The Studio owner, Nasir ‘Ace’ Bland, within the wellness haven. (Photo: Deesarine Ballayan)

A lush fairy tale-like pathway leads you to Germantown’s newest Black-owned wellness lounge and apothecary called The Studio. Upon entering, customers can expect to see vibrant African art, jarred herbs, potted plants, and books on herbalism.

Owner Nasir Blands, also known as Ace of Ace Holistics, says the desire to open his own holistic business only started in March of this year.

“If you want something to happen, you can make it happen,” he said.

The Studio, located at 319 W. Chelten Ave., sharing a parking garage with Chelten Station, hosted its soft opening on May 17. Inside, it offers herbal blends, body butters, and oils, guided private and communal meditations hosted by Ace.

Shortly after opening, Ace was also able to add bistro seating on the patio and Wi-Fi to make the space accessible to students and Germantowners who work from home. Ace says the lack of distractions makes the space an alternative to Starbucks or a modern coffee shop.

“It’s for the community to have a space to be still… It’s calm and the energy’s clear,” he said.

The Studio also offers Yoga sessions with local fitness trainer Life.

The main space is the shop with couches, a coffee table, and the herbs displayed on shelves anchored to the walls. Past the herbs, a door leads to the back patio where the yoga sessions take place.

Ace says that the space is designed to resemble a studio apartment, hence the name, with furniture and decor primarily sourced from Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, and Temu.

He feels as though the shop symbolically represents herbalism, calling it “a representation of working with what you have and using the resources available to you.”

“I strongly feel we have everything we need at every moment in our life,” he said.

Ace says it also felt necessary to display the connection between Africa and herbalism.

The South Jersey native moved to Port Richmond less than two years ago. Ace says he chose to open The Studio in Germantown because of the neighborhood’s reputation for prioritizing health and wellness.

In its short period of operation, The Studio has already collaborated with self-care studio, Avenue 215 on Wissahickon Ave., after he says he walked into their shop, introduced himself, and gave them fliers for his soft opening.

During “The Herbal Experience” collaboration between the two studios, attendees participated in a guided meditation, sound healing, and a stress support herbal workshop. Guests were also able to create their own herbal tea blends.

Ace says working near some of his favorite vegan restaurants like All The Way Live Cafe and The Nile Cafe has also been a positive aspect of having his shop in Germantown, considering them as part of the wellness ecosystem.

“I just think it’s cool to be in such close proximity to them; we all do the same things just in different capacities,” said Ace.

Though he partially credits his Jamaican ancestry for his interest in herbalism, he notes that the loss of his father and best friend within a year of each other motivated him to start his holistic journey.

“It just really took a toll on me mentally. I started leaning on herbs- herbal health and natural remedies and stuff like that as well to be able to take care of myself and support myself going through that journey and then I came out like this, ” laughed Ace.

He felt that opening a wellness shop and community space was naturally the next step in his holistic journey.

Looking to the future of his new venture, Ace says he is most excited to create custom herbal blends for his customers. The Studio also offers free consultations for people who are just beginning the healing journey to gauge what herbs might be best for them.

Ace says customers take the lead on their healing journey, and The Studio will mainly provide support in their wellness goals.

“I meet everybody where they are,” said Ace. “Wherever you are along your journey, we can meet you, and wherever you want to go, we can help guide you there.”

This month, The Studio will be hosting weekly guided meditations and yoga sessions and an R&B Wellness Mixer for Juneteenth. It will also be featured at Temple’s Black Men’s Wellness Day and Running on Business in collaboration with Philly Track Jawn.

Stay connected with The Studio on Instagram. The community wellness space and herbal shop are open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Deesarine Ballayan is a Liberian-American freelance journalist from and based in Philadelphia. Her work is featured in The Philly Download, the Logan Center, CSIS, The Philadelphia Citizen, and Billy Penn @ WHYY.