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Randi Southard, artist and owner of Indra’s Awarehouse (Credit: Cindy Chapter)
Indra’s Awarehouse is a 5,000-square-foot DIY art space located 20 minutes from downtown Austin. That’s 5,000-square-feet full of imagination and liberation, where wacky and wonderful ideas are allowed to take root, and grow into a plethora of multi-sensory experiences.
The Serenity Wellness chair massage team (Credit: Heather Loomis Photography)
For some, the chair massage is a mystical unicorn in the wilderness of the healthcare industry. Does it really work? Where are chair massages available? How do I sit in the chair, and where do my arms go?
The question of whether it works has a simple answer. I believe a massage with a knowledgeable, communicative therapist, of any length of time, can uplift someone’s spirits and make someone’s day. Like anything else regarding health, it is not a silver bullet, especially when dealing with chronic issues. But I can attest to the immediate relief and comfort it provides for countless individuals. As far as where in Austin chair massages are available, I’ve compiled a list of six local, vetted businesses.
(And once you’re in the chair, the therapist will tell you where to put your arms.) [Read more…]
Students taking a hula hoop lesson in Austin (Credit: Misty Smith)
If you’ve ever taken a stroll by the capitol building on a balmy Tuesday night, then you may have witnessed something interesting. From a distance, it appears to be collection of multi-colored lights, twirling chaotically. As you approach, the outlines of people become clearer.
You see people manipulating the lights with their hands and various parts of their bodies. There is a singular source of music, providing atmosphere for these dancers who beg no witnesses, but usually attract some kind of audience anyway. They look like they’re having fun. But, what are they doing?
Austin’s New Year celebration at Auditorium Shores (Credit: Austin’s New Year)
If you haven’t committed to New Year’s Eve plans yet, or if you’re teetering between staying in and going out, then this list might help you make a decision. Many of these options are free or close-to-free, making party-hopping a viable option if you find it hard to settle at one event. Austin nightlife is always lively. But with the increased excitement of New Year’s, it can be tempting to sample more than one scene.
The way we choose to celebrate landmark moments is highly personal. Some like to dance; some like to sit and listen to music; some like heaps of food and drink; some would rather be outdoors; and some have tiny tots to look after. And if you fall into more than one category, then you can pick and choose as you please! [Read more…]
Austin muralist Miles Starkey painted the fence outside Art for the People
Deanna “Dee” Serra founded Art for the People almost five years ago. She identifies as a collector, not so much as an artist. But she certainly has an eye for art. And her organizational prowess has allowed her to bring together a community of individuals who uplift each other. The gallery is truly “for the people,” by the people. [Read more…]
Ley Line (Credit: Thom Washburn)
When I think of Ley Line’s music, I instantly think of what it means to connect. This Austin band’s mission is to bridge the listener and remote parts of the world. Ley Line does this by creating a tapestry of sound that blends language, rhythm, and stories. In action, this multilingual group expresses a deep reverence for the traditions that inspire it.
Cryotherapy saunas use dry cold for healing (Credit: @sethprochazka)
No one moves through life unscathed. Fortunately, there are many massage and holistic healing studios here in Austin. The following are five local businesses that offer diverse, unique, and sometimes surprising services that can be enjoyed alone, or in conjunction with a massage treatment.
Are you ready to lace up and feel like a kid again? (Credit: Kurt Larson)
Austin Roller Rink is tucked away behind Southside Flying Pizza on Manchaca. While it can be hard to find, it’s easy to love. Usually, whenever I tell people I’m off to a night of skating at Austin Roller Rink, I’m met with a wistful nostalgia. “The last time I went, I was a kid,” they’d say.
Thankfully, we need not reminisce in perpetual longing for our younger, more carefree days. Austin Roller Rink is accessible to the inner child in all of us.
[Read more…]
Live painters at Art Outside, an annual event produced by Art Seen Alliance (Credit: Laura Lea Nalle)
Editor’s Note: Art Outside has been cancelled for 2018 due to flooding. From the organizers: “We are working to find safe, available venues in Austin for select programming; stay tuned for announcements of potential shows featuring Art Outside performers.”
Art Seen Alliance has a core team of 14 people. You may not have heard of the organization, but there’s a chance you’ve interacted with one of its creations. The alliance has constructed a solar-powered carousel for General Electric, manufactured custom beds for The Austin Motel, and built a set design for Twitter to host a show during SXSW 2017. The group has its creative hand in about every local festival you could name.
Exec. Director Taelor Monroe planting trees with Permaculture Design Course students
(Credit: Austin Permaculture Guild)
Wild humans still exist. Humans who live close to nature, are in tune with their circadian rhythms, and live in cooperative societies. They wake and sleep according to the rising and setting of the sun, and perhaps grow or forage much of their own food.
On the other hand, some humans are urban dwellers through and through. They sit in traffic and go to grocery stores, and most likely have unnatural sleeping patterns. These are two extremes of the same spectrum, with various shades of gray in between.
If you identify more with the second camp, then chances are there has been at least one moment, however fleeting, when you’ve considered leaving your responsibilities behind, and escaping to live in the woods. Modern society, with all its spoils, can feel isolating, disenfranchising, and disempowering.
But before you quit your job and disappear into the wilderness, let’s explore those shades of gray. There is a system that aims to create a new paradigm for the way we live. It’s called permaculture. [Read more…]