In April 2018, Philadelphia residents, Danielle White, Mike Bazis and Jason Rinker combined holistic forces and opened HAVEN Wellness, an integrative wellness center providing the community a place to recharge, restore and maximize their lives.
HAVEN co-founder, Jason Rinker has been practicing Chinese and functional medicine for over 20 years. Fellow practitioner and co-founder, Mike Bazis, is a licensed massage therapist who has been educating his clients for over 19 years. Their team includes acupuncturists, licensed massage therapists, osteopathic doctors, physical therapists, yoga and meditation teachers.
They provide massage, bodywork, acupuncture, functional medicine, advanced nutrient lab testing, meditation and wellness classes, wellness retail and have an assortment of concentrations within those healing therapies, such as sports massage therapy, Thai massage, reiki, hormonal energy balancing, and cupping to name a few.
The center resides in Olde Kensington where you’ll find an array of start-ups and workspaces. HAVEN Wellness’ storefront location is a part of the Paper Box Studios, a refurbished warehouse housing local businesses and artist workspaces.
In November 2017, HAVEN owners acquired the space at 1639 N. Hancock Street. This space offered them the potential to carry out the necessary construction needed to accommodate the assortment of services they envisioned for the business. However, entering into a completely industrial open space entailed a team effort and they worked manually to customize it.
Renovations began quickly for a complete buildout with six private rooms for one-on-one sessions, a designated 700 square foot area to hold a variety of community classes, workshops and events, and a spacious lobby with custom-made, wooden furniture, such as an elegant front desk and shelving units for displaying retail. These design touches contributed to the tranquil vibe they desired for the space.
“People really respond to the space–[with] all the support from family and friends and the community–the response has been tremendous! Our time and our energy have created this and people want to be here and we’re super excited to have them,” said co-founder Danielle White.
HAVEN aims to provide knowledge for what you need to be well, and find balance physically, mentally and spiritually. Through these private, personal and professional consultations, along with a variety of holistic modalities to choose from, the practitioner is able to target the origin of an individual’s symptoms and guide them in applying methods of alternative medicine.
“We’re here to listen, we’re here to work with you,” said White, who is not only a co-founder, but also a long-time patient of founding partners, Bazis and Rinker. “I’ve had lyme disease since I was 11 years old, but wasn’t diagnosed until two years ago. I’ve had to seek these alternative medicines. It’s a shame to become identified by these things; to become identified by your pain. it affects your life, it affects the jobs you pick, and being dictated by something you can’t figure out why it’s still there.”
Working with Bazis for years through massage therapy made White appreciate the level of knowledge and listening she received from the practitioners. From the beginning, she was immediately comfortable openly talking with each practitioner about her constant pain and appreciated how intently they listened, observed and helped her to maintain treatments and solutions.
Through acupuncture with Rinker, learning about the meridians of the body, and figuring out which area of the body to target with natural supplements, helped her to detoxify specific organ systems of the body triggering chronic pain in her neck, which in her case was surprisingly connected to the digestive system. Only a few months after combined care from Bazis and Rinker, White’s pain completely ended. She is now able to deeply connect with her body and has learned to recognize signs of what it needs to maintain a pain-free life.
The support they share among one another in their healing methods and business partnership is the same support they wholeheartedly give to all members of the HAVEN community. Lara Zeigler, a current client, and owner and instructor at a pilates studio called Backbone, attests, “I started going to HAVEN about four months ago to treat chronic ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome) that I have had for twenty years. Jason is a gifted healer, his cupping and acupuncture treatments have brought me so much relief. He is so knowledgeable about the body and, more importantly, spends time getting to know your body. I have not had a flare up since I started treatment and have also noticed increased flexibility. I am so thankful for HAVEN. Their functional treatments have helped me so much. I’m on the path to healing now.”
All the available modalities help with chronic pain but also address the need for anyone looking for zen or balance in their body and lifestyle. HAVEN has the platform for anyone to start implementing these changes and practices into his or her life. “It may start with something like meditation or in-depth lab testing. We like to start you wherever and then keep you well and maintaining,” said White, who also stressed that these services should not be a specialty in people’s lives and their affordable pricing for repeat sessions in a week reflects that belief. “We’re open to what the community needs and making sure that we have it here. ”
Aside from one-on-one sessions and consultations, HAVEN offers large group classes and workshops in their designated event space including yoga classes, sound healing, meditation, restorative seminars and new to their offerings this fall, Pranic healing through body scans and ayurvedic remedies.
For certain meditation events, they will hold free community acupuncture and during all events they offer 20% off any treatment booked. By holding these community events, it brings accessibility for new clients to experience the space and any new practices for oneself if he or she is hesitant or nervous to jump into a one-on-one session. White states, “What we’re looking for is to bring the community together. Where is there a place you can come and receive all of these therapies in one location and also be in this really beautiful setting? Where can you go to maintain the therapies you’re receiving? HAVEN offers all of that here. We offer guidance and coaching here.”