Feel Good Collective creates home for holistic healing

After spending time in hospital several years ago, Anna Minten concluded that, while the medical care was first rate, the environment left her feeling drained.

“I couldn’t eat the food, I couldn’t relax and focus on getting better, and I wondered to myself, how is this really long term healing?” Minten explains. “I think western medicine is amazing and needed, and in an emergency, we are beyond fortunate. But when it comes to whole body healing and maintenance, I don’t believe the current medical system addresses the alternatives available to get and stay healthy.”

Minten, who has always been a believer in alternative or integrative healing, found energy healing vastly improved her quality of life. “I believe we have a large capacity to help heal ourselves energetically that we are never encouraged to explore,” she says.

Thanks to her first hand experience and running into many other energy workers in the community who didn’t have a space to practice, Minten felt motivated to open the Feel Good Collective in Revelstoke.

“Part of my goal was to offer a professional storefront for practitioners, to help legitimize and normalize the different kinds of healing available. When you make things more accessible, you can spark people’s curiosity,” Minten explains.

Minten is also a tattoo artist. “Neither my style or training is traditional,” she says. “I’m not heavily tattooed myself but find both bare skin and tattooed skin to be beautiful. I was never accepted as an apprentice. Instead I went to school for tattooing.” Much like her healing practices, Minten’s style is alternative and reflects the client’s journey to their tattoo design. “There are other great artists who excel in traditional styles in town,” she says.

The reception to the Collective since opening has been very positive. “People you wouldn’t necessarily expect to be interested in alternative healing practices have been inquisitive and open. It’s starting a conversation, and I’ve just been blown away by the response,” says Minten.

Run like a co-op, the Feel Good Collective is an affordable way for all prospective healers to have a professional place to treat their clients. Check out www.feelgoodcollective.ca.

This article first appeared in Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.