Pat Rorke, Owner of Spa Rockaway, Featured in the Rockaway Times!
Have you ever wondered what people do all day at their jobs? I have, and that's the basis for this column, Rockaway At Work.
As soon as I enter Spa Rockaway, I know this is a place of calm and healing. Voices are hushed, the fireplace is glowing, the seating is comfortable, and the atmosphere is peaceful. There are two signs, "Relax" and "Speak softly, spa treatments in session," and I intend to respect both.
I am here to watch Pat Rorke and see what she does all day as the owner of a spa. Rorke starts her day at home, catching up on emails, and posting inspirational and educational messages on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. Then she eagerly arrives at the spa at 9:30 a.m., which is a half hour before opening time. Rorke says she loves coming to work "because good feelings and energy flow here from person to person."
Rorke allowed me to accompany her to the treatment area to see the different treatment rooms for massages and for facials. I was impressed with the ambience of the treatment rooms. The pictures, the lightening, the colors of the walls. all create the feeling that here is a place clients will be well taken care of, and pampered.
I was curious about what Rorke, an experienced esthetician in Rockaway Beach, does when she gives a client a facial. A new client fills out a consultation form, listing his/her issues and problems. Rorke then talks with the client, then discusses the process. The client lies down on the comfy, heated bed in a wrap and Rorke analyzes the client's skin with a magnifying lamp. are the pores clogged? Is there puffiness? Is the skin dehydrated? Are there dark circles under the eyes? Rorke applies essential oils for relaxation, and then cleanses the skin with steam to open the pores, and then applies whatever treatments are appropriate. Then comes an application of hot towels, followed by a massage of the face, neck, and upper chest area, to promote circulation and stimulate the muscles.
Luxurious!
Rorke is a member of the Nutritional Aesthetics Association and is a New York State licensed esthetician. I had to ask her what an esthetician is. An esthetician is a therapist who takes care of the skin by analyzing it and helping it to heal.
Rorke created, and uses in the spa, her own line of skin care products, Skin Holistic by Pat Rorke. She worked with a lab and a formulator to create a line of "natural botanicals of the highest quality" for a "holistic approach to skin health." "After trying many products and just not getting the results," she felt it was "time to develop her own line." Her decision to become as esthetician and design these products was made because Rorke says, "I love the changes I can make in someone's skin."
Rorke tells me that "Spa Rockaway's most important asset is the staff. The teamwork of everyone here is over the top. We have always felt like a family here, and I'm grateful to be working with such a devoted, kind-hearted, talented group of women, whose main concern is the wellness and health of our community," she said. The staff includes massage therapists Jamie, Victoria, Johanna, Colleen, Lorraine, and Lucie, and estheticians Marcia, Lauren, and Tina. They are supported by her front desk staff, Kate, Tana, Megan, and Theresa.
Rorke, as part of her job, is constantly learning. Rorke told me that "Spa Rockaway is unique because we combine the ancient healing techniques of Eastern medicine with state-of-the-art techniques of the Western world." She is continually studying ancient Chinese healing techniques; and is certified in face yoga, gua sha (an ancient Chinese technique for massaging the face with jadestone), and reiki healing. When I left, she was about to hold a training session for the estheticians in a new treatment and ingredients.
Spa Rockaway is located at 112-20 Beach Channel Drive and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, with late nights until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Running a business, developing a skin care line, constantly learning and training others, caring about the community and healing...Rockaway works hard!
