Best Place to Get Your Chakras Aligned 2002 | Feature Park EntranceFlatIron Crossing | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Place to Get Your Chakras Aligned

Feature Park Entrance
FlatIron Crossing

Offering up to three massage chairs and occasional live music, the Feature Park Entrance almost makes FlatIron's "retail resort" designation believable. "The massage has been really popular," says mall marketing director Chris Stallman. So has an aqua-massage kiosk (located near the food court), which layers patrons with plastic before spraying them down with soothing water. "People are getting more interested in taking care of themselves, and it's kind of a quick fix that they can do really easily," Stallman says. If only our bank accounts were so easily restored.

Best Bulk Buddhas

Cargo Imports

Cargo's merchandise appeals to browsers who share an affinity for far-off lands: East Indian and Tibetan artifacts are among the most popular items. And even if you adhere to a monk-like budget, you needn't leave the store empty-handed. Because Cargo's owners know that a spiritual quest doesn't have to break the bank, inexpensive items abound in their new Highland location, from handmade stationery and calendars to prayer flags. Our favorite cheapo option? The baskets full of small, square prayer stones, each engraved with an image of the Buddha. They're so reasonably priced, you may want to pick up a couple of handfuls. Just remember that desire leads to suffering

Best Crucifixes

Gerken's Church Supplies

Members of the flock and vampire hunters alike will delight in selecting a cruciform to suit their individual taste, budget and wall space from among the treasure trove of icons for sale in this warehouse-sized religious-supplies store in the heart of the historic Baker district. Though Gerken's boasts fine selections of communion-wafer plates and ceramic statues of the Archangel Michael slaying various demons, it's the hundreds of crucifixes hanging on the walls that will make the shopper feel truly blessed. The artifacts range in price from $7.95 (a tiny plastic Christ on a six-inch cross) to $3,000 (a four-foot bronze Christ on a six-foot oak cross) and come in all models: head up or down; crown of thorns or bare coiffure; full robe or loincloth. At Gerken's, the cross marks the spot.

Best Thangkas

Nepali Bazaar

Incredibly, the folks who create Thangkas -- generally Buddhist monks who live with their heads in the clouds at the top of the world -- don't consider them works of art. Rather, each intricately complex banner, colorfully depicting mandalas, Buddhas or bodhisattvas, is intended as a kind of spiritual lesson, prayer or charm for their Himalayan constituents. But damn if they aren't beautiful to look at, too. Melissa and Dinesh Shakya, the young owners of Nepali Bazaar, hand-pick theirs from the streets of Kathmandu, and their taste and care are evident in the selections they offer. And did we mention the reasonable prices? That excellent selling point spreads to the rest of the not-to-miss exotic merchandise, which includes brass Buddhas, bright ceremonial masks, gorgeous pressed-wool handbags, raw-silk wrap skirts with an elegant drape, fringed hand-knit cardigans and an unexpected trove of things for children, such as carved-wood rocking horses, tiny embroidered overalls, ethnic dolls and shiny brocade jackets. Enough to make you say Namaste!

Best Yentas

Colorado Jewish Social Network
Congregation Emanuel

For the past dozen years, the Colorado Jewish Social Network has been playing matchmaker for Denver singles looking for a soulmate. Members of the network, who pay annual dues of $90, can peruse binders full of questionnaires and pictures of other Jewish singles in search of Mr. or Ms. Right. Under the direction of Roslyn Rudnick, CJSN brings the couples together in a non-threatening way; the rest is up to them. The network also sponsors social events and workshops throughout the year. Hey, it couldn't hurt.

Best New-Age Horse Doctoring

Dr. Gayle Trotter
Equine Acupuncture and Chiropractic Services

People do it, so why shouldn't horses? That was the question on Dr. Gayle Trotter's mind after the equine surgeon at CSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital observed firsthand the benefits of acupuncture treatment for his own lower-back pain. Trotter went the extra mile to learn more about the practice of alternative therapies; as a result, CSU is now one of the few veterinary hospitals in the nation offering integrated medical programs for hurtin' horses that combine such treatment components as exercise, massage and acupuncture. Giddyap!

Best New Dr. Dolittle

Kate Solisti-Mattelon

"Lying at our feet, curled up at the foot of our beds, are beings capable of teaching us everything we are seeking. We have only to learn how to listen," writes Boulderite Kate Solisti-Mattelon in her book Conversations With Dog. Solisti-Mattelon, who has written or co-written several other books, including Conversations With Cat, is an animal communicator who claims to use telepathy to find out what our domesticated companions are thinking. Solisti-Mattelon says she was born with the gift of animal communication; it was not something she tried to acquire. But it is for the rest of us, who may not be as expert in the "generous language" of dogs or the "brutally honest" language of cats, that Solisti-Mattelon writes her books.

Best Place to Pamper Your Pussy

Cat Cradle Cattery

When you leave town, it's only fair that your cat get a little vacation, too. And since you want to be sure your four-legged friend is well cared for, the best place to take him or her is to the Cat Cradle Cattery, a little house tucked away in a wooded area off busy Kipling. A delightful couple who are crazy about cats own the kennel. Two of their own felines wander the place freely, greeting the new arrivals. Rather than cramped cages, all cats are boarded in spacious wooden kennels built by the owner; three levels give the cats ample room to move around. And once a day, the cats are taken out for exercise. The owners provide all food and keep note of which kind your cat prefers. The only thing you'll have to worry about is getting your cat to go home with you when you return. Purrfect.

Best Pet Travel Guide

Doggone

Coloradans love their dogs and like to take them everywhere. Robyn Peters, publisher of Doggone (The Newsletter About Fun Places to Go and Cool Things to Do With Your Dog), understands this. Peters, who bases her business out of Boulder, personally checks out many of the dog-friendly places across the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Caribbean with the help of her cocker spaniel, Jenny. And if the newsletters haven't covered an area in this country that a customer wants to travel to, Peters will research states on an individual basis. So get your dog gone: Annual subscriptions to the bi-monthly are $25.

Best Dog Taxi

Canine Cab

Angela Gazzara started her Canine Cab business last August because her busy schedule was often in conflict with her dog's needs: visits to the vet, grooming appointments and, of course, doggie daycare. While her goal was a dog-transportation service for busy pet owners, Gazzara also realized there were many disabled and non-driving pet owners who could benefit from it. An initial visit with pets and and an interview with their owners is required, and because of allergies, Gazzara ferries only dogs. Her other drivers, though, can tote your non-canine friends.

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