As we break ground and complete construction, we will be updating our site with news and progress reports. Join our community by signing up for our emails, and we’ll keep you in the loop!
We look forward to sharing this process with you and hope to see you at our Grand Opening!
Our Location and the Community
Lakewood Ranch
There is such a strong community feel in Lakewood Ranch, and as a resident for 14 years, I knew it was the perfect place for a positive retreat where people can come together and be social.
Lakewood Ranch is home to over 150 miles of sidewalks and trails, community parks, lakes, nature preserves and a variety of wildlife. This award winning, master-planned community, located in east Sarasota near Florida’s gulf coast, is also designated as the largest green-certified community in the United States.
The Four Pillars property is located next door to the Center for Building Hope, an organization with a similar mission and services for families affected by cancer. In fact, there are a number of organizations in the Lakewood Ranch community, aligned with the mind-body-spirit connection, that have been drawn here by its natural beauty.
Lakewood Ranch spans four exits of I-75 and is the eastern part of the Sarasota/Bradenton metro area. Four Pillars is located on Communications Pkwy, just east of Lakewood Ranch Blvd. between University and Fruitville Road.
Sarasota and Bradenton Beaches
Four Pillars is located just 16 miles from the number one beach in the country, Siesta Key Beach. The sand on Siesta Key is a white quartz, known for its healing properties.
The Sarasota/Bradenton area is a destination city just south of Tampa with hotels and beach resorts on a long chain of islands, a wide variety of shopping and dining options, fine arts, museums, tennis, golf, paddle boarding, kayaking, boating and beautiful sunsets.
If you’re coming from out-of-town for one of our events, your stay in Sarasota will be a treasured memory. The area has such a powerful energy that many visitors are drawn to relocate.
The Four Pillars Facility
The setting is designed to encourage appreciation of nature’s beauty, as you enjoy your mind, body, spirit and social experiences.
The building was architecturally designed by Barron Schimberg with the Schimberg Group in Sarasota, Florida. The builder is Ramsey Frangie with Ramate Construction.
The Building Includes:
- A Spa with a facial room, 3 massage and healing rooms, infrared sauna, a bathing room, men’s and women’s showers and locker rooms, and a patio and spa garden overlooking the pond and nature preserve.
- A wood floor and multi-purpose room for yoga, workshops, meetings, and events.
- An audio-visual and sound recording room.
- Inspirational Bookstore & Gift Boutique.
- The Four Pillars Café.
- A full-service kitchen.
- The Four Pillars Lounge with table and couch seating.
- French doors opening to a wood deck and two screened, paved lanais with couch and table seating.
- Meditation Garden, Spa Garden, and Herb Garden.
- Back Yard Fire Pit for intimate gatherings.
- Outdoor Pavilion for yoga, workshops, or evening events.
- Florida native landscaping by David Johnston Landscape Architects and the Florida Native Plant Society.
- 6200 square feet of globally-inspired décor.
- Finishes of iron, copper, stone, wood, Spanish tiles, waterfalls, and flame sconces.
Come Connect with Nature
The Four Pillars philosophy is to awaken to the connection and synergy of all living things: people, plants and animals
As a resident of Lakewood Ranch for over 13 years, Cheri is deeply familiar with the community and has always felt a connection with the resident wildlife that includes hawks, gators, bobcats and deer.
When the vision of Four Pillars came to her, she knew that wherever she built Four Pillars, the property would need to allow for a full connection with nature.
The chosen property is situated on a 640 acre nature preserve, alongside a lake that is home to a complex habitat of natural wildlife. Water, trees, breezes, and plant life are naturally abundant here.
The peaceful and natural state of the preserve provides the perfect setting for the facility’s future Meditation Tower, which will provide sweeping, birds-eye views of the property.
It was clear right away this was the location for Four Pillars, as one by one, the deeper symbolism of the property presented itself.
