Ever wished there was somewhere you could go to retreat from the madness of the day and experience a few minutes of stress-free peace?

Deryn Higgins hopes that her new store — appropriately named My Sereni-tea — will be just such a haven for many people looking for a break from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.

The store, in Chancery Hall, at 52 Reid Street, features a tea bar and a large seating area, where customers can relax on comfortable chairs to the sound of soothing, New Age music.

Distinctive goods, including crystals, jewellery and books are displayed around the perimeter of the room. Assistant store manager Cassie Matcham helps with the running of the business.

It is certainly a relaxing environment, in which Ms Higgins hopes many customers will enjoy allowing their stress to melt away.

The store also has a holistic treatment room, where clients who want to recharge their positive energy can do so, before enjoying a cup of tea at an outside table with a view of Hamilton harbour.

Ms Higgins is a holistic healing practitioner, a doctor of metaphysics, a Rohun therapist and a Reiki Master, having studied these disciplines at Delphi University in Georgia.

My Sereni-tea, she said, represented the realisation of a long-held ambition. She said she had been on a spiritual path for the past 17 years and had started to train in the holistic arts eight years ago.

"I want this to be a place where people can come and escape from the stress of what's going on out there," Ms Higgins said. "I want to help people."

The feedback since the store opened its doors a few days ago had been overwhelmingly positive, Ms Higgins said, with "I don't want to leave" being a commonly uttered phrase.

"This is a positive space and we need more positive spaces," Ms Higgins said.

My Sereni-tea offers a remarkable range of around 45 teas, most of them visible in large jars behind the tea bar. There are green, white, red and black teas and you can even order a tea latte.

Some teas have elaborate flavours, including carrot cake (complete with pieces of carrot and coconut) and vanilla berry truffle.

Some teas are named to indicate beneficial health properties, such as Happy Tummy, Memory Zest and Women's Balance. Some of the tinned teas to buy are branded similarly, such as Hydrate, Detox and Relax.

"I've loved tea since I went off coffee about eight or nine years ago when I started doing Reiki," Ms Higgins said. "I like the green and white teas especially, and I drink it religiously every day, because of the antioxidants and because it boost your immune system."

Crystals, jewellery made by local jewellery maker Terry Chapman, a selection of self-help and enlightenment books are available at the store. The unusual gift possibilities include Celtic symbol cards, Tibetan prayer flags, Native American "dreamcatchers" and Bermudian sand art picture frames.

The range of holistic services offered includes light energisation, colour and sound healing, meditation classes and women's healing circles. All of them are designed to make people feel more positive about life.

Conveniently for Ms Higgins, the store backs onto the premises of Global Travel, another business she owns.

Ms Higgins, whose father worked for the Trusthouse Forte hotel group in Bermuda, has worked in the travel business for 25 years. She has owned Global Travel for the past 12, operating from an office in Smith's parish until she moved the office into Hamilton on May 1.

She said the travel agency, which is managed by Becky Cunha, has lost a few customers to rival Internet services, but is continuing to hold its own and prove its worth to customers.

"We still do a lot of corporate business and deal with people who want to book tours and cruises," Ms Higgins said. "We can help people with logistics.

"In situations like we're seeing with the volcanic ash cloud and 9/11, you can call on your travel agent if your plans are disrupted. Your travel agent is your lifeline. You don't get that with Expedia."

For more information, go to the Sereni-tea website at http://www.mysereniteabermuda.com or e-mail dhiggins@ibl.bm.