Men and women swayed in the cool morning breeze, hands above heads, as though hanging from invisible tops, as Alan Buckingham led them in the soft, gentle movements of Tai Chi. "Breathe," he instructs. They breathe in unison.

These Tai Chi participants were among about 200 people seeking knowledge about their own bodies (and souls) at the 5th annual Wellness Fair of the Therapy Association and Disabilities Advocates of the Virgin Islands (TADA) at Magens Bay.

If you wanted to know "what happy people know," as one healer phrased it, this was the place to find out. Along the trail to happiness, a veritable garden of healing modalities was available – yoga practices, massages therapies, mind and body massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, – all offered for a song, $5 for a 10-minute session.

Catching her breath from a noon-time Zumba session, Eileen Short, TADA president, says, "People come here with the intention of healing through nutrition, yoga, massage, or other modalities. It’s about people looking for health, empowerment, for peace."

Short, director of physical therapy at the Schneider Regional Medical Center, is an integral part of the island’s healing community. Her boundless energy and generosity were evident Saturday as she greeted folks pouring into the fair.

Short’s sister, Maureen Short, visiting from Vermont, spoke on "The Power of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water for Greater Health and Happiness." She brought to the island what she teaches at her
Vermont Lightheart Healing Arts sanctuary.

Eileen Short says she was especially pleased to see lots of younger kids Saturday. "We have lots of teenagers this year," she says. Two of those teenagers were Short’s own sons, Jaia and Keon. "Can you believe it?" she says. "They even sat and listened to their aunt talk. Amazing."

Crystal Okamoto, a physical therapist who works with Short, was busy putting lampshades on unsuspecting clients. Well, not really. "They walked into it," Okamoto says, with a laugh.
She and Michelle Klein, an intern, and therapist Bonnie Barr were helping folks find their balance through "vestibular rehabilitation," or more generally, "balance rehabilitation."

First, Okamoto has a client stand still looking straight ahead, which tests vision. Then the client, or "willing victim,” steps on a pillow, moving the feet, or standing on tiptoes to test vestibular inner ear responses, and then the lampshade, the Foam of Dome, where the client is asked to move while sight is impaired. Therapies are then suggested for clients with inner ear, or dizziness problems.

"If a person’s balance is mildly in question, for instance getting up in the night, we might suggest a night light," she says.

Everything from therapies to food to dance to Zumba peacefully coexisted Saturday. "We Grow Food," the Bordeaux cooperative, had a blooming booth filled with greens – heads of lettuce, bouffant bunches of kale – while Densil Delicious Delights dished out wonderful smelling vegetarian tofu and brown rice dishes.

Stalwart June Archibald offered homemade jellies and jams from her Precious Produce farm, while Stephanie and John Brown offered Boresha Coffee along with magnetic massages.
Meantime, chiropractor Tammie Reeve McKnight, of Wisdom Wave Wellness Center, had clients lined up for network spinal analysis.

In fact, it was McKnight who knows "what happy people know." McKnight starts with a volunteer on a massage table and examines posture. "Think of the spinal cord as a noodle," she says. "Flexibility is what you want." Running her hand down the volunteer’s spine, McKnight examines tense and relaxed areas. "Now," she instructs. "Breathe." While holding your hands on your chest, your abdomen, and your stomach, you follow her lead, discovering a new method of belly-breathing in the process.

After the lessons, this reporter can attest, one does feel a sense of well being, more relaxed.
McKnight asks, "What would your life be like it you could experience it in a totally different way?" She holds classes at her center to answer that question.

Raffle tickets for $2 were going like, well like $2 raffle tickets. The money is used for the V.I. Disability Fund, the association’s nonprofit group, which provides assistive technology and equipment for children and adults with disabilities, said Short. "The raffle is key," Short added, "and we had great donations this year, massages, boat trips, even hotel stays."

TADA’s mission is to promote enlightened awareness and understanding of individuals with disabilities, provide them with services and therapy and advocate for their outreach. TADA comprises physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists.