Get Grounded with Free Soul Studio
Get Grounded with Free Soul Studio
Offering Retreats, Classes & Grounded Festivals
Photos / Free Soul Studio
When was the last time you got grounded? And no, I don’t mean having your tablet or phone taken away by your parents and told you aren’t leaving your room for a month (which at this stage in my life, I kind of wish someone would do). I mean, when have you calmed your mental and physical state and aligned with your soul? Can’t remember or never have? Well, now is your chance to look into that.
Sara Cruea, the artist and owner of Free Soul Studio, is no stranger to the need for balance. She talks about what led her to create the studio saying, “I originally started Free Soul Studio in 2019 as an outlet for my mental health. I taught myself how to macrame and found it very cathartic and it gave me a small sense of purpose again. Previous to starting Free Soul Studio, I struggled mightily with my mental health due to unresolved past trauma and postpartum depression. I found that being creative helped me realign with myself, which then in turn continued to compound into other avenues. Free Soul Studio ended up being a catalyst to other ventures such as Grounded Festivals and women's retreats. My main goal has become shining a light on how important it is to address mental health issues. Through Grounded Festivals I am able to curate so many different vendors that offer healing modalities for attendees to explore that they might not otherwise think of as an option. Most recently, I have created a women's retreat that focuses on human connection, which is such an important piece of the puzzle to mental health.”
Sara is dedicated to helping women especially find their inner connections. Her latest Women of Connection Retreat, happening in May here in Ellicottville, is already sold out. (Don’t be sad, if you keep an eye on her website, freesoulstudio.com, you can always be ready to jump on board for the next one.) Sara stated, “The Women of Connection Retreat will give participants the chance to bond with other women searching for authentic connections, help the participants realign to what fuels them and feels meaningful, feel accepted and a sense of belonging, make conscious friends, and clarify what is next for them. I really want these women to feel supported and not alone when they leave the retreat. Feeling alone can be detrimental to some people's mental health.”
Like I said, don’t be discouraged if you missed out on a spot for the Ellicottville retreat because tickets will be going on sale March 1st for Free Soul’s Grounded Festival, which takes place in June at the Long Point State Park in Bemus Point, NY. The main mission of the festival is to raise awareness for the importance of healing unresolved trauma. Sara describes the festival as, “Grounded is a day-long wellness festival that offers multiple whole group meditation, journaling, and movement classes such as yoga, trail yoga, and cardio dance. The festival also includes many vendors of the healing realm such as sound healers and Reiki practitioners. The day is filled with intention, feelings of community, and an awareness of being grounded. Local vendors and instructors are carefully curated for a unique and magical atmosphere.”
So how do you snag yourself a ticket for this experience? You can find the EventBrite link for tickets on the Free Soul Studio website at freesoulstudio.com/grounded-festival. This is the 3rd year of the event, happening June 29th from 9:00am-4:00pm. General admission tickets are $30 and include entrance to the festival, access to all main stage classes offered (excluding Trail Yoga) and vendor shopping. Or you can go with the Admission Plus Ticket for $40 which offers all the benefits of a regular ticket and includes registration for one Trail Yoga class. (Sara let us know that they are still accepting vendors for the festival so if you are interested, there is a link to the website to apply.)
Besides the upcoming retreat and festival, Sara is always looking ahead. Her studio isn’t a physical building, as she brings the healing to the people. “Believe it or not, there is not a physical studio for people to come to. I have my own workspace in my house, which I would consider my studio, but it is not big enough to host people at. I put "studio" in my business name to manifest it to life someday, as my goal moving forward is to create a physical space to offer my services.”
She ended with, “I just think that it is so important to add that healing can come in all shapes and sizes and that you don't know what you don't know until you find something that enlightens you. I have gone through so many trials and errors in finding my peace and it has been a very long road to get me to where I am today. I have found so many resources along the way to help get me through the dark days and I know that those resources can help others.”
Thank you Sara for sharing your story with us and for encouraging everyone to think about taking some time to get themselves grounded.