Wise Wellness Centre Reopens in Treasure Beach
The Wise Wellness Centre held its grand reopening last week in the Frenchman District of Treasure Beach, and we caught up with Empress Thandi Wise to discuss the Centre’s renewed presence in the community and her enduring commitment to wellness. But first, a personal reflection.
I first met Empress Thandi on the morning of December 2, 2019, to be exact. Nearly seven years later, that chance encounter has grown into a relationship marked by increasing appreciation and respect.
That morning, I was frantically trying to organize a yoga session for a group of friends and family, and most importantly, for my best friend, my spouse Daphne. I wanted to help nurture a deeper sense of spirituality that she was beginning to discover and appreciate in Treasure Beach, and I thought there could be no better way to experience it than through a yoga session surrounded by friends and family.
There was just one problem: plenty of yogis, but no yoga mats. With virtually no time to spare and no mats I could source at such short notice, my chance encounter with Empress Thandi proved to be the solution. Thanks to her generosity and willingness to accommodate us, the yoga session came together and it turned out to be a wonderful experience for everyone.
Every once in a while, you meet people who are accommodators rather than enforcers—people who make room for others instead of imposing their own way. Those encounters can stay with you, and sometimes they carry lessons that extend well beyond the moment.
Now, nearly seven years after that first meeting, and just a week or so after the reopening of the Wise Wellness Centre in the Frenchman District, directly next door to her yoga space and Smurf’s Café, Empress Thandi was kind enough to share her thoughts on the Centre, wellness, and her continuing commitment to the Treasure Beach community.
What necessitated the rebuild in your words?
Wellness for me is MORE than a business. It’s my lifestyle that i am sharing with others, our community here in Treasure Beach & the surrounding communities. Anyone who is in alignment with this frequency it will resonate with them. To be able to represent brand Jamaica 🇯🇲 on this level is a testament to my Maroon heritage from my Grandmothers & grandfathers to my great grandmother who was a medicine woman. They were my first teachers of this lifestyle being in harmony with the elements! Knowing that i am in the parish of their birthplace and burial ground is healing. This was my playground on summer holidays & is very magical to me. It’s a continuation of the traditions that they instilled in me as a child.
How was it made possible?
This was made possible by The Most High 1st and foremost. Also my family, doing wellness retreats back to back, close friends, our go-fund me campaign and the generous donations of pvt individuals, Breds, we also received donations of $50,000 JMD on the last leg from Blue Mahoe foundation and bank loans to cover material & labor costs. This was over $7.7M JMD to rebuild from scratch!
Now that we are open, what are our goals going forward?
Now that we have re-opened the vision is so much clearer, more intentional about our offerings of wellness and wellbeing lifestyles.
More passionate about my work as a wellness practitioner. When you come so close to losing your business you really see the VALUE, not in monetary terms but the VALUE it has become for the community and being a major part of my personal wellbeing & healing journey. We have fine tuned what we do here at Wise Wellness:
- VEGAN CAFE – food as medicine
- Health food store – lots of herbal remedies and natural foods.
- YOGA – being a yoga therapist with a practice spanning over 2 decades its an honor and a privilege to be able to share with others!
- DAY SPA – we offer the best in spa services, we also train over 20 young ladies yearly via the HEART Trust Foundation.
How long has Wise Wellness been in operation in Treasure Beach?
Wise wellness has been in operation since Sept 2015 out of my car & teaching yoga at Jake’s consistently for 5 years, alongside the food delivery service and pop up spa, farmers market in the sports park, education on organic farming practices.
The Brick and Mortar store came into existence on August 17th 2020 right in the height of the pandemic, this was my response, it was a serious realization that this was the lifestyle that people needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle! This was a perfect opportunity for me to step boldly in to my Divine purpose!
Number of present employees?
We are a women owned and operated business, we are a team of 8 women and most of them are single mothers.
Lastly, what is your world view on Wellness?
Wellness has become more globally relevant and is a necessity for many people that want to be able to stay healthy. This has become a household requirement and especially for people traveling to be able to find the right balance when on vacation! Globally the view is shifting to a more sustainable lifestyle that includes a lot of different wellness modalities.
To be a part of wellness tourism in JAMAICA 🇯🇲 and support my community and the surrounding communities its a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly!
September 30th by Empress Thandi Wise of Wise Wellness Centre Treasure Beach
Visit Wise Wellness
The Wise Wellness Centre can be found in the Frenchman District. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call (876) 275-8499 or (876) 788-2729. Yoga classes start at 8:30 a.m. and cost $20 USD, with bundled discounts available. The current schedule runs from June 1 – November 30:
- Sunday: Slow Flow Sunday
- Tuesday: Reggae Powered Vinyasa Flow
- Thursday: Hip Hop Hip-Openers
- Friday: Medz ’n’ Restorative / Yin Yoga
From December 1 – May 31 (Peak Season), yoga classes are offered daily.
