Amara Wellness Community Healing

Our mission at Amara Wellness is to help guide clients on a journey back to their true, original nature – that is already whole and complete. This is accomplished by exploring three fundamental key values:

Dignity – we aim to restore dignity to the client by “handing them back their health” by empowering them to take control of their health decisions.   Restoration – restore the body to its natural state-of-being through awareness and education on health, balance, nutrition, and stress. Wholeness – Developing a wellness protocol that supports health and wellbeing by incorporating daily habits and rituals that promote health. 

Amara Wellness is a trauma-informed, holistic-minded wellness program and day retreat founded by mental health therapist & herbalist Tanishia Harris and uses plants, words of affirmation, breathwork and somatic movement to help clients that have struggled over the years to heal from trauma, PTSD and anxiety. This integrated approach to health is one of the prominent features of Amara Wellness. We believe to heal a community one first begins with healing oneself.

We are unique because we specifically create wellness protocol programs and offer day-long retreats in nature that takes the “whole” person into perspective, not just current symptoms. In a way that is not invasive or intrusive, we evaluate the client’s history, family history, emotional/behavioral patterns, instances with grief & loss, diet and or history of trauma/abuse. We strongly believe that in order to achieve a true state of balance and well-being, you have to take into account the entire person, which includes the past and the mental/physical/emotional and spiritual aspects in the person’s life.

I am uniquely qualified to do this work because as a survivor of trauma and abuse myself, for years, I struggled with anxiety and PTSD and found it difficult to find a wellness program that worked for me. Spending years in therapy wasn’t enough. I sought out alternative methods, received a certification in Trauma-informed care, studied herbalism, movement, breathwork and meditation. Reconnected to my ancestral roots and learned about the importance of ritual and how plant medicine can assist the body with trauma. I took this knowledge and started working with clients and hosting retreats using the same modalities I found to be very helpful in restoring to mind, body, and spirit back to wholeness.  

Market Size Opportunity: The global health and wellness market reached a value of US$ 3.31 Billion in 2020. Health and wellness refer to the state of complete wellbeing of the body, mind and spirit. The growing prevalence of chronic lifestyle diseases across the globe is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. Owing to the sedentary lifestyles and hectic schedules, the prevalence of diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, cancer, dementia and other stress-related disorders has increased significantly. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the global health and wellness market to reach a value of US$ 4.24 Billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.10% during 2021-2026.

Problem: According to a study produced by American Progress, 13.8 percent of African Americans reported having fair or poor health compared with 8.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites. Eighty percent of African American women are overweight or obese compared to 64.8 percent of non-Hispanic white women. The leading causes of death among African Americans are heart disease, cancer, and accidents. African Americans have the highest mortality rate for all cancers combined compared with any other racial and ethnic group. Additionally, 10% of Hispanics reported having fair or poor health compared with 8.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites. 21.5 percent of Hispanic adults over age 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes compared with 13 percent of white adults over age 20. Approximately 25 percent of Hispanics have high blood pressure. Hispanic women are 40 percent more likely to have cervical cancer and 20 percent more likely to die from cervical cancer than non-Hispanic white women.

How we will address the problem: Wellness is a lifestyle change that requires a deep commitment to one’s own personal growth and commitment to optimal health. One of the reasons why diseases are so prevalent in communities of color is due to lack of access to proper healthcare and a lack of knowledge on proper eating, sleeping, stress relief activities and proper supplementation. Our programs are designed to address the person from the inside out and not simply address symptoms as commonly seen during routine doctor visits. We will work closely with all of our clients to design protocols that address the mind/body/spirit, that will promote a lifestyle change with disease prevention in mind.

How the money will be spent: The funds will be spent to secure a physical location/space for rent/lease that will house Amara Wellness Center. The goal is to locate a space that is within a BIPOC community where access to wellness services are difficult. Additionally, items such as shelving, furniture for the storefront, fixtures, glass jars for the herbs, paint, art supplies for workshops, yoga mats, meditation cushions, a safe, and other miscellaneous items will be purchased as needed.

Team: The team consists of Amara Wellness founder Tanishia Harris, a trained mental health practitioner, clinical herbalist, and certified meditation teacher. Additionally, we will hire one part-time staff and a full-time intern to help with marketing, branding, and social media presence to promote the center.

I sincerely want to thank each and every one of you who took the time to read my profile. 

Peace & blessings, 

~Tanishia