The Rutland, Vermont Renaissance

Rutland, VT is currently a Fertile Crescent of activity, drawing visionaries, artists and healers from all around to support various aspects of healing in the South Central Vermont area. RAFFL (Rutland Area Food to Farm Link), Creative Economy and Sustainable Rutland are all community organizations active in remaking Rutland into a fun, sustainable, vibrant home for the arts and healing.

The center of Rutland’s healing community is Pyramid Wellness Center, in the old bus station on Merchants’ Row where it moved after the Himalayan Salt Caves in the old location were flooded in ’07. Instead of contracting in reaction to the economy, Bill Kelley followed his intuition and boldly expanded into a large three story building. Pyramid found the community very welcoming to their new growth.

Now settling into the new location, Pyramid focuses on its mission of providing high quality products and services at affordable prices related to every aspect of wellness, from the physical and emotional to the spiritual. A big part of the founding mission was to include education as a pillar of the facility. Recently thoughts have turned towards education on a broader scale. Pyramid is opening a massage therapy school in January, and looking at other similar programs in the future.

Gary Lindorff and this writer, as well as numerous other practitioners are based at Pyramid. Gary and Liz are both Shamanic healers. Gary does Dream-work, shadow work, and employs a Jungian approach in his Shamanic journeying as well as other shamanic techniques, including depth journaling.

Mara Schiff’s gentle and intuitive animal communication work has resolved many a pet friend’s dilemma. The Pyramid recognizes how important our relationships are with our animal companions/familiars. Seeing them happy and healthy improves our own wellness. With that in mind, Mara has developed a full array of wellness offerings, including animal massage, T-Touch, Reiki, and more! In the special "Animal Wellness Room" off the Cairo Club, your pet can get a treatment while you get yours, or you can enjoy watching your friend get the treatment.

Darya McNolty’s great spirit and powerful massage work has many devoted fans.

The Pyramid has 16 different treatment rooms, each with its own theme, color scheme, and purpose, and many different practitioners offering all sorts of services, including: Massage therapy (Swedish, deep tissue, sports, hot stone, pregnancy, couples) and many other services.

Beth Miller practices out of Sanctuary on Allen Street near the hospital in Downtown Rutland. A graduate of Barbara Brennan’s Hands of Light work, Beth works with energy. Energy Healing is an enlightening system of healing that combines hands-on healing techniques with spiritual and psychological processes touching every aspect of your life. Based on the living dynamics of the Human Energy-Consciousness System and its relationship to the greater world of which we all are intimately a part, Energy Healing can transform your life into the balanced, enlightened experience of mystery that you have always wanted it to be.

Going West is the amazing Vermont Herbal General Store in West Rutland. Sivvie Leo has been a registered pharmacist for over 40 yrs, with an interest in making natural medicine and herbal teas from locally wildcrafted herbs. Sivvie has always believed that natural is better, and combines this with the wonders of Reiki. The store has expanded to Chinese ear coning, body detox via footbath, chakra balancing with crystals, parasite zapper and intuitive messages for your present time with the guidance and love of Reiki. She also carries a large selection of crystals, gemstones and fine jewelry. 

Thrive Center on Rte 7 in Wallingford is home to Joe Donohue’s busy chiropractic practice, Lisa Donohue, intuitive massage therapist and wellness educator extraordinaire, and Paul Colletti, another talented massage therapist practicing in the Rutland/Wallingford area for over fifteen years. Working with Paul is like a mini vacation for its stress reduction qualities.

Lisa Donohue’s focus for many years has been on complementary/ alternative medicines and therapies. She devotes much time to community education and outreach. Lisa’s intuitive knowing is a great benefit for her massage clients. The Donohue’s bustling, cozy, beautiful old Cape boasts many wellness products and hosts numerous events to promote healing.

Gordon Goes is a Reiki Master and Reiki Drum Healer, at ‘Reiki Drummer’ of Killington, VT. The services that he provides include all of the traditional reiki sessions, animal reiki, long distance reiki for people, animals and situations, and reiki drumming. Reiki drumming is an intense form of reiki, which uses the drum beat to carry and intensify the reiki in a healing session. Reiki drum sessions are combined with traditional reiki methods when a healing session is performed.

If you are looking for work to expand your mind and spirit, or those of someone you love, be sure and stop off first to explore what is available in downtown Rutland, Wallingford, West Rutland and Killington, Vermont.