“We especially see students and faculty who come in for a massage because they have a lot of neck and shoulder tightness and get pretty regular headaches,” said Christine Reay, co-owner of Creative Wellness. “When someone is slumped over a computer, they commonly have tight neck and shoulder muscles that can interfere with daily living.”

The facility used the open house to grant visitors a better understanding of its holistic services, Reay said.

“Some will take a yoga class to learn stretching and relaxation, or a meditation class would appeal to them to learn how to still their mind,” she said.

The wide variety of movement classes, such as tai chi, yoga, pilates and a dance-karate-style routine called Nia, offers a chance to mix up a boring health routine.

“I wanted to test all the different classes they offer,” said Daniela Sukkar, a communication senior. “I’m familiar with pilates, but I’m interested in learning yoga or tai chi.”

Each class is offered at a specific time and day, helping students to plan around their workout schedule.

Acupuncture, massages and aromatherapy also are offered and are a major focus of the center.

“We see a lot of people for massages before tests,” said Irene Savoyat, co-owner of Creative Wellness. “Not only does it make you relax, but your mind is brighter, your mind is more centered.”

Holistic health is becoming more mainstream because it helps athletes perform at a higher level, Reay said.

“(People) come in for sports massage, either because they’re competitive athletes or recreational athletes,” she said.

By combining conventional and complimentary health care with services such as Chinese medicine, Creative Wellness is different from the typical treadmill and barbell gym.

“We’re trying to be diverse in what we bring here, so we have individual services … that can help people facilitate that health balance” Savoyat said.