The Hawk
Hawks nest in the trees of the property and in the trees of Cheri’s Lakewood Ranch home. They oftentimes squawk upon our arrival, welcoming us and offering reassuring guidance that we chose the right Four Pillars location.
Hawk bears a special symbolism, representing a need for awareness, and that there is a message waiting to be received and interpreted. He holds the key to higher consciousness and brings attention to certain things coming into your circle of awareness. The Hawk signals that enlightenment is imminent.
Message from the Hawk Totem:
“The Hawk often represents the ability to see meaning in ordinary experiences if you choose to become more observant. Many of the messages Hawk brings you are about freeing yourself of thoughts and beliefs that are limiting your ability to soar above your life and gain a greater perspective. It is this ability to soar high above to catch a glimpse of the bigger picture that will allow you to survive and flourish.” (source: http://spirit-animals.com/hawk/)
The Alligator
Alligators can be found in almost every lake in the State of Florida.
The alligator also bears symbolism – they represent maternal protection, primal energies, connection to mother earth, protection from manipulation, understanding deceit, revenge through patience, initiation, understanding weather, access to knowledge, and the power to survive.
Message from the Alligator Totem:
“Look for an opportunity to ingest new knowledge and wisdom. This totem animal contains all the unbridled creative forces of the world and the fury and ferocity of Primal Energies. It is the keeper and protector of all knowledge.
Know that this is the beginning of a new period of growth and regeneration. Use breathing techniques to keep yourself balanced during this time of change and give yourself time to integrate all of the changes you are making in your life. Patience is key at the moment.” (source:http://spirit-animals.com/alligator/)
The Dragonfly
There are often dragonflies when we visit the property.
The dragonfly, in almost every part of the world, symbolizes change and change in the perspective of self-realization; it also represents the kind of change that has its source in mental and emotional maturity and the understanding of the deeper meaning of life.
Message from the Dragonfly Totem:
“Pay attention to your deeper desires and be mindful of the outcome we wish to have. There are lessons to be learned and you are reminded that … your thoughts are responsible for your physical surroundings.”
We are reminded to “live your life to the fullest with what you have. It also beckons you to seek out the parts of your habits that need changing. Use the Dragonfly to guide you through the mists of illusion to the pathway oftransformation. It will bring you the light and color of transformation into your life.” (source: http://www.spirit-animals.com/dragonfly/)
Lotus Flowers
“I have a love for the Lotus, while growing in mud it still remains unstained”. – Confucius
The lotus is possibly one of the most widely recognized symbols of spiritual enlightenment. While it is embodies a diverse range of symbolism across various cultures and religions, its striking life cycle of growing out of mud and returning to it at night but always flowering clean the next day imbues it with a natural, universal symbolism.
As a water-blooming flower in our lake, it will feed the water element of our natural balance, but it also symbolizes rebirth and our human effort to be open like the lotus blossom, and full of heart.
Black-Eyed Susans
The property grounds are home to an abundance of Black-eyed Susans.
Black-eyed Susans are a symbol of encouragement, and are frequently associated with fun, flirtatiousness and charm. They aid in filling the heart with happiness, joy and smiles.
The black-eyed Susan is a flower of the solar plexus. (source: http://www.universeofsymbolism.com/flower-symbolism.html)
Message from Black-eyed Susan:
“It’s now time for you to release the pain you’ve held on to. Be willing to rid your body of toxins and negativity; exchange them for peace and love…You deserve to BE loved just as much as you GIVE love.” (source: http://shop.angeltherapy.com/flower-therapy)
Spanish Moss
The resilient, native oaks and slash pines symbolize strength, growth and the earth. The trees are draped in beautiful, natural Spanish Moss.
As a flowering plant, Spanish Moss symbolizes growth, however it is also known as an “air plant” representing the air element. As a member of the bromeliad family it is actually related to the pineapple, commonly recognized as a welcoming symbol.
Spanish moss is a diversely valuable plant to its ecological community It is an important component used by several species of birds, including the local endangered Wood Stork, to build their nests. It also provides a refuge for other animals and insects.