For a Happy Life
by Margaret Fleming
Happy Life Body Toning opened March 1, 2003 in Puerto Peņasco. This is a salon for European-type physical therapy, from top to toe, the facial to the pedicure, and everything in between. Attention is paid to muscles, nerves, and bones. Treatments are available for ailments ranging from depression to arthritis to migraines. Some of these are aromatherapy, acupressure, massage, and reflexology.Or if you just want your body to feel good, you can get a full treatment package that includes a free facial and pedicure.
This establishment is the realization of a dream by Lucy Lombroso, a long-time resident of Puerto Peņasco and a professional in the field of health and cosmetology. Her clinic is located in her home on Avenida Sinaloa, just north of Blvd. Fremont. We visited her the other day and she gave us a tour of her new facilities. In addition to the reception area, there are showers for men and women, a sauna, a massage room and an exercise room. Her equipment, which came from the U.S., is all new and professional-looking. In the exercise room are 6 vibrating couches for toning different parts of the body--the back, the stomach, the legs, the waist, the spine, and the circulatory system. Lucy had me lie down on one of the couches for a demonstration. She put my legs onto padded platforms that moved up and down, back and forth, when the machine was turned on. It felt very relaxing. I would love to have stayed and sampled all the machines, but I had to get up and finish the interview. I'll have to go back and get the full treatment next time.
As Lucy described it, the package includes first 10 minutes on each of the machines, then a sauna treatment with a therapeutic gel, then a shower, then massage therapy from shoulder to coccyx, with attention to nerves, muscles, and bones. Herbal therapy is used as well. On the shelf above the massage table Lucy has a row of glass jars containing natural herbs and medicines that can be used for different health problems.
Lucy has been in this field for many years. Her European antecedents include her grandmother, father, and mother, all of whom were born in Paris. She learned from her grandmother as a child, then studied massage therapy at a women's college in Mexico City. She also took courses in Los Angeles, California. During the 1960's she and her sisters Rebecca and Matilda operated a beauty salon in Puerto Peņasco. In 1973 she left that enterprise to work with the Mexican Olympic team, using therapy and massage. In 1975 she came back to Puerto Peņasco and operated a body toning business something like this one for 6 years. Illness and a need for several surgeries forced her to close it, but she always kept her dream of doing it again. Now, 20 years later, she is making that dream a reality. She spent 8 months planning and organizing the business and 4 months making the necessary renovations to her house. In addition to herself, there are a masseuse and a therapist on the staff. She also works with a physician, Dr. Crenshaw, who is available to clients needing medical advice and treatment.
Lucy is a fascinating person. She radiates energy and enthusiasm, speaking in rapid-fire Spanish and waving her hands for emphasis. When she takes your hand and massages it, you can feel energy being transferred. Lucy's family is here in Peņasco also. She has two sons, Salvador and Nestor, whom we have known for a long time, and a daughter Adriana, whom we met on this visit, along with Adriana's daughter, a beautiful little girl about two years old.
We expect Lucy to be very successful in this venture and wish her all the best.
