Skip to main content

The Amethyst Lotus open downtown

The Amethyst Lotus offers not only a boutique space, (featured above) but also includes a variety of individual spaces for practitioners to meet with clients, as well as The Zen Den for relaxation.
The Amethyst Lotus offers not only a boutique space, (featured above) but also includes a variety of individual spaces for practitioners to meet with clients, as well as The Zen Den for relaxation. Photo by Katelynn Farley.

An alternative option for wellness is now available in downtown Huntington. Anyone seeking a path to wellness without using modern medicine or treatments is invited to visit The Amethyst Lotus, located at 35 W. Market St., Huntington.

The Amethyst Lotus is owned and operated by Lisa Brewer and Skydawn Bickel. They describe themselves as “yin and yang” because of how different they are, but they each agree that one could not have opened the business without the other.

“We are so polar opposites,” Brewer said. “I’ve started saying to people, if you want to know what yin and yang looks like, this is it.”

The space offers a variety of ways for patrons to relax and “find their wellness” depending on what they are looking for. Bickel, an energy healing practitioner and Reiki master/teacher, offers meditation therapy, intuitive coaching, life coaching, sound therapy and other routes of treatment.

“I specialize in energy work and working with the subconscious through hypnosis and things like that,” Bickel said.

Other options and practitioners include Erin Baumgartner, an esthetician, who offers customized facial treatments, massages, eyelash extensions and uses a line of Osmosis products for her treatments. Tre Sherman is a tattoo artist, and although he is booked through March, the goal is for Sherman to go full time soon.

“A lot of people aren’t sure how (tattooing) fits into a wellness center, but...you either know what ink therapy is or you don’t,” Brewer said.

Aside from the individual practitioners, the space also features a boutique with items such as books, teas, sage, crystals and other items that people can purchase and learn more about for their wellness journey. At the back of the building, community members are welcome to visit The Zen Den, which Brewer and Bickel designed as a place for people to relax.

“We would like to make this a safe space so people can come in and talk about their problems… because that’s all a part of your wellness,” Brewer said, including the issue of addiction as an example. “Our Zen Den is for people who just need a break.”

Bickel chimed in stating that The Zen Den can be used as a meditation and prayer space as well. The Zen Den has dim lights and features billowing fabrics and comfortable seating arrangements, giving it a look similar to a child’s tree house.

“It kind of brings out your inner child,” Bickel said. “It allows people to just…experience something different that they’re not used to experiencing in Huntington.”

Brewer originally lived in Seattle, WA, and owns another business there. A little over a year ago, Brewer and her daughter visited the area and they were introduced to Bickel through a mutual acquaintance, Bobby Blair. It wasn’t until the pair met for a session that Brewer – who had been a skeptic about alternative wellness options and the work that Bickel does – decided that she was a believer.

“My very first session with Sky, my husband, who had passed away, came into the session,” Brewer said. “She knew nothing about me other than my first name, and I did not believe in what she did. But she knew things that she couldn’t possibly have known, because Bobby didn’t even know.”

After Bickel and Brewer made this first connection, Brewer said “we went from being a skeptic and a healer to a client and a healer” and from there, they tossed around the idea of doing something together.

“This was born out of a lot of love and we met here, so I think it’s amazing that it ended up being our space,” Brewer said.

There will be a grand opening event on Saturday, Jan. 29. Folks are invited to come in to explore the space, learn more and set up appointments for sessions with the practitioners. There will be raffles, discounts offered and a meet-and-greet.

The Amethyst Lotus also offers a rewards program through a punch card system. Different things, such as scheduling a service, bringing in a coffee mug or water bottle to use, bringing in reusable bags or coming in to the grand opening event all merit a punch card punch.

“There are people who aren’t quite sure what we do here and we want people to check us out and know that we don’t do anything weird and it’s a place to relax,” Brewer said. “We are in a society where we care so much about what other people think that we stop taking care of ourselves and that’s kind of what we want to focus on – self care.”

Consultations for certain practices will also be a requirement. For instance, there will be tarot card readings available, but a consultation will be required prior to the cards being used and cards will never be out and about for anyone to pick up.

“We’re not a witch shop,” Brewer said. “This is all about wellness and whether you’re a Christian or whether you’re an atheist or a buddhist –”

“We believe that faith is your own journey,” Bickel continued. “It’s not something you have to go to church for in order to get.”

The Amethyst Lotus officially opened on Tuesday, Jan. 4. The boutique will be open Tuesday through Saturday. Weekday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Individual practitioner hours are available by appointment.