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When Cindy Aguirre was a new mom, she had a very colicky baby. Desperate for help, she was introduced to acupressure by a friend who, at the time, was into Jin Shin Jyutsu, which is a healing art that releases tension. According to WebMD, acupressure is essentially acupuncture without the needles. Pressure is applied to specific places on the body to reduce muscle tension and promote blood circulation, and in Aguirre’s case, it can also be used to calm a colicky baby.
“I kept calling her, asking where I should hold my son to get him to stop crying,” says Aguirre, owner and visionary of Aqua Serene Wellness. “She finally talked me into learning it, so I went to study that, then went to massage school.”
Now 61 years old, she’s been practicing hydrotherapy and massage for years, and holds dozens of certifications, including Sound Healing, Enzyme Professional Certification, and is a Certified Natural Health Professional. Additionally, Aguirre is a holistic esthetician. Knowing that digestive health is closely tied to skin conditions, Aguirre went back to school to earn her esthetics degree, where she also earned diplomas from the International Therapeutic Exam Council (ITEC) in facial electrical and facial beauty treatments.
Taking all of her certifications and years of experience, Aguirre decided to open her own business in early 2016, Aqua Serene Wellness, nestled in Carmel, Indiana. In her role, she supports her clients on their health journey for digestive health.
We met with Aguirre and got her take on holistic health versus a traditional approach, what it’s like owning her own business, and what her personal view on health is.
Maven superpower: I’m a good listener. I’m not judgmental.
Tell us about Aqua Serene Wellness and the services available.
I offer digestive wellness support, colon hydrotherapy, and holistic esthetics. We also have other practitioners here who offer different types of massages, as well as a functional medicine health coach, who is also an RN. Then we have a CoolSculpting doctor. He does “freeze your fat Fridays.”
Describe your day-to-day role as a business owner.
So, just as any entrepreneur, every day is different. Sometimes you’re the marketing person and also the plumber. I’m the receptionist and the person who cleans the toilet. My main service is colon hydrotherapy.
Where’d you get the idea to start your own business?
Well, I’ve worked for other people. Plus, I’ve been an entrepreneur in the past and owned my own company. However, I wanted to do things the way I felt was best for the client. That’s what I like, having a relationship with the client. I think when you work for somebody else, they’re always worried about the bottom line — how many hours do you work? How much money do you make? To me, building a relationship with my clients was most important, and doing it my way, instead of somebody else’s way.
Holistic health is a large part of your business. Describe it in your own words.
First off, I hate the word alternative. You hear that thrown around a lot. I like complementary better because we do work with people in the city that are medical professionals and we complement each other. Holistic to me means more of a natural-based approach — nutrition-based, supplement-based, botanicals.
What’s your advice for people who are wanting to learn more about holistic health?
Take your time and find out what works best for you. Find a practitioner that respects how fast or slow you want to go. You can’t go from zero to 60. Actually, holistic things may take a little bit longer to work because it’s supporting the body to do its own thing. It’s not a bandage, it’s something that supports the body. So, always be patient. You’re not going to get where you want to be overnight. You have to be able to support people through that process.
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How does a holistic approach differ from a traditional approach?
I think a lot of us in the holistic world have been through the traditional approach and found it frustrating. So, we ended up seeking it out because we were not satisfied. I think the holistic approach is much more personalized. I feel like non-holistic approaches are a lot more chemically-based, synthetic-based. You don’t get the personal treatment a lot in that world.
What are the benefits of holistic medicine?
Your body recognizes nutrition and plant-based medicine, it is supportive, cause-centered rather than masking symptoms.
What is your personal approach to help and wellness?
I’m still learning every day. I always want to learn and I feel like I need to research and learn. I am always interested in new things, not just the few things that I do most of the time. I’m also an herbalist. I am a forger.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
To trust yourself because you tend to second guess everything. Just sit with it and listen to your heart and trust your journey.
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
My dad. He’s no longer here. He’s been gone for 10 years. He was always my go-to. He was my grounding person and would listen to me. He was a very quiet man, but when he spoke, he was always profound.
Tell us about some of your favorite things to do around Indy.
I spend most of my time at home gardening and remodeling a very old farmhouse. Entertainment wise, I like to listen to live music, which has kind of been hard lately because of COVID. And I live near Eagle Creek, so I enjoy the nature of Eagle Creek and kayaking.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have three things, what would they be?
My “Bug Out Bag,” a boat, and a solar generator.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Sweet potatoes!
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