The minute you walk in to the Home Collective, you will immediately experience a feeling of comfort come over you that may be unfamiliar when visiting most wellness studios. Rather than being bombarded by a check in desk or racks of yoga clothes, you will step into an environment that feels close to the heart, one that feels like home.
Opening this past January, the Home Collective features a vast array of services that include but aren’t limited to: refl exology, embodied talk therapy, holistic nutrition therapy, phoenix rising yoga therapy, structural integration, and therapeutic message. In addition to offering group classes and workshops, they also have space available for you to host your own event.
Talking with Owner Liz Keltner, it’s hard not to be inspired by her passion and enthusiasm. With a background in mental health and physical therapy, she believes uniting the mind and body is a crucial step in the process of a person achieving wellness. After running a successful private practice, she felt like something was missing. Living close by and always impressed with Wheat Ridge’s rich history, she started looking for a larger space that could provide the opportunities for growth required to start a wellness collective.
After a quick tour, I started noticing the amazing attention to detail; everything has been arranged so thoughtfully, nothing feels empty or like its wasted space, and the layout is great. It is clear that someone has invested an incredible amount of effort, time, and money to make this dream a reality. There is ample space for classes, and their back yard area is the perfect place to be after an invigorating workout or therapy session.
Tell me about The Home Collective – What got you or the business started? How did the idea for your business come about?
So my background is in mental health, and I was in community mental health for a long time before I discovered yoga therapy. I got really into the therapeutic side of mind meeting body and how that can be really useful if integrated in people’s lives. Merging these worlds, I decided I wanted to be back in a community of people who are like minded and supporting healthy vibrant lives for our community, so I began to look for space. I knew I wanted multiple offices, a place where we could have variety and different perspectives, and I love groups and community. I was also looking for somewhere that would have a space large enough to support a group environment as well. When I walked into this building, it kind of had it all magnetized by 100 – the group space is huge, everything is beautiful and expansive – the offices have charm and are inviting. My businesses name was always “Home”, so my private practice is called Home, where body and mind align – that’s my business within the collective and then the building as a whole is the “Home Collective” so it has that feeling of walking into a home which was really important to me. Walking into this place, my vision expanded and I knew that I had to live up to what was possible here. I love all the other local businesses, it’s such a fun area so we’re excited to branch out and get to know the neighbors and have more consistent offerings to help us connect in those ways.
Has it always been at this location? Or was there any reason specifically you choose Wheat Ridge?
I live nearby, I am not in Wheat Ridge but I am in North West Denver. So that was a very nice to feel like I’m a part of the community as well, and I think Wheat Ridge is redefining itself – it has some amazing roots and has such a rich history when it comes to community. There’s a lot of newness, yet a really strong foundation all at once, and so I was excited to be a part of the newness while celebrating the vibrant community that’s already here.
Could you describe one of your typical workdays? What do you find most enjoyable?
So my days are really split, I still see clients one-on-one for yoga therapy and mental health. I typically see my clients Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday – so that time is reserved for sessions but then Monday and Friday or whatever time I can find in between is really around supporting and cultivating this space – you know like anything from doing the laundry, to watering the plants to bigger vison things like marketing or trying to learn everything else while trying to reach out and network to create those ties. It’s a lot, so my days are always different and I’m finding what my balance is, especially with this being new; the home collective with my private practice. Luckily we’ve got other practitioners within the collective, so we’re definitely a team and everyday we’re building what that means together, in terms of supporting clients and one another, to creating connections in our lives that we hope has the potential to last a lifetime.
What has been a challenge for your business?
The “build it, they will come” idea. One of the biggest challenges is always marketing – some things work and other things don’t end up being very useful. There are many hats that are new to me and I’m not a marketing person, so trying to learn and adapt to get ourselves out there is a challenge. We’re doing yoga classes in the fall, and trying to get a small schedule going, nothing huge but it’s something where we can be consistent by potentially offering something to the community on a daily or weekly basis. The yoga is gentile and therapeutic in nature, so really anyone can benefit from it.
What has been the greatest success? Or what are you most proud about?
Just… Like the experience you had walking in. People walk in and right away say this place is different than other therapy offices or other studios – that it’s welcoming and engaging, and in my opinion there’s an immediate nurturing aspect to being in this space. So you could say I’m really proud that our place can support people on a lot of different levels. Maybe they just want to come and see their practitioner for one-on-one support and we welcome everyone to come to group yoga classes. We also offer trainings, so community members or even international schools can rent some of our space to provide their training. For example we had our first extended training in June, and to watch a group of complete strangers live in our space (not overnight) but every day for a month… We got to feel the space be utilized as it held them in their process of growth while they were in school to become yoga therapists, which was incredible. Most people have their own processing happening and I think our space holds that really well so I’m really proud of that feeling we’ve cultivated here. From the garden to the outdoor space it’s all been envisioned and built from the heart and with love, from a place of wanting somewhere that’s really accepting and welcoming.
Does your organization have any big plans for 2016?
The biggest things is the Yoga class schedule, so we’re kicking that off – also we’re working on a monthly mindful living series that different practitioners will lead, that will be very open and accessible – again we really want to engage community members that might be interested, or who say,” What is this? Maybe I can go to one of their things and see what it’s like.” We also, like I mentioned, have outside people rent some of our space. The International Association of Yoga Therapists came to provide information around yoga therapy, to talk about what it is and explain the certification. Starting this fall, we also have a mindful, stress reeducation class that’s starting up so we’re really figuring out what’s possible here from within and then from people who see how special this place is or that want to provide their offerings from this place.
What is your favorite inspiration quote, or what advice would you give someone trying to be an entrepreneur?
When I decided to leave my job at the mental health center, to pursue yoga therapy training, I quit and was on an airplane within two days to spend weeks in Vermont because that was the only place the training was available at that time (since then they’re expanded, including Denver which is really exciting!). The day I left, when I was at the airport at 6am, I was terrified of what had I just done. I quit a job that I loved – from the people, to the team and work – and now I was in an airport, at a strange place going somewhere for a long time with no real plan or idea how this was all going to play out. That’s when I got a cup of coffee… I sat down and turned the mug around and on the front it said, “Life is diving in heart first”. So I took a deep breath, and I still thank the universe for sending me messages – because I’m where I am today.
Do you have any hobbies or special interests? What is your favorite thing to do in Wheat Ridge for fun? What do you enjoy most?
I walk around the community when I need a break and I’m really excited about some events coming up. As far as my hobbies, I like to walk my dog, ski, hike, and anything outdoors – you know the typical Colorado stuff.
If you had the power to solve only one problem in the world, what would it be and why?
I would say within supporting people to be aligned with their inner wisdom. And I think when that’s possible, when people slow down and connect with the wisdom of their body and of their inner knowing, we can all connect with ourselves and each other in much more meaningful and productive ways that allow for growth, acceptance and willingness to be present.
If you could high five, shake hands, or hug one person, living or not, who would it be?
I have to go with hug, I’m a hugger! Buddha- to be that close with inner peace while having the presence to be in that moment.
Lao Tsu said, “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” If you are in mindful of your wellness, then do yourself a favor and stop by the Home Collective. Their comprehensive services and the compassion of their practitioners is on another level. Finding the balance between your mind and body has never been easier. You can find Liz, and the beautiful and unique studio on the north side of 38th Avenue located between Harlan and Jay Street.
Call 720.340.2566 today or visit their website at: http://www.homecollective.org/ to learn about all that Home Collective has to offer. Like me, maybe they’ll be your new favorite place to find your balance.
