On Feb. 11, the Anthropedia Center for Well-Being, comprised of the Anthropedia Academy and The Wellness Agora, opened its doors to the public. After being approached by the previous owner, the Wellness Agora is now located in where the Library Annex once resided.

One of the main purposes of the center is to help people reach their fullest potential and relieve the stress that drags an individual down through a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model. The Anthropedia Foundation, whose research informed The Wellness Agora, was founded by Lauren Munsch Dal Farra, M.D., Sita Kedia, M.P.H., M.D., and Kevin Cloninger, P.h.D., in St. Louis in 2004. 

Cloninger, Executive Director of the Anthropedia Foundation, as well as Lara Pennington, MSW, Director of Development and Community Engagement for the Anthropedia Foundation, felt that there was a lack of well-being, self-knowledge, meaning and purpose in today’s individuals alongside a world that is increasingly unstable. 

“Twenty years ago when we were getting started it was not obvious to anyone that these problems would be as bad as they are now,” said Cloninger. 

Sensing the degree to which individuals stress were affecting them, Cloninger felt that something had to be done to help, and The Wellness Agora was born. 

The Anthropedia Center for Well-Being offers various ways for individuals to not only learn how to reach their fullest potential and decrease stress, but also to teach others to do the same. These come in the form of coaching and different services that target an individual’s biological and psychological well-being. By being coached, an individual can learn how to lead a better, and more fulfilling life. By becoming certified in a training course, an individual can share what they’ve learned and help others to follow in a path of a healthier lifestyle and being. 

“I went through the training with that personal development in mind, but also for the professional implementation of the curriculum. And I fell in love with the curriculum,” stated Pennington on her experience before joining the team in April of 2018. 

Osha Chesnutt-Perry, a junior at SLU, reflects on her time with Anthropedia and The Wellness Agora with gratitude. “I have been fortunate to try some of these services in New York and have already reaped benefits in decreasing my anxiety, and look forward to continuing to use what’s offered here to support my academic and professional pursuits,” stated Chesnutt-Perry.

The services offered by The Wellness Agora target an individual’s body and mind, seeking to help relax, renew and recharge. Some of these services included an iso float, a thermal relax, infrared sculpt, biobalance and various other biologically based services. 

For all services, students in the St. Louis area will receive a 25 percent discount. For all SLU students with a valid ID, they will receive a 50 percent discount.