Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Herrera.
Hi Heather, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Our story dates back to 2019 when we were just a small yoga studio in Tecumseh, Michigan. We opened a new location just months before the pandemic shutdowns of 2020, and pivoted to an online-only, donation-based yoga studio for most of that year. When we were able to return to an in-person studio in 2021, we had grown by quite a bit through that experience. In 2023, we lost our location to developers and it was time to find something new.
In the years between opening the first studio in 2019 and seeking a new location in 2023, our founder, Heather Herrera, had become very interested in the healing practice of hot/cold contrast therapy through the use of hot saunas and cold plunges. The search for a new location offered us the opportunity to rebrand and expand into so much more than a yoga studio!
Our current location boasts 3 Studios: Our Wellness Studio, Movement Studio, and Healing Studio. Our Wellness Studio offers multiple forms of contrast and hydrotherapy, including steam sauna, infrared sauna, cold plunge, and hot tub. Our Movement Studio is a beautiful, safe space to attend movement classes including yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, and dance offerings, as well as a wide variety of wellness-based workshops and special events. Our Healing Studio offers therapeutic massage, Reiki, and other forms of body and energy work as part of wholistic healing practice.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road, but no journey of great purpose is.
One of the biggest challenges we faced in having to close our first studio due to shutdowns, turned out to be one of our greatest opportunities. By pivoting to an online only format, we were able to connect with our community during a time of isolation, as well as expand our reach beyond those physically able to attend in person classes. Through that experience, we began simulcasting all of our classes, and have continued to do so since. By changing our pricing to a donation-based format, we were taking a leap of faith, but people were so grateful to us for continuing to offer these healing practices, they were eager to be generous. We were able to continue paying our instructors throughout the shutdown, and have a little nest egg for when we were ready to return to a studio.
Finding and renovating our forever home posed its own set of challenges. The economy had shifted since those shutdown days, and a lot of what we offer at Sanaras is considered a luxury (even though we know it’s an integral part of overall good health). We were taking another leap of faith that the community would grow with us, beyond yoga classes, into this much more inclusive battery of wellness services. We had to get the word out that we’re more than just a spa, we keep you out of the doctor’s office. We still work every day to instill our value to the greater community as more than just a place to relax, but a place to HEAL.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Sanaras is a full-service wellness studio offering a variety of healing modalities to soothe the mind, relax the body, and balance the central nervous system. We advocate the use of physical movement, hot/cold contrast therapy, and hydro therapy to reduce inflammation, increase mental acuity, and manage stress. Our infrared sauna, steam sauna, cold plunge, and hot tub offer the unique opportunity to experience the benefit of multiple healing therapies in a single visit. Our movement classes and events invite clients to connect with their bodies under the guidance of expert facilitators.
We specialize in private wellness appointments, allowing clients to experience the effects of our healing therapies in a safe, quiet, and beautiful environment. We value outreach and often work with a variety of community partners to meet the needs of every client who enters. In addition to completely private appointments for as few as one or as many as six, we offer private parties and curated events to meet every vision.
We pride ourselves on offering a clean, safe, inclusive, and stunning space to embark on your personal healing journey. We believe you rise by lifting others, so we partner with a variety of Movement Instructors and Wellness Practitioners to bring their special gifts to our sacred space. We are a woman-owned, minority-owned, LGBTQIA-inclusive business and we abide by HIPAA Best Practices.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was visiting my grandparents’ lake house on Dewey Lake in Dowagiac, Michigan. I grew up in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Chicago, and it was always so dark and quiet at the lake house. I used to think I had to go there to see stars!
It was always such a joy to gather with family and friends, connect with nature, revel in the sunshine, and sleep well at night. Now I have the good fortune of living on a beautiful Michigan lake in my adult life, and I never take the quiet, the darkness, or the stars for granted.
Pricing:
- Movement Studio Drop In $15
- Private 30 Minute Wellness Appt $30
- Private 60 Minute Wellness Appt $60
- All Access Hour $85
- One Hour Therapeutic Massage $85
Contact Info:
- Website: https://studiosanaras.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiosanaras
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568538711093
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SanarasWellnessStudio
