Sage Wellness Center Open House This Friday, Begins Taking Appointments in January

When an idea comes, sometimes you silence it - other times you mention it to others and realize you have their full support. Such is the case with Sage Wellness Center and Bethel Wagner.

"Four years ago I graduated from health coaching school and was doing one on one sessions. Then, in the last year and a half or so, I felt like I needed to expand into something bigger," Wagner explained. "I wanted to collaborate with other people and offer more than just health coaching."

Wagner went on to mention to her husband that ideally, she would love to open a wellness center, which he thought was a great idea. With the space available on their property and an idea at hand, Wagner reached out to her like-minded friends.

"The next day I called Johanna [Paulston] and Missy [Snitko] and said I have this crazy idea, would you like to come over and talk to me?" Wagner said with a laugh.

Paulston, who has been in the wellness vein for several years doing biofeedback, and Snitko, who recently completed herbalist training, were on board. Georgia Cold also recently joined the group as a colon hydrotherapist. But what is Sage Wellness and what can it do for you? What is wellness coaching? Biofeedback? Herbalism?

Paulston and Wagner admit that, upon a Google search, there isn't a lot of information about Biofeedback, which also leads to a lot of confusion. In a nutshell, Biofeedback has been shown to help with anxiety, depression, headaches, chronic pain, incontinence, and high blood pressure. Basically, biofeedback is a simple way to improve your mind-body connection and learn to regulate your nervous system.

"The way our body's function is electric - life is considered life when you have electrical brain waves - when the brain stops, that is death," Paulsen said. "What biofeedback does is tap into those electrical signals and get a snapshot of what the body is doing. You can help your body figure out how to get itself back into balance."

As an herbalist, Snitko will be able to provide tinctures, teas, and seasonal offerings, like immunity support in the winter and teas to replenish electrolytes in this summer. Eventually, Wagner said, Snitko may offer personal consultations as well.

The heart of health coaching is all about empowering people to eat, sleep, move, and release stress optimally so they can live better lives, Wagner explained. It is an excellent option for anyone motivated and ready to release weight, improve their energy and mood, and take responsibility for one's health.

"Being in the wellness category, Sage Wellness Center is not here to diagnose. We are here to help people cultivate wellness through all the different avenues we can offer them." Wagner added that if the Sage Wellness group cannot assist fully, they are prepared to recommend others who have other specialties in the wellness field as well.

Appointments range between 60 and 90 minutes and, currently, the center does not accept insurance, though health savings account payments are accepted. Wagner and Paulston highly recommend a biofeedback session to get new clients started on their journey to better health, though both note that the center is not a one-and-done appointment and that a commitment to better health is necessary.

"This is not conventional medicine where you go in and get a fifteen-minute appointment and come out with prescriptions," Paulston said. "I feel that finding your spirituality, finding what modality works best for you in a variety of different ways, is the future of medicine."

"Ten years ago I never would have thought Whitehall would be as progressive as it is becoming," Wagner said, noting that tea shops, yoga classes, gemstones, bioacoustics, and more have all popped up in Whitehall over the last few years. "Four years ago I didn't think a wellness center would work and now I feel confident that this is the right thing for our area."

"A lot of people feel a calling to Whitehall, and that is a great thing," Paulston said.

Sage Wellness Center will hold an Open House event on Friday, December 16 from 4 PM to 8 PM at the center's location at 330 Highway 2 East, just outside of Whitehall. Appointments and memberships will be taken at the open house, though the center will not be completely open until after the new year. Appointments are between $75 and $95, with memberships to Sage Wellness Center making them more affordable. To make an appointment or learn more about Sage Wellness Center, besides attending their open house on Friday, visit sagewellnessmt.com, email bethel@sagewlennessmt.com or call (406) 560-662.

No body is broken and everyone can be healed is the mantra that Sage Wellness Center bases itself on, and they look forward to assisting you through your wellness journey.