."

He also advocated the use of a castor oil pack -- wool saturated with castor oil and placed on the abdomen with heat -- to detoxify the liver and ascending colon. That remains a popular treatment at the spa, where treatments and therapies are grouped among massage, bodywork, and energy work; hydrotherapies; and holistic clinical work.

The spa also offers reflexology and hydrotherapy, with a whole suite of rooms on the ground floor, still under renovation, reserved for steams, colon cleanses, Epsom Salt baths and facials.

"Unlike most spas, we're not really concerned with looks," said Adamson. "If people feel better, they'll look better."

There's also a clinical psychologist on staff and an acupuncturist recently joined the team. Adamson said she hopes to round out the offerings with a nutritionist.

Meanwhile, the opening of a cafe offering healthy snacks and drinks has added a social element to the center.

"The organization wanted a place where people could gather," said Adamson. Technical upgrades and screens allow diners to watch live-streamed lectures from the A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment) headquarters, situated a few hundred yards away. Snacks include carrots, hummus, and ice cream treats that are gluten-free and dairy-free. Patrons can eat in or take the food anywhere on campus.

"People are loving the drinks," said Davis, the cafe manager, citing the Kombucha teas in particular. She has plans to offer cooking classes before long.

It's all part of promoting a proactive approach to health. "It's preventive, instead of picking up the pieces," said Anderson.

"Healing comes from within. It's up to us to create that team. I feel very strongly that's the future of health care. It's a team effort."

Salasky can be reached by phone at 757-247-4784.

Want to go?

What: Spa services and holistic therapies, including hypnotherapy, dream counseling and spiritual life counseling. Cafe and grounds, including labyrinth, are open to the public. Free lectures daily at the nearby A.R.E. visitor center.

Where: Edgar Cayce A.R.E. Health Center & Spa, 215 67th St., Virginia Beach.

Cost: Services range from $35 (express chiropractic) to $350 (2 1/2 hour holistic health assessment). Treatments are available individually or in packages. No direct insurance billed, but reimbursement forms supplied for those with insurance coverage. Adjoining Cayce/Reilly School (757-457-7146) offers half-price massages, facials, reflexology by students; from $15 for members to $45 for non-members.

Information: 757-457-7202 or EdgarCayce.org/spa

See a video

Go to dailypress.com for a video with Dr. Jo Adamson about the center.

Who was Edgar Cayce?

Edgar Cayce (pronounced Kay-See), 1877-1945, has been called the "father of holistic medicine." He gave psychic "readings" to thousands of people while in an unconscious state, diagnosing illnesses and revealing lives lived in the past and prophecies yet to come. His psychic abilities began to appear when he was a child. The readings, available online to members, and to the public at the headquarters of the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in Virginia Beach, discuss more than 10,000 topics. The five primary categories of Cayce's readings are health-related information; philosophy and reincarnation; dreams and dream interpretation; ESP and psychic phenomena; and spiritual growth, meditation and prayer.

Source: http://www.edgarcayce.org

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