Gam Cho is in the house

I spent four hours at King Spa yesterday with a good friend. In the hot whirlpool, a staff member told us to use our “spa voices.” We were having way too much fun catching up, telling stories. Way too loudly apparently.

From the moment we walked in, there was something wonderfully pleasant in the air. A scent. Very herbal and woody. It followed us all afternoon. Finally, before we left, I asked one of the staff, who shared that it was the bags of herbs that were hanging throughout the spa and were for sale–all different kinds. Her favorite was Gam Cho (甘草) or licorice, actually used very often in oriental medicine to harmonize the mixtures of other herbal remedies. According to Chinese medicine, Gam Cho is a qi invigorating herb, which helps reduce inflammation, promote balance and general healing.

I bought a bag and brought it home. And now Gam Cho is in the house. Without a whirlpool or salt saunas or lazy boy chairs to distract it. Without needing to use its spa voice, it can focus solely and patiently on working to balance the energies in this house. It can ubiquitously and quietly infuse itself into the air we breathe to get our qi flowing without obstruction. It can turn on its anti-inflammatory properties to support shalom bayit.