Independence is home to an expanding community of entrepreneurs who are dedicated to living a whole, healthy life. From tailored, science-based fitness to yoga of all kinds and dance for all ages, residents and visitors can find a feel-good fix here.
Om to the Occasion
Tracy Rhinehart had been teaching yoga and offering wellness services in the Akron-Fairlawn area for years. When the pandemic reshaped in-person gatherings, she recentered and established her home base in Independence.
“I was touched by my own community and its needs and wanted to create something to serve people right here,” says Rhinehart, who opened Studio 108 with her daughter, Leah Rachelle Markowitz, whose eyes “lit up” when her mom shared the opportunity.
Markowitz is a functional medicine coach, herbalist, and Pilates teacher who grows her own herbs in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
“We’re really proud of our lifestyle-based business,” Rhinehart says. “We don’t do yoga and wine — we do things like tinctures and mocktails to hone in on the wholeness of wellbeing.”
Studio 108 offers sound baths, massage, health and nutrition coaching, as well. A range of yoga styles includes one that’s especially popular now, such as Yin Yoga, involving long-hold stretches. “It attracts a crowd in need of nervous system care, releasing tension in the muscles and supporting joint health,” Rhinehart explains.
Kundalini Yoga, on the other hand, includes a deep-dive into personal experience and self-awareness. “We do deep meditations with the use of sound, mantras and chanting,” Rhinehart says of a practice targeted toward those who want to optimize creativity, authenticity and intuitive capacity.
The sound baths involve a range of instruments like gongs and singing bowls infused with gemstones that are tuned for a therapeutic experience. “People are appreciating the care of their nervous systems and how the vibration of sound enters their biofield to clear blocks and release stories, beliefs and habits that maybe aren’t as optimal as how they want to live.”
The location attracts diverse clientele. Some ride their bikes to classes, others join Studio 108 for Yoga on the city’s Public Square on Fridays during the summer. Fitness classes are well attended and expanding. Those already include barre, Pilates, strength and conditioning. The studio has four Pilates reformers in a semi-private setting.
Rhinehart says, “We are really proud to be part of this community.”
Gifted Hands, Offered with Care
When Sherri and Robert Morris learned that more than half of their massage clientele was traveling to their venue from the west side, it prompted them to relocate to Independence. The community welcomed Her Gifted Hands, a massage therapy destination that eases stress and brings joy.
They even offer a luxury car service that will drive clients and parties to the studio, where a range of whole-body wellness services span from myofascial release and relaxation massage to dynamic hot stone therapy for trigger points, prenatal services and stretching programs. Her Gifted Hands partners with medical professionals who perform lymphatic draining massage and can accept insurance reimbursement payments from Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts.
“You’re not just a number here,” says Sherri, with Robert noting that the business has grown substantially because of its Groupon offerings that convert to longtime clients.
Sherri says, “We reserve time accordingly to give each client the attention they deserve, and we follow up afterward with recommendations on how to make the most of their experience and see how their doing.”
She adds, “The spa services we offer are personal care, and any client who comes through our doors becomes family to us.”
Her Gifted Hands has extended its healing services to local businesses, offering services at the Independence Community Expo. They hope to introduce a corporate chair massage program.
Ready to celebrate? So are the Morrises. “We make it our business to be sure when people come in for a special occasion, they are recognized,” Sherri says. “We go all out — birthday decorations, complimentary mimosas, cards and a cupcake. I want our clients to feel special and know we really do care.”
Elevated Lifestyle, Dancing Moves
He was a Cleveland charter schoolteacher, driven to leverage dance as a creative platform to boost confidence, social development, physical fitness, teamwork and, above all, offer an inclusive community.
“I’m going to bet on these kids and myself,” Howard Washington said to himself in 2015 when he started the Elevated Dance Crew hip-hop dance company. After two years of growing the company, competing nationally and practicing at studios across the region, the time had come to establish a headquarters.
He landed in Independence, centrally located and ideal for the regional draw that brings in dancers from all over Northeast Ohio. Washington is looking forward to expanding the local audience.
Since moving to Independence, Washington has grown Elevated to three dance companies, from 20 to 70 students involved in these groups with more than 100 students ages three to 30 participating in diverse programming that includes ballet, hip-hop, musical theater, jazz and summer experiences like its Disney Dance Camp.
“We’re loud, we’re proud,” Washington says, sharing some of Elevated Dance headquarters’ national accolades, which include dancers performing at the Super Bowl alongside pop singer Rhianna and at The Grammy Awards.
