Newly opened Anam Cara Healing Center offers Spokane a place to relax

Spokane residents have a new place to unwind and de-stress.

The Anam Cara Healing Center recently opened in the historic Symons Block building at 7 S. Howard St., Suite 210, in downtown Spokane.

The membership-based studio features daily in-person meditation classes, one-on-one healing sessions with practitioners, Reiki, workshops and workplace wellness programs.

Anam Cara, Gaelic for “soul friend,” was founded by Hannah Talbot, a Reiki master, meditation guide, yoga teacher and earth medicine practitioner.

“The feedback that we’re getting on the space itself is that people really like it. They come in and feel nurtured, calm and safe,” Talbot said. “Then, feedback that we’re getting on meditation is just that it’s profound – that it really creates these huge shifts in peoples’ lives and gives them more resiliency for the day.”

Anam Cara is offering a one-month, $44 introduction special for unlimited meditation classes. The first 100 founding members are eligible for unlimited medication classes for $67 a month for a year and $77 a month thereafter.

Two other packages, at $115 to $195 per month, respectively, include credits for clients to use for one-on-one services, workshops and retail. The healing center also offers single drop-in meditation classes for $17.

Prior to relocating to Spokane, Talbot and her husband were living in Issaquah, Washington, where she initially wanted to open a meditation and healing studio.

“Like many people, our whole lives changed with the pandemic. I was actually opening a small space in Issaquah right when the pandemic happened, and I had to let that dream go,” Talbot said. “Everything kind of shifted and we realized that we could go somewhere that was a little more aligned with our values.

“Spokane has so much to offer,” Talbot continued, adding her husband is a Lilac City native. “We loved visiting here in the summer and hanging out around here. I thought there was lot of opportunity in the city for what I do. I could see there being a need for (a healing center) here.”

Talbot has always been drawn to helping people.

“My background in college was work with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. I was an advocate and an educator, and then did volunteer work at group homes, shelters and crisis lines,” Talbot said. “So, it’s just kind of always been sort of who I am and what I do.”

Talbot is also a former director of operations for four restaurants where she managed a team of more than 100 employees. While in the restaurant industry, she discovered yoga.

“I got really into it and started practicing regularly and finding my way back to myself,” she said. “I had just completed a 30-day yoga challenge and the owner of the studio was like, ‘You should start teaching.’ I immediately knew that if I was to ever do something like that, I would want to open my own space.”

Talbot left the restaurant industry, created a business plan and started a company that provided mini yoga retreats. Later, she discovered Reiki and meditation.

“My work really started shifting more into that. I began teaching Reiki and meditation,” she said. “Then, the dream for the space evolved from a yoga studio to a healing center.”

After moving to Spokane, Talbot connected with Symons Block building owner Alyssa Agee.

Agee is also co-owner of People’s Waffle and Emma Rue’s, both located on the ground floor of the Symons Block building.

“I’m excited to have a meditation studio in Spokane … it’s a service that is needed here, so we were thrilled to be able to have (Anam Cara) in our space,” Agee said.

Talbot said she is looking forward to providing workplace wellness training to the local restaurant and business communities.

Anam Cara is offering two-hour workplace wellness sessions and customized, ongoing mindfulness training that could span six to 12 weeks, depending upon the client.

The studio also provides meditation memberships for local businesses, Talbot said.

“The goal is to create more synergy with your team, to have more productivity and really show your team that you value their well-being and recognize that life is stressful, their job is probably stressful, and you’re giving them resources to find that balance,” she said.

Agee is planning to enroll in Anam Cara’s workplace training for People’s Waffle and Emma Rue’s employees.

“We haven’t signed up yet, but we intend to have our teams go through it,” she said. “Personally, I’m very excited to be able to offer the training to my staff members in hopes that it will improve our overall work environment and personal enrichment,” she said.