By recognizing the connection between stress and physical health, “modern” medicine is just catching up with some healing traditions that are thousands of years old, says Irina Ionina, owner of Ganesha Spa, in Peekskill. “Ancient traditions in the East figured it out a long time ago,” she says. “The West is always behind with this understanding.”

A massage therapist, meditation instructor and Reiki Master with 22 years’ experience, Ionina says the connection makes sense when one understands that the human body comprises a few “bodies”: physical, energetic, emotional, mental and spiritual.

“Each next ‘body’ extending beyond the physical has higher but more subtle vibrational energy. They connect in between though, through pressure points along the energy channels in the energy body. So mental or emotional stress, which we have a lot of in our fast-paced lives, cause energy stagnation and affect the physical body, manifesting as illness. That’s why it’s so important to have relaxation tools under our belt—to help alleviate stress right away or, even better, prevent it.”

The two best stress-fighting tools are meditation and Reiki, she says, and Reiki also helps heal the body. Other stress fighters available at Ganesha Spa include Ayurvedic treatments, which use oil blends to relax the body; ANF discs to relieve stress and inflammation; a cannabis facial using organic CBD products; and Reiki classes to give people a healing tool.

“We’ll offer our Reiki I class on May 6 and 7, with a 10 percent discount for early registrants. We also offer a guided meditation class on Monday evenings,” Ionina says.

Location: Ganesha Spa, 15 Depew Ct., Peekskill, NY. For more info, call 914.906.7238 or visit GaneshaSpa.com.