FLINT, Michigan — The Hive Holistic Center aims to facilitate health by restoring harmony and balance between the mind and body. The center, located at 6340 N. Genesee Rd in Flint, celebrated its grand opening on July 13, 2024, with owners Hunter O’Connor, Alberto Bercich, and their son Sage welcoming guests to experience an evening of ceremonial cacao, musical medicine, health-conscious snacks, a communal drum circle, ecstatic dance, and a sound bath to close the evening.
Hive Holistic Center provides a welcoming space for holistic teachers to offer practices that aid in regulating and restoring balance to the nervous system. Holistic health practices provide an inclusionary approach to wellness, considering health’s physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects.
From various disciplines, religions, and cultures, holistic medicine aims to heal individuals, communities, and the environment. Its goal is to help individuals gain a deeper self-awareness across all these levels.
“We are so excited to share this space with our community after over a decade of holding the vision of creating a space where we can come together to laugh, connect, heal, and grow together,” says Hunter and Alberto.
Upon walking through the center’s doors, there was an immediate shift in energy from the uncomfortable and sweltering heat outside into their stunning, serene, open space. Hunter and Alberto were intentional about Hive’s openness by having minimal furniture but intentional pieces of art and accessories to cultivate the healing environment.
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Pictured on July 13, 2024, the entrance to Hive Holistic Center exudes a positive and calming atmosphere to all guests who enter. (Xzavier Simon | Flintside.com)
They desire to provide a safe environment to explore, enjoy, and connect with others through self-restorative mediums. With a room filled with individuals of all ages, genders, and ethnicities, they celebrated Hive’s intention of being a “bridge” to inner healing for the Flint community.
The evening began with a sacred cacao ceremony where each individual sat perched upon a small cushion, side by side, forming a circle. After a brief meditation and sharing a delicious cup of cacao, attendees spoke positive affirmations and intentions.
Cacao is the raw, unprocessed fruit produced by the cacao tree, or the “chocolate tree,” native to South America, West Africa, and some Asian countries. It encourages feelings of love, compassion, and unity and helps release emotional blockages and develop a sense of inner peace.
Hunter and Alberto, also known as the Connection Coaches, began their journeys of holistic wellness individually but in direct alignment with each other’s mission of self-healing and self-exploration. The newlywed couple channeled their passion for each other and the harmony of those around them into couples coaching.
“We attended a coaching program to learn how to structure coaching and then started working with clients. It was a beautiful experience that led to one of our main offerings now. We initially worked one-on-one with clients and later transitioned into group couples counseling which was just as successful,” shared Hunter.
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A gentle session of musical medicine with Tazeen and Lu Fuki filled the space with serenity on July 13, 2024. (Xzavier Simon | Flintside.com)
Hunter’s journey began at the age of 16. Having only been exposed to church, the more ethereal concepts of what she knew as “spirit” awakened her. Upon spending time learning from practitioners, Hunter became compelled to become certified in various holistic practices such as Reiki and THETA healing.
“I started working with women and trauma release techniques, finding limited belief systems and reprogramming those as well as looking at how our childhood traumas are affecting how we’re painting the pictures of our lives still. The transformation that could happen in hours was massive, so I never stopped sharing,” says Hunter.
Our ceremonial cacao followed a gentle session of musical medicine with Tazeen and Lu Fuki. Musical medicine reduces pain by activating sensory pathways that compete with pain pathways, stimulating emotional responses, and engaging cognitive attention.
Curbside Coffee Co. provided health-conscious refreshments before participating in a drum circle with rhythm instructors Steve Vimr and Cam Winn whose main objective of a drum circle is to share rhythm and encourage people to get in tune with each other and themselves.
For Alberto, getting in tune with himself has been a constant theme. He shares a vivid, nostalgic memory of smelling dragons’ blood incense and being mesmerized by large amethyst stones inside metaphysical stores while spending time with his mother. He recalls always having a connection to the earth and its elements, but his healing journey ultimately began with the physical body, healing himself of minor injuries.
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Pictured on July 13, 2024, baskets hang from the ceiling inside Hive Holistic Center's entryway, giving guests a unique view. (Xzavier Simon | Flintside.com)The catalyst was the loss of his father as a teenager. Alberto compares his healing journey to the evolution of a flower, culminating all of the things he has learned, coming into a full circle “budding stage” today.
“It’s all coming together right now,” says Alberto. “Cannabis and hemp also helped me in my early stages to find a balance. That’s what I learned about the Endocannabinoid system; it helps our biological systems work to find the balance within ourselves. I was able to study the cannabinoid system in Colorado because it had been legal there. As I started to peel back layers of what we’ve been told versus the truth, I just thought I had to share this with people.”
The night ended with an ecstatic dance and sound bath with Spaceship Earth and Special Guests. This was done to develop a strong connection between your mind and body as the music led your movements and breathing. The increased awareness promoted a state of mindfulness and presence, anchoring you in the current moment and nurturing a feeling of inner peace.
For Hunter, Alberto, and the Hive Holistic Center, this gives them joy and how they intend to give back to the community.
“We’ve structured the Hive around what’s good for the bee is good for the hive, and what’s good for the hive is good for the bee,” explains Hunter. “We want everyone who shares here to feel supported by us, by this space, and that we’re a family. We can’t do this without them, and they can’t do it without us. I think that’s beautiful, and it’s needed here to build a community that feels that way.”
Find more events to attend at the Hive Holistic Center by visiting: hiveholisticcenter.com. Also, follow them on Facebook.