Edgemont Healing Center: A New Space for Wellness and The Restorative Arts

Story by Angie Kay Dilmore, photos by Carrie Kudla Photography

One step into the Edgemont Healing Center, and you immediately get the sense that you have entered a sacred space. An earthy scent of essential oils and incense quiets the spirit. Soft music plays in the background. Natural light streams in through a wall of windows and illuminates pastel green walls, inviting serenity and mindfulness.

Edgemont Healing Center (EHC) provides a unique place for local wellness practitioners to conduct classes, workshops, and one-on-one appointments. Numerous disciplines are represented – yoga, tai chi, reiki, meditation, massage, sacred breathwork, and sound bathing to name a few. “I like that it’s not just one thing,” says EHC owner Kelley Saucier. “I’m meeting new people in the healing community who I didn’t know before. We’ll see how it evolves. I’m excited to find out!”

Sound bathing may be a new concept to some. The practice uses various sources of sound, for example singing bowls, a gong, or a variety of instruments. “If you’re in a meditative state, the sound vibrations resonate in your body and bring about healing,” Saucier adds. “Sound is used in medicine to break up disease and to heal the body. Sound bathing is another way to experience the sound vibrations. People love the immersive nature of the practice.”

Rachel Johnson, wellness guru and a local labor and delivery nurse, leads the sacred breathwork and sound bathing sessions. “Communities need affordable access to centers that promote mind, body, and spirit connection and wellness to help bridge a gap between mental health disparities. I feel having access to practitioners who offer mental health services through wellness promotion is an undervalued asset in a community.”

Simply participating in a group session can be healing. Saucier says yoga can be practiced by oneself, but the human connection is so important. “That’s the way we evolved. It’s how we survive, by connecting to other people.” During the pandemic, she hosted yoga classes in her backyard. Interest was so great she added more classes. It was during this time she conceived the idea for EHC. Saucier says our community has been through so much. “We need healing.”

Bridgette Renee Thibodeaux teaches slow flow yoga and more vigorous “power hour” sessions at EHC. “The Center opened at a perfect time,” she says. “Everyone in this community has been impacted by the events of 2020 in various ways, myself included. Sharing yoga has been a joy for me for many years, and then suddenly it was gone. Thanks to Kelley’s vision and hard work, we have a beautiful, peaceful space where everyone is welcome.”

Saucier says she intentionally designed every element of her new business to promote wellness and healing. Shoes come off at the door. A giant gong summons the mind to meditation. Her innovative, cushioned stability floor facilitates comfortable yoga poses and relaxation. “People love this floor, especially for restorative practices like breathwork, yin, yoga nidra, and slow flows. It’s really nice for people with joint issues.”

Certified wellness instructors who want to lead classes or see clients are invited to make use of the space. Saucier emphasizes that every class, every healing experience is unique. “The individual practitioners who facilitate these sessions bring their own personalities and gifts to the experience.”

Kristi Bult is an analytical technologist by day and a yoga instructor in the evenings. She hosted the first community event at EHC two months ago with a Restorative Yoga session, and a remarkable 25 people attended. “A full house on a summer Sunday evening is a testament to what this facility means to me and the community. Anyone who has entered the space and experienced one of Kelley’s carefully chosen instructors and events will confirm that love walks there in all its forms . . . grace, connection, service, and community.”

If you are interested in conducting a class, write to Kelley at EHC@southernjanicorp.com or call her at 337-513-5808. For information on the classes offered at the Center and how to register for them, follow Edgemont Healing Center on Facebook.