The Elevated youth competitive dance company holds several Top Overall titles. Several dancers have received scholarships to prestigious dance programs, Washington says.
“We use dance to create a platform for any local dancer who wants to pursue dance beyond the studio realm with training and competitions inside and outside of Ohio,” Washington says. “The goal has always been to create a conduit that gets them to the next level.”
But it’s not all about competition. Dance, as a form of self-expression, a physical outlet for emotion, and simply for fun, is also why Elevated is here. And Washington is inspired by the tight-knit nature of Independence and looking forward to “really getting innovative within the community.”
Lobbing a few ideas into the ring, he imagines dance collaborations where his companies visit businesses and do “dance flash mobs,” filming performances to showcase companies and all they do.
And he sees growth on the horizon with eyes on finding an even larger venue in town.
Ultimately, Washington hopes his dance headquarters elevates community spirit and connectivity. He says, simply: “I believe in this thing.”
The Science of Living Well
Exercise is good medicine, and Dr. Frederick Peters is bridging the gap between science and fitness at The Fitness Doctor, a business he started in 2014 after recognizing a niche opportunity to offer what most personal trainers and gyms don’t deliver.
“I’d see trainers working with people of different ages and abilities, but they weren’t tailoring the workout for the person, which causes injuries,” Dr. Peters relates, noting that any influencer can claim to be a personal trainer.
“I decided to bring a science-based approach to the market for people who need my assistance, largely a clinical population,” he says.
The Fitness Doctor is located close to Independence’s health systems and allows physicians to point patients to the Brecksville Road office.
Some clients are preparing for knee surgery and need a customized fitness plan to improve outcomes. Others are going into bariatric surgery, undergoing chemotherapy, struggling with diabetes or hypertension — trying to lose weight per doctor’s orders.
Going to a gym is uncomfortable. Group classes are off the table. (They’re not tailored, Dr. Peters points out.)
The Fitness Doctor is a hybrid clinic/gym with fully equipped private spaces and dedicated areas for cardio, strength training and more. A licensed staff is trained by Dr. Peters, who is also the program director for Concordia University’s Applied Exercise Science department.
“People come here because they have a genuine interest in living healthy, feeling better and staying active — they care about wellness,” says Dr. Peters.
Every client’s experience at The Fitness Doctor starts with a thorough assessment to inform a personalized exercise program. Reassessments every four to six weeks ensure programs are tweaked to accommodate clients’ progress over time.
Dr. Peters has guided clients on weight-loss journeys that have resulted in shedding pounds in the triple digits. “As a professional in the field, I’m always evolving with the science,” he adds.
Located in the heart of Independence, Dr. Peters says his business is a fit for a community that cares about wellness. “People here value the close-knit feeling of personal connection,” he says, noting how The Fitness Doctor grows long-term relationships with clients.
A Dance Project for Adults
Anna Cerveny took a chance and started a Facebook group inviting adults to come out and dance. She announced applications for a choreographer and rented out theater spaces.
Today, her initiative is Cleveland Dance Project, based in Independence after five years of playing “trading spaces” to land studio time and performance venues.
Cerveny grew up dancing with professional training and pursued a career in physical therapy. When she returned to Cleveland after touring with a company, “I didn’t have anywhere to dance as an adult,” she relates, explaining that regional companies’ professional classes are usually during the day. This class schedule doesn’t work for adults with full-time jobs.
She created an opportunity for herself and others, ranging in age from 18 to 70+.
“One of the greatest things about Cleveland Dance Project is you’re not only coming to ‘work out,’ you are also coming to be part of a community, to network and move your body in ways that challenge you, led by an instructor,” Cerveny says. “And there is an end-result — a performance.”
Not every dancer decides to perform, and drop-in classes make adulting and dancing possible — and convenient. “It’s hard to make a weekly commitment,” Cerveny acknowledges. “We offer more flexibility and an opportunity for adults to train in an adult environment.”
This passion project was born from her drive to keep dancing in classes she could attend in the evening and not youth classes. Moves are adapted based on age. And as a physical therapist at University Hospitals in Independence, Cerveny prioritizes movement.
“Part of my goal is to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to move,” she says, calling Cleveland Dance Project her passion project.
Cerveny’s company performed at the Independence Community Expo, Home Days and is always looking for opportunities to step out close to home.
She says, “When you take a dance class and can learn a new skill or have a video of yourself doing a dance combination that may not be perfect but it’s something you didn’t think you could do. This gives people a great feeling about the progress they’re making.”
