Guided meditations, aromatherapy and color therapy are a few of the options available at Majestic Meditation and Wellness Spa.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Walcott
Aku Opata made her dreams come true — literally.
When asked what inspired to open her new business in 2022, the proprietor of Majestic Meditation and Wellness Spa replied, “This is going to sound really crazy, but it’s the truth. I had a dream about it and kept having the same dream over and over. I decided I better pay attention to it.”
To help achieve her dream, Opata returned to school at UNC-Charlotte in their Integrative and Holistic Therapy Program. There, she learned what she needed to ensure she could deliver a first-class spa experience for her clients.
“This is a self-paced spa where clients can choose the treatments that best suit them at that particular moment in time,” Opata said. “I can do guided meditations, aromatherapy and color therapy. I have a jade heated mat for reflexology and full body shiatsu heated massage chairs. There is an infrared sauna and a hydrotherapy massage table. I even have a shower — towels and shower shoes provided — if you get sweaty in the sauna. I also have herbal teas from Kenya and fresh herbs from Ghana for different types of treatments.”
Sessions at the spa are 90 minutes and must be booked in advance. For more information, contac the spa at 910-706-7999.
Opening the spa meant downsizing her other business, a clothing and accessories store called I Feel so African. “It’s still a small part of my business. I offer handmade clothing and accessories from Ghana and Kenya. Most of my business with that comes around Black History Month. I provide the Story-Telling Arts Center with some décor for that month. I occasionally help someone out with a special-order wedding dress,” she said.
Opata’s grandfather was a tribal chief in the village of Doryumu, which explains her connection to Ghana and Kenya, and he sent her father and his brothers to NC A & T University. That’s where her parents met.
She’s been there to visit numerous times and has been every year since 2014. Sadly, she just returned from her father’s funeral. “I know people don’t usually say this, but it was really kind of fun. It was truly a celebration of life. It lasted from Friday evening to Monday evening. There were two bands and a huge repast.”
Opata obviously has strong ties to the area as villagers voted her Queen Mother of Development and Tourism.
“Right now, I’m organizing a trip to Ghana for August 2023,” Opata said. “I want to share African culture with others. That’s why I originally opened I Feel so African. I wanted some of that culture home with me.”