SolHart Pilates and Wellness opens in Brunswick

BRUNSWICK — SolHart Pilates and Wellness owner Amani Dari wants to help other women feel connected with their bodies through fitness in the same way it does for her. For more than a decade, Dari was weightlifting. She said it was hard on her body, and that is when she got into heated Pilates. "(Pilates) really allowed me to connect to myself in a way that I've never been able to before," she said. "I felt like every woman needed to have that hour to herself, just to connect to her breath and connect to her body. That's what Pilates allows you to do." Dari was living in Jerusalem, where she worked as a fitness instructor, until the Hamas-Israel war started on Oct. 7, 2023. "That was a pretty traumatic experience," she said. "I picked up my son from a bunker in school. Luckily, thank God for my citizenship, I was able to get me and my son out." For the past two years she's been in Ohio, Dari has worked as the assistant night shift director and lead infant teacher at a local day care. She did not know whether she wanted to open a fitness studio or a day care of her own. One day, Dari was driving and found a sign near Brunswick Town Center that said, "This space is waiting for you." She planned her business while working at the day care and taking care of her family during Ramadan. "I just really wanted to fast and pray on it to make sure it was the best thing and the right direction that I was going in," she said. "Then after that, every door just kept on opening." Dari now operates her studio at 1434 Town Center Blvd. in Brunswick. The Northern Medina County Chamber Alliance hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration for the studio on Thursday. "I walked in and had instant tears," she said. "It just felt like this was the space for it." Dari is the instructor for sculpt, barre and stretch and core classes, and there are three other certified Pilates instructors at SolHart. "(Attendees) can expect very intentional movement," she said. "It's where we really focus on our breathing through every workout, and it's slow. It's the only time where I think women have the chance to actually slow down throughout the day." Many of the classes offered at SolHart take place in a heated environment, Dari said. "It allows them to be way more flexible," she said. "They feel really empowered. They feel really strong without even needing to lift weights because it's all connection to your body and your breath." Those interested in attending a class can purchase a class pack, membership or a onetime drop-in pass. Scheduling and booking can be done by visiting, solhartstudio.com. "My classes sold out on our soft opening," Dari said. "In three weeks, we've built such a close community of women." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.