Back in April, the publishing house Cleis Press moved out of its space at the corner of Waller and Potomac and relocated to Berkeley. Taking its place: a chiropractic studio named Flourish.
Flourish is a cooperative of several specialists, although it's headed by family chiropractor Dr. Christine Cantwell. Cantwell had formerly been working out of an office on Fillmore and Germania, but decided she wanted to set out and start her own studio. At the same time, she knew she wanted to stay in the neighborhood. So when Cleis moved out in April, she called about the space the next day. Things moved quickly from there.
Cantwell's lease began on May 1st, but the space needed some work. For one thing, there was no reception area. Cantwell recruited nearby Clipper Construction (501 Waller) to build a wall partitioning the reception area from the treatment area. She also had a lucky run-in with neighbors who were getting rid of some furnishings and wallpaper that Cantwell thought were perfect for the space. After a month of hard work, Flourish officially opened on June 1st.
With Flourish, Cantwell and the four six other practitioners (whose specialities include acupuncture, massage, herbology, nutrition, and the awesome-sounding craniosacral therapy, among others) wanted to create a soothing, non-clinical studio environment. There's a large treatment room with four massage tables, and a private room for one-on-one sessions. Touches like flowers, bookshelves, artwork, complimentary tea, and lots of natural light remind you that you're definitely not in a doctor's office here.
The goal was to "help people step out of their day to day stress," says Cantwell. The studio's location on the Wiggle was an ideal choice, to tap into commuters who might want to drop in for a tune-up at the end of the workday. Flourish also specializes in services for families and pregnant women, demographics that are often underserved (and overstressed).
Flourish plans to host open houses on evenings and weekends, including free massage "tastings," as well as fundraisers and raffles for the community in the months ahead. In the meantime, swing by 557 Waller on weekday afternoons (they open earlier on Wednesdays) if you need some stress relief -- or just to say hello.
Update: Flourish will be hosting a neighborhood open house on Wednesday, September 22nd, from 6-8pm. Swing by to meet their practitioners, receive free sample treatments, and gift vouchers worth $150! Plus, get 20% off your first session. Not too shabby!
Flourish is a cooperative of several specialists, although it's headed by family chiropractor Dr. Christine Cantwell. Cantwell had formerly been working out of an office on Fillmore and Germania, but decided she wanted to set out and start her own studio. At the same time, she knew she wanted to stay in the neighborhood. So when Cleis moved out in April, she called about the space the next day. Things moved quickly from there.
