ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE EVENT SET

People interested in alternative healing methods being offered in the area can see demonstrations and ask questions at today's "Celebration of Healing."

The gathering of alternative health providers will be held from noon to 5 p.m. today at 1016 N. Cape Rock Drive and will offer the public free demonstrations and discussion on a wide range of therapies, said Sherry Verdugo-Boyd, one of the organizers of the event.

"People for a variety of reasons, are looking for other ways to be responsible for their health," said Verdugo-Boyd in explaining the increasing interest in alternative health care these days.

Verdugo-Boyd is an accupressure and shiatsu therapist who combines shiatsu with Swedish massage at Select A Style in Jackson. Shiatsu, she explained, involves applying finger pressure to points along the body's meridians or energy lines.

She and others will give demonstrations on shiatsu and other types of therapeutic massage or "body work" such as myofascial release, which focuses on the lubricating film that surrounds muscles; craniosacral, a type of massage that concentrates on the head and spine; reiki, the placement on the body of hands that act as a channel for energy; and therapies using essential oils.