While society often treats wellness as a one-size-fits-all journey, Bella Vita Wellness Company offers a different approach. 

The new business in downtown Kent focuses on the idea that health looks different for everyone. The studio mixes yoga, strength training and wellness coaching to emphasize both fitness and wellness. 

“As somebody that has always struggled with body image, I wanted to have a space for people to be comfortable in their own skin and also to be able to experience health on multiple levels,” owner Sherry Rose said. “Not just yoga, not just fitness, but mental and spiritual. Bella Vita Wellness Company kind of encapsulates all of those things.”

The name of the company supports Rose’s mission.

“There are so many different levels of wellness, and I wanted an inviting space for people to be the best version of themselves,” she said. “Bella Vita means ‘beautiful life,’ so it’s about allowing people to live their most beautiful life.”

Bella Vita offers various services for all, including women’s strength training, yoga, Reiki, nutrition workshops and self-defense classes. Rose described the business as “a cross between if Planet Fitness and a yoga studio had a baby.”

“It gives a place for strength training, corporate wellness and the yoga side of things, but also mindfulness modalities,” she said. 

Sophomore nursing major Bronwyn Stewart said a variety of classes would help students looking for additional wellness opportunities in Kent. 

“I think we could benefit from more Pilates and yoga places, especially during the summer when students can’t access the rec,” Stewart said. 

After years of teaching fitness classes, Rose said opening up a space downtown felt like the next step.

“Downtown doesn’t really have a fitness-type business anymore, and there are many businesses here that could take advantage of what we offer,” she said. “I also want to be a part of the community, and being here allows me that opportunity while being in the heart of it all.”

Rose hopes the business will serve customers of all ages. 

“I want that place where you can be 18, or you can be 80, and there’s something for you here,” she said. “An 18-year-old’s definition of wellness is very different from an 80-year-old’s, and I want Bella Vita to help bridge that gap.”

Stewart said Bella Vita’s strength training classes could help students interested in learning how to exercise.

“I feel like a weight-lifting class could also be beneficial to students to teach them how to lift if they want to learn but don’t know where to start,” she said.

Part of that mission includes challenging common perceptions of wellness and fitness.

“One of the reasons I didn’t want to call it a wellness studio or a yoga studio is because it isn’t just yoga,” Rose said. “I’d like to change that thought process and let people know fitness doesn’t have to be intimidating. Fitness can also be fun.”

For those balancing multiple commitments, the studio has classes starting at 6 a.m. and running through the rest of the day.

“When balancing school and a job, it is hard for students to work out, so having preplanned classes multiple times a day for different schedules would be helpful,” Stewart said.

Stewart said affordability will be important in making classes accessible to students. 

“It’s important to have affordable classes so everyone gets an equal opportunity to participate and learn how to be active,” she said. “We’re all broke college students at the end of the day and have a ton of expenses to deal with.”

Bella Vita Wellness Company hopes to make an impact on the community beyond fitness classes and workout routines by encouraging people to prioritize their health and well-being.

“Wellness is for every body, every body type, every body’s journey in life,” Rose said. “We get so busy that we often put our own health second, and I want to help people find ways to make themselves a priority again.”

Savannah Carroll is a staff writer. Contact her at [email protected].