Ming Ming Molony has brought her knowledge and skills halfway around the world, and now finds herself in a former bank building on the corner of Front and Bridge street in Catasauqua. There, she has attempted to design a special environment for her clients.

"I wanted to create a relaxing oasis where my customers could get away from the hustle of the ordinary routine," she said.

Molony did not pick a high traffic area. "I wanted to create something unique that will draw people to the spa, not a place they stop by on the way to somewhere else."

Her business offers a number of services, including acupuncture, massages and skin treatments.

Molony is a native of China who met her American husband, David, in China while he was studying Chinese herbal medicine.

"We had a difficult time with American and Chinese authorities after we were married in China and tried to come back to the States," said Molony. "But we overcame the obstacles and are happy to be here."

Molony originally set up her business in Emmaus when she first came to the area in 1988, but quickly expanded beyond the small location. "On the advice of a client, I found this place in Catasauqua in 1991 and moved here," she said. "I liked the area because I'm from the east coast of China and there were trees here, like I remember."

Molony is a certified and licensed acupuncture practitioner and specializes in natural face-lifts. She received most of her training in China. "We combine acupuncture with facials to naturally refurbish the skin and bring back its youthful tone," she says. From her training in China and her work in Chinese hospitals, Molony says she has seen how effective the correct natural remedies can be.

David Molony has been a practicing masseuse for nearly five decades.

The Molonys have extensively remodeled the interior of the building.

"We took everything down to the bare walls and rebuilt it," she said. Each room has a different theme created in modern mosaic tile. One tiled massage room depicts a mountain scene with a flowing river.

"We want repeat customers that are happy with our services," she said.

The spa offers body scrubs, waxing, manicures, pedicures and massages.

"Plenty of places offer these services, so we need to do them better," she says.

Unique twists involve threading (a hair removal system that uses regular sewing thread), seaweed baths, filtered showers that eliminate chlorine, an infrared sauna and unique tanning beds.

"Our tanning beds use different types of light to rejuvenate the skin and supply vitamin D," she said.

Molony is focused on using natural products at the spa.

"I spent years going to trade shows trying to find the right products," she said. "Not all the products termed natural are good for your skin, but I believe we have the best products."

Molony plans to begin introducing classes at her spa, beginning with lectures on feng shui on Monday, Oct 28, at 12:30 and 6:30 p.m.

"The feng shui adjustments that we made at the spa made a difference in how our clients felt," she says. "Our goal is to create an area for our customers to relax and have things done for them."