By Rachel and Jason:
Hello Sanara Family!
Thank you for giving us the time and space to let the dust settle before writing our first newsletter of 2025. As of January 13, we officially own Sanara Yoga & Wellness LLC in Southlake, TX! If you have been practicing here since those first days in Allison’s home garage, or since that one studio down the street finally closed for good, or are just now finding our community, we sincerely hope that your experience so far has been exactly what you need!
As you know, February is the month of love. After years of processing our own traumas – through somatic healing, counseling, grief recovery, and more self-awareness than we ever thought possible – we have found that love requires transparency to establish trust. So, in the spirit of love and in order to establish your trust, we want to be fully transparent with you about some topics that are swirling within our community.
First and foremost, we want to update you on Allison! She is currently back home in Salt Lake City after being in DFW for 20+ years. She was welcomed into massively open arms by both her aging parents, two of her adult sons and a bevy of extended family members. Unfortunately, her plans to already be in Mexico City on a mission have been delayed due to some specific requirements from the church that must be met first. You may recall that she quickly packed or sold all that she owned and responded to a call, and we strongly believe that the Lord will greatly honor her willingness and humility to serve Him in due time. If you have any questions or want to reach out directly, please feel free to email her at amfullmer@icloud.com. Every time we get to see her beautiful smile on FaceTime or hear her voice on a call, she is very busy practicing lots of yoga, seeing her counseling clients virtually, spending long-lost time with her family and finally getting some much-needed recovery and rest. We will forever be grateful for the sacred house she built here, and it is never lost on us how well she stewarded it to prepare the way for us.
Next, we want to tell you about how we got to be here and where our hearts are. Rachel was almost finished with her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training through Sanara (under Debbie Simon and Allison Fullmer) in November when she got wind that Sanara was about to be under new ownership. Coincidentally, Jason had already been walking and praying every morning for almost six months for Rachel to step into her new purpose and calling. So, when the opportunity to purchase Sanara presented itself - to build on a foundation Allison had already established and carry on the mission behind a community of healing - their answer was overwhelmingly YES! Did we set out to purchase a yoga studio? We did not! But running our own construction business for over 30 years, an MBA in Strategic Management, a long history of trauma and healing and recovery and testimony – it makes more than enough sense that here we now are. We do not feel entirely equipped, but we feel exactly called. We know a lot about business ownership, a little bit about yoga, and absolutely nothing about who oversees that ridiculous intersection signal time at 114 & Kimball! Our mission is to make sure that everyone feels seen, known, heard and loved – and to create a space so safe that people can tell their stories and get the healing that they need. We also have a huge heart for men – because our society does not give them permission or access to the healing that they also desperately need.
Lastly, and as we expected, there are rumblings that memberships are being canceled and price increases are coming because of the new ownership. Regarding canceled memberships, unfortunately we inherited a very cumbersome sales & booking platform that looks great to our customers but is a nightmare on the backend. We are working to understand if it truly meets our current and future needs and what it may take to transition. We deeply apologize if some of its nuances (credit card and membership expiration) have affected or been bothersome to you. Thank you for your continued patience as we strive to get to a better place.
Regarding price increases, we are closely evaluating every part of this space from a business perspective because we do not want to just keep the doors open (survive) but we want to eventually be able to add more doors (thrive!) as the right opportunities present themselves. We have utility bills (we heat a room to 97 degrees for 8-12 hours a day when it is 20 degrees outside!), liability insurance (we suspend young children in the air on silk hammocks!) and taxes, amazing, competent and extremely qualified teachers (we employ and retain the best around at the right times and days for exactly the right classes!) and a gorgeous and convenient space (we rent a building in a prime location in the heart of an amazing city!), and a community like none other (okay-this one is all you!).
We also have over 50 classes on the schedule in February - with more coming in March, freshly laundered towels or cold lavender ones available daily, free use of equipment that requires maintenance and replacement, and the list goes on. To continue getting the experience at Sanara that we all know and love, membership costs are on our immediate radar. We are not looking to raise rates; we are just looking to make it fair for our community and for Sanara. We have such grounded peace knowing that these two things can absolutely coexist.
Thank you for trusting us and taking these next steps with us, especially when you have a choice. We are keenly aware of all the options you have in Southlake, Westlake, Trophy Club, Grapevine and Colleyville that compete for your business. We believe everyone needs and requires something different out of their practice, and that there is more than enough room for all of us. We sincerely hope and pray that Sanara will continue to be your choice for as long as you need us to be.
Jason & Rachel
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