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Counseling cooperative offers help reviving the spirit

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: November 7, 2009

In these angst-filled chaotic times, many people are seeking the tools to relieve stress at an oasis of healing at which they are taught methods of reconnecting with their body, mind and spirit.

Conscious Connection is a collection of cottages on Orange Street in Ozona. Anna Sweetnam, a former teacher of mentally handicapped children, operates the cooperative of practitioners skilled in various healing arts and spiritual science.

The cooperative allows her practitioners to operate their own business and promote themselves under one umbrella, she said.

"We teach people how to balance their spiritual self with the challenges of daily living and make them feel more confident and better about themselves," Sweetnam said. "We treat the whole person from the inside to the outside. "

Conscious Connection is a prime example of her philosophy of visualizing a goal and making it happen, Sweetnam said.

In the early 1990s, she and husband Bill Sweetnam, a real estate developer, bought the series of cottages along Orange Street as an investment. A few years later, they sold the property to owners of the adjacent Molly Goodheads Raw Bar and Seafood.

Back in the '90s, Sweetnam was teaching exceptional students at what is now the Calvin Hunsinger School, in Safety Harbor, and caring for her five daughters. Then she earned a doctorate in metaphysical philosophy.

While the owners of Molly Goodheads made substantial improvements to the Orange Street property, she always thought of it as hers. The complex includes the cottage that was the original Ozona Post Office.

So in 2003, Anna and Bill bought back the property and transformed it into Conscious Connection. The practitioners rent space there and operate under one umbrella.

While the cooperative is rooted in metaphysical and spiritual sciences, there is no tarot card reading or other forms of fortune telling. "We give our friends the tools that teach them how to read and control their own destiny," Sweetnam said.

Instead, the emphasis is on helping people maintain a sound psyche and body.

"These are tough times for people," Sweetnam said. "They have to learn how to reduce stress and take care of their body, mind and spirit."

People can choose from a variety of relaxing massages and organic facials, relax in a sauna, attend yoga classes, discover Ayurveda, a healing method from India called the "Science of Life," or attend tai chi and fitness classes.

In these stressful times a relaxing massage can really change how a person feels about themselves and their life, said Rashael Henderson, one of the massage therapists.

A former ballet dancer and dance teacher with an understanding of human kinesiology and musculoskeletal conditions, Henderson has treated many marathon runners as she taps into various forms of massage to relieve stress, joint and muscle pain.

Kim Engle, another massage therapist, is an expert in pregnancy massage, Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, Reiki and doula therapy. A doula is a person who helps women in childbirth with physical and emotional support but is not a physician or trained midwife.

Engle has also had great success working with those suffering the aching pains of accident injuries and sports injuries.

People are looking for inexpensive ways to make themselves feel better, said Engle.

Heather Gero's makeover classes have proven popular in these tough economic times. While her personal makeovers, where she recommends changes in body language, attire and attitude, used to be popular for people seeking relationships, more people are now turning to her for career changing tips. First impressions and how you represent yourself mean a lot, she said.

Gero operates the Orange Street Cafe at Conscious Connection. She serves natural and organic dishes ranging from breakfast to lunches.

The cafe has become so popular a meeting place, Gero plans to be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and include entertainment, she said.

Sweetnam handles the spiritual side of the healing arts at the co-op. She teaches people how to reduce stress and mental anguish, not be tripped up by their own fears and connect to their own spirit.

"We give them the tools they need to cope, live better lives and regain their conscious connection with their heart, connect with their true sense of spirit and dare to be in their spirit," she said.

Mark Schantz can be reached at 727-815-1075 or mschantz@suncoastnews.com.

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