Egg Harbor Township woman helping others to R.E.L.A.X.

A few years ago, Donna C. King was sitting in church, patting the back of a young mother and comforting her. That’s when King was hit with inspiration.

Soon, she was jotting down a poem during the sermon based around the words she whispered to the young mother, “Relax.”

“I knew it was divinely orchestrated, so I immediately got it copy-written and all of that and I gave a copy to the mother so it would be a constantly reminder to relax,” she said.

Now, King is helping women everywhere through her new group, R.E.L.A.X.

In 2014, King made T-shirts and wrist bands with the acronym, which stands for “real, extraordinary, love, always, extra-special.”

“I realized it was something much bigger than that, I needed to do something to really help people find balance,” said King.

Around that time, King was going through a second divorce that she called “devastating.” King decided to host a weekend at her house for women, with a massage therapist, and gave away some of the relaxation products she creates.

Nearing her 60th birthday, she decided to host the event again. This time, as a pajama party.

Since then, R.E.L.A.X has evolved to have some support group and therapeutic aspects for the women who attend.

“I knew R.E.L.A.X was supposed to be something other than T-shirts and wristbands, so I took a chance and reached out to the same core friends of mine who came to my birthday party,” she said.

Right now, King said the group meets every other month at her home in Egg Harbor Township.

During one session, the women talked about what they were carrying around with them “in their bag,” but not their purse. In another, the subject revolved around “what makes you comfortable.”

King said they don’t necessarily kick back, but look inside at who they are, which is important for women who are always on the move. It’s a safe place, she says, where layers are gradually peeled off.

“We always sit around other women pretending we’re something we’re not,” she said. “I’ve attempted to create and environment to relax and be who we are, along with our differences and similarities, and just be.”

The gracious host often cooks up a full meal for the women. Together, they will eat, hear from guest speakers, launch discussions, and treat themselves to a massage.

King does not include alcohol, as she said it’s important for the women to work on themselves “unimpaired.”

In some of the women, seeing the transformation taking place over time is powerful.

Mostly, she says, because she never knew it would have this kind of impact.

“The main thing is to be able to make a difference, change our lives so we can help change someone else and show them a better way,” said King.

King is excited for the future, seeing a possibility that the group could go national and take place in different venues.

She knows it’ll help make a difference in the lives of those who attend.

“We as women have got to get to a place to deal with ourselves before we can deal with anyone else. To me it’s self-acceptance and love,” she said.

King never thought of it as therapy before. Now she laughs:

“Maybe it is some kind of therapy,” she said.

“It’s something that is really going to make a difference.”

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