“Everything that we do ties together to help people learn how they can live their best life, that they have the power to control and direct their lives."
 ~ Maryann Miller & Susan Drummond 

 

When combined, the image of a rainy afternoon and a good book, which are two individual things, not only complement and enhance each other but also spark the imagination and the emotions so powerfully, making it possible to even imagine where we could be when we experience them. Today, the words balance, wellness and healthy lifestyle are an inseparable combination that can invoke powerful images around the intention of healing. This concept is exactly what Susan Drummond, a licensed massage therapist and Reiki Master, and Maryann Miller, Certified Heal Your Life Teacher/ Workshop Facilitator and founder of Consciously Living, had in mind when they decided to combine their talents and skills, which they offer at NJBalance Wellness Center, founded by Drummond and Miller in Medford Village.

Susan Drummond

Susan Drummond first sensed her unique gifts and interest in the metaphysical sciences when her young niece and father became ill. From an Italian family, who were all comfortable with displays of affection, Drummond naturally wanted to touch and comfort them with her hands. “When my hands were on them, I felt energy moving through me and realized there was something more happening than just touching. This spurred my interest first in massage and then in Reiki. The combination of hands on massage and energy work opened up my intuitive channels and also allowed me to help my beloved family members physically, spiritually, and emotionally throughout their dying process,” says Drummond, who previously managed an engineering firm before getting a massage license and opening up her private practice. “I went from the extreme of left-brained work to the right-brained work of intuitive healer and massage therapist. I even taught massage at a local holistic massage school. Through it all I held on to my dream of opening up a wellness center.”

Maryann Miller

Maryann Miller initially channeled her passion for children and teaching into a career as a teacher of elementary physical education. When her husband accepted a job in Louisiana, she transferred her skills into religious adult education. Later, she returned to college to work on a masters degree and moved into the business world, where she worked for 21 years. “I tried to balance the intensity of my work life with studying the body of writing by Louise Hay and Edgar Cayce, which helped me to make sense of my life, particularly during the trying times of my divorce in 1997,” remarks Miller. 

When Miller retired in 2007, she was suffering from burnout. “Shortly after I moved back to New Jersey and met Susan, I went to a class on psychic development, which was something I did to pamper myself and develop my intuitive guidance,” explains Miller.

During the first two years of Miller’s retirement, there were many months of journaling, meditation, reading, studying and crying. “I think that’s when my life was healed and I got my Ph.D. from God, which is why I feel that I have a really good understanding of how we are meant to live and work with life,” jokes Miller, who took her newfound wisdom one step further by posing the question—Show me how I can serve others and share what I’ve learned. The question was quickly answered. “I could combine my teaching background with the new spiritual principles and laws and share them with others,” says Miller, who later attended a Louise Hay “I Can Do It” conference, where she learned how she could become certified to teach the principles in Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life book. She is also a certified in hypnotism, Reiki and Rain Drop therapy.

Today, Drummond and Miller show their willingness to serve in many ways at NJBalance Wellness, a peaceful and serene setting in a historic house built in 1847. The center is a veritable safe haven and welcoming gathering place for like-minded people to connect, discuss ideas, take a class, recharge, read a book, work on a puzzle, purchase a book or a gift, and to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in a comfortable chair. “The energy here is so wonderful that we have to remind ourselves to go home,” say the women.

“Everything that we do ties together to help people learn how they can live their best life, that they have the power to control and direct their lives. Most importantly, all that we do is really for the purpose of teaching people that they are not broken but rather they are beautiful spiritual beings having a human experience,” enthuse Drummond and Miller.

NJBalance Wellness Center, 43 S. Main St., Medford. Call 609-975-8379 or email [email protected]. Visit NJBalanceWellness.com.