She's directing the universe's traffic

Inside Que Linda, Victoria da Salla’s peaceful La Crescenta boutique, water babbles in fountains and aromatic incense burns. The items da Salla offers — body oils, polished stones, clothing, jewelry, music, loose leaf teas and books — are meant to assist anyone in their personal, spiritual journey.

Although this can be difficult to convey in a few words of advertising copy, da Salla said, many of her customers have learned about the store by word-of-mouth. Her shop’s list of Facebook followers continues to grow.

“Que Linda — that’s the thing I say to everybody. What is beautiful to you? What in your heart, what in your community, that you wear, you smell, you touch, you hear? Not you physically, but through your eyes — your heart. That’s kind of what we offer to somebody.”

The 3-year-old boutique is adjacent to the Body ’N Soul Studio, where da Salla’s mother, Emma Linda Molina-Ynequez, a licensed massage therapist, offers massages to clients.

A Crescenta Valley High School graduate and mother of two boys, da Salla also oversees people referred to in the store as soul workers. They use her space to host yoga classes, reiki healing, life coaching, reflexology, African or Native American drum classes and more. Once a month, writers and musicians convene to share material in what’s dubbed the “Emerging Artists Salon.”

A former manager at Topson Downs — a clothing manufacturer for stores such as Wal-Mart and JCPenney— da Salla climbed the corporate ladder. Many of the items in her shop are inspired by her travels.

A favorite part of da Salla’s job is directing people to products they might not consciously be looking for, whether it’s a blue protective stone or an owl necklace that signifies wisdom.

“I listen for what people have going on and what they’re drawn to,” da Salla said. She may lead them to a workshop or session with a soul worker, the unofficial name she’s given the life coaches, drum instructors and massage therapists working at the store. For this reason, a friend has told da Salla that she is directing the traffic at the universe’s intersection.