Expansion February 2025

We are expanding in February! This is so flipping exciting and terrifying all at once!

If you follow up and actually click on our newsletter emails, your first question might be, “What happened to November?” Sometimes I ask myself that same question. I think the answer is… a shit ton of work. I can’t put it any gentler than that.

I was given the opportunity to check out the space directly next door, upstairs from Apricot Lane (if you haven’t been in there yet, please do!). With a great big deep breath, sleepless nights, pulling Tarot cards (haha), and literally shouting at the evening sky, “What should I do? Tell me!”—I signed a lease to expand RISEilience.

You might be thinking, This is a terrible business decision for a new business that’s still essentially in the red. And you might be right… but what if—what if you’re wrong? Since opening RISEilience, if I listen closely, I keep hearing that this business will succeed, and that it will be a beautiful addition to our beautiful city.

So, what’s to come? Construction is already underway as we rehab a space that hasn’t been used for anything more than storage in decades. As we peeled back the literal layers of this 1800s building, we found candy wrappers, old newspaper clippings, posters, and other treasures from the ’30s and ’40s. We even uncovered a sink made in Boston in 1860! The demolition is done, the subfloors are built, and we’ll start putting up walls next week.

The new space will host a large yoga studio that can fit over 30 people, plus a second studio dedicated to Hot Yoga, heated with both air and infrared heaters. Both studios will feature beautiful cork floors and murals. There’s one office that will become the new location for a local women’s mental health therapist, while a second office is STILL AVAILABLE FOR SUBLEASE. We’re also adding a two-person massage therapy suite.

This expansion will allow us to grow our café, giving everyone the freedom to relax without feeling like you have to whisper. I’m also looking to sublease the glass room that’s currently a yoga studio. This room will have a storefront opening into the café. My dream (and maybe I can manifest it!) would be to see a bookstore or natural food/product shop move in—or even a space dedicated to teens in Amesbury, where they can hang out after school, make friends, and build their own community. A girl can dream 😊.

The past five months have been an adventure, and the adventure continues. We’ve hired several new yoga instructors, added some fun and exciting workshops to the calendar, and I’m currently planning a two-day women’s retreat for the spring.

Thank you all for your continued support—whether it’s through donations to the charities we support, purchasing gift cards for your loved ones, or simply showing up. Shopping small and spending local keeps Amesbury growing. It enables us to have a beautiful community with filled storefronts and events happening all around the city.

Happy Holidays!