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Meet Sue Schaffer of The Live it Well Place in Gold Canyon

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Schaffer.

Sue, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Being in the Emergency Medical profession for close to 40 years and operating multiple businesses, what I learned was to burn the candle at both ends, to push thru the anger, disappointment and grief of working as a first responder, and to always keep moving forward, no matter what. When I discovered Yoga about 15 years ago, my first thoughts were I wish I had known about this practice from the beginning. Learning how to manage anxiety and stress, memories and life changed my life. Reaching out to complementary and alternative medicine seemed a logical next step. Discovering that the Gold Canyon community would benefit from a place of refuge and mindfulness, a vision and a dream to provide that place was born. In May 2019, The Live it Well Place was established. The initial businesses established were; Mindful Movement, to include yoga, Naam Therapeutic Yoga, T’ai Chi Chih, meditation, and AZ Massage Therapy, a therapeutic massage business.

In August of 2020, along with her husband Mike, we took another step in the successful vision, mission, and journey to provide Gold Canyon and the surrounding areas with a place for Health and Wellness all under one roof. Through this new Integrative Health enrollment program, we are empowering our community to be accountable for their own lives, thereby enhancing health, well-being, and the ability to achieve one’s life purpose. Ultimately, Integrative Health and Wellness is a lifestyle practice that supports the whole person to engage purposefully, to participate in his or her own health care in conjunction with their regular physician. A one-hour interview and health assessment offered by the Integrative Health and alternative medical practitioner, Jose Montoya, L.Ac., DTCM (Acupuncture and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine) is a way to participate in yoga, meditation and movement classes, wellness programs, workshops and therapeutic treatments at The Live it Well Place. This assessment will result in a customized health and wellness plan with recommendations for classes, treatments and other alternative therapies. This information will design a unique program that will grow and adapt with your needs as you progress on the path to achieve optimal health and healing.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The trick to life being smooth is to take your vision and dreams and focus on how to to get to the end goal. In Emergency Medicine, treatment is based on an algorithm. A plan, which has a if this doesn’t work, then you do this, and if this works, do this. A mind that works in algorithms, always seeing an alternative, allows the path to an end result to be smooth.

Please tell us about The Live it Well Place.
The Live it Well Place is unique in that we offer over 70 different alternative health and wellness modalities under one roof. The idea of offering individual and personalized road maps to health that allow one to participate in the modalities or activities that are appropriate is the best part of Integrative Health. While there are many different CAM (complementary and alternative medicine options) we offer these at The Live it Well Place: Traditional alternative medicine includes: Acupuncture. Ayurveda, Chinese or Oriental medicine. Body techniques are often combined with those of the mind. Examples of body therapies include Massage, Body movement therapies like QiGong and Tai chi and all Yoga movement. Diet and herbs which include Herbal medicine, Nutrition/diet counseling. Alternative as well as conventional medicine recognizes the power of the connection between mind and body. Studies have found that people heal better if they have good emotional and mental health. Therapies using the mind may include: Meditation and Naam Therapeutic Health Series.

Enrollment in the Integrative Health Program provides the opportunity for the community to participate in yoga and mindful movement classes, alternative therapeutic options, and wellness services; whether you are seeking a singular service, a movement practice, or an integrative health roadmap, we are here for you. We know that no client falls into a “one-size fits all” mold, so we have carefully selected our classes, services and treatments to ensure there is something for everyone’s needs.

Additional opportunities for the community includes retail items, a lending library, and access to the communities’ Visitor Center, located in an designated corner at The Live it Well Place.

I am most proud of providing this type of lifestyle opportunities to the East Valley and of the amazing instructors that are a integral part of our success. The Live it Well Place managed by Dr. Nicole Coyle with instructors, Tina, Diana, Cheryl, Joanne, Cherie, Lance, along with Az Massage Therapy and the Integrative Health Program ran by Jose Montoya, L.Ac., DTCM.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I think that the timing and the steps taken were just how they needed to be. There is a time and a place for everything, and as we say. It’s the Time of your LIfe, so….Live it Well.

Pricing:

  • Integrative Health Assessment: $85.00
  • Therapeutic Massage: $80.00
  • Once enrolled in the Integrative Health Program – Movement Classes are $10.00
  • Community Walk in Acupuncture Visit $ 30.00
  • Sound Healing – Gong and Crystal Bowl – $25.00 public gathering or private $100.00
  • Once enrolled in the Integrative Health Program – Private sessions for Naam Yoga Therapies 70.00 – 90.00
  • Medicinal Aromatherapy Counseling – plus cost of oils 30 or 60 minutes – $45.00 – $70.00

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Joanne West

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