The Little Shop Around the Corner
written by: Melanie Groves; Circle the Child
Shop Local. That’s the blog topic this week. Challenge accepted! I know exactly where to go. I love this little shop. Nature’s Spirit is located in the heart of downtown Milton on Main Street and it’s our new age shop. They have a wide variety of items in their shop for all your spiritual or just looking for cool things needs.
The shop is for everyone. I even bought all my teacher gifts there. One year I wiped them out of all of their Himalayan sea salt votive holders, because let’s face it, teachers deserve a present that can help them relax!
My most recent visit this past weekend doubled as an Artist’s date. With snow coming down and my boots crunching in the bits of snow on the sidewalk, I walked along the street soaking in the calm of the scene. The cars were whizzing by but I didn’t notice, I was lost in admiring the snowflakes come down and land on the lamp posts that are decorated for Christmas. I get there only to find in my excitement that I was there 30 minutes before the shop even opened. What to do? I could get in my car, drive home, wait 10 minutes and then come back out or…. wait! There’s a coffee shop a few steps away. Ahhh a couple more minutes of me-time bliss. I got 2 moments of zenned out. A quiet coffee moment almost like a pre-zen for the big Zen moment.
The time has come. I am giddy with excitement. I open the door. It has bells, old school style, that chime when the door opens. It’s like it transports you immediately to a quieter more sane time. The soft lighting, the quiet music and the smells of incense and sage fill my senses. The atmosphere feels warm immediately melting away the outside chill from the air.
It’s homey, it’s comfortable. It’s truly blissfully relaxing. One of the owners walks in from the back room, carrying her cup of steaming tea. We strike up a conversation like we do every visit. It’s like visiting your favourite cousin. We share stories, talk about what the energy is doing lately, it’s a marvellous experience. No pressure, no rushing just a friendly banter when I ask questions about the history of the item, likely locally sourced, or it’s use and a respectful distance when I want to walk around the store and just browse and get lost in my thoughts and senses.
Whether it’s a 5 minute in and out because I know exactly what I need or a 45 min peruse and pick up and feel and smell everything in the store, the experience is always just what the doctor ordered for me. I walk out balanced and re-energized. It’s like a spa experience without the hefty price tag. Well I suppose that depends on what you buy (insert winky emoji here).
Of course for the experience alone you want to pop in in person. If geography however, doesn’t allow for a road trip then you can always find Nature’s Spirit online or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
