New year, new you: Help make resolutions stick at Fall River's New Moon holistic center
FALL RIVER — It's a new year. And after the slog that was 2021 — which felt more like 24 months than 12 months amid the pandemic — we can finally set our sights on a brighter 2022.
Filled with hope and a fresh start, it's a time to reset and refocus.
In an effort to do so, many people set New Year's resolutions. Those annual promises we make to better ourselves and spark positive change that, despite the best of intentions, are often forgotten by mid-January.
But have no fear. There are places you can turn to help you finally make good on those plans.
If your resolutions focus on health and self-care, you can work on new goals for the new year for a new you with a visit to Fall River's newly opened New Moon.
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Owner Tricia Tappen said this "hidden gem" at 4 Hartwell St., Suite 202, offers locals a place to relax, unwind and recharge.
"We are a one-stop shop for everybody to be able to fix their mind, body and their soul," said Tappen, a medical aesthetician and reiki master who has been working in the skin care industry for 15 years.
New Moon itself is a gift shop with over 30 local craft vendors, "kind of like an indoor craft fair that's always open," Tappen said.
"I wanted to supply a place where people could showcase their work and not have to wait for that craft fair to come around."
That gift shop space, Tappen said, serves as an umbrella for various services and practices such as massage therapy, chiropractic care, aesthetics, reiki and crystal healing, Tarot readings, guided meditation and clinical aromatherapy.
A visit to New Moon is about much more than just treating yourself. The Fall River-based holistic health collaborative offers a different whole-person approach to medical care and wellness.
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"Everybody needs to focus on self-care," Tappen said. "You can't pour from a glass that has no water in it, so you have to make sure you're taking care of yourself before you can help other people."
The goal of New Moon, she said, is to offer people the tools to help "be a better version of themselves."
What started as a dream between Tappen and friend Jessica Leahey, a licensed massage therapist and owner of Blue Moon Massage located inside New Moon, became reality this fall, when the shop opened its doors Nov. 1 in its second-floor space in the Kay Building.
And while only open a short two months, Tappen said they've received a lot of positive community feedback, with clients making the trek to New Moon from as far as New York.
"People are saying there's nowhere like this in the area, and what a great idea it was to put these options together," said Tappen, a resident of Westport. "It's been overwhelming and exciting. ... It's been a whole lot of feelings but it's been quite wonderful."
Inside New Moon, visitors can find the following services: Talk Aesthetics with Tricia, Leading Performance Chiropractic, Healing Hart Aromatherapy, Blue Moon Massage and Evolving Vibes.
It almost seemed like fate how effortlessly their plans came to fruition, Tappen said. The New Moon concept was talked about in the early fall and doors opened by November.
"Everything was just happening the way that the universe wanted it to... we really haven't come across any obstacles," Tappen said of New Moon, a member of One SouthCoast Chamber.
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Considering New Moon is tucked away in a commercial building, the fact that their business has grown through word of mouth and people seeking them out is huge, Tappen said.
"I like that people are taking the time to be able to help themselves and realize that we are worth it," she said.
They are also learning tips and tricks along the way.
Education is a big component of what they do at New Moon, Tappen said, from educating themselves and "staying in tune with what's current" to providing clients with the knowledge to better care for themselves.
"It's not just your typical facial. ... I'm really getting down into your skin and teaching people about at-home care," said Tappen, whose expertise covers all aspects of aesthetics including customized facials, Environ Cool Peels, dermaplaning, lash lifts, brow and lash tinting, waxing and more.
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By giving them the tools to prevent — rather than just correct — a situation, said Tappen, who runs Talk Aesthetics with Tricia at New Moon, can help each individual reach their skin care goals.
"A facial is like going to the dentist, but you have to keep up with it just like brushing your teeth," she said.
She now also incorporates crystal healing and reiki into her treatment to give people a "whole body relaxation." Reiki, a Japanese form of alternative medicine, is a hands-on energy healing technique thought to reduce stress and promote healing.
Leahey, of Blue Moon Massage, performs a wide range of treatments, from relaxation and pregnancy massage to sports/deep tissue massage. She also offers a therapy that many people aren't too familiar with called cupping, which helps bring more blood flow to certain areas of the body during a massage, Tappen says.
According to New Moon's Facebook page, Leahey, a resident of Fall River, is a competitive bodybuilder and "utilizes her knowledge as an athlete to help clients repair injuries and reach their fitness goals."
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For Danielle Botelho, owner of Leading Performance Chiropractic, which has been part of New Moon since its grand opening, attention to health not only focuses on the spine, but the body as a whole.
"Normally people who go to the chiropractor would be in and out in 10 minutes," Tappen said. "She focuses more on soft tissue work. She'll work on you for 15 to 20 minutes before she actually goes and does the adjustment. she's not just sending you in and out and onto the next patient."
In addition to their services, New Moon offers special events every month. On Feb. 12, New Moon will host Dr. Kevin Gendreau for a free Q&A and discussion of his new book "Fasting While Furious: How I Turned Anger and Sadness into Motivation for Weight Loss."
In July of 2018, the Fall River native and Southcoast Health physician was a guest on "The Today Show," where he discussed how his sister’s tragic cancer diagnosis motivated him to choose a healthy lifestyle. Gendreau, who has been profiled in previous Herald News stories, lost 125 pounds in under two years by following a clean-eating plan and intermittent fasting.
Gendreau, who is also the author of children's books that aim to teach young kids how to live a healthy life in a fun way, draws from his own weight loss experience in hopes of inspiring others.
New Moon also holds monthly guided meditations and paint nights.
Though the business is still in its early stages, Tappen said they are already outgrowing their space and among their goals for 2022 is making the move to a storefront.
But no matter where they are, she said, "we want to make sure we are providing a safe space for people to feel comfortable, to be able to feel like they can take a deep breath and not stress out and relax."
For more information on New Moon and its hours of operation, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NewMoonSuite202.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: New Moon wellness collaborative sets up shop in Fall River
