With New York City’s membership-based club The Well, co-founders Rebecca Parekh, Sarrah Hallock, and Kane Sarhan took “the benefits of Western medicine and the wisdom of Eastern healing” and built a science-backed ecosystem for wellness – replete with integrative medicine doctors, health coaches and skilled practitioners, as well a full-service spa that includes an organic restaurant.

It truly is an oasis – a calm within the Manhattan storm. We got to experience this first-hand last month when the club hosted the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Design Challenge presentation and cocktail.

Here, the three founders to discuss the club and why integrated wellness is more important than ever.

Please tell you about your backgrounds.

Rebecca Parekh, CEO: Prior to founding The Well, I worked for Deepak Chopra as the COO for Deepak Chopra Radical Well-Being. Before that, I spent 10 years at Deutsche Bank focused primarily on structured credit, covering hedge funds and private equity firms.

Wellness was always a big part of my life though. My mom was teaching yoga in the 70s when she was pregnant with me and we would go on retreats to the Omega Institute to learn about Reiki and Tai Chi starting when I was in middle school.

I’m also half-Indian, so we spent summers in India with my dad’s family where I learned about meditation and Ayurveda.

Kane Sarhan, CCO: I was formerly the Head of Brand of Starwood Capital Group and 1 Hotels, where I was driving the launch of both new brands and oversaw all creative, strategic marketing and public relations efforts. I knew Rebecca and Sarrah socially for about 10 years. We were introduced through mutual friends and when Rebecca told me about her vision for The Well, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

Sarrah Hallock, COO: About 10 years ago, I started experiencing health problems ranging from exhaustion, anxiety and insomnia to gaining 25 pounds over the course of a year. After almost two years of seeing numerous doctors and receiving conflicting advice, I finally saw a functional medicine doctor who diagnosed me with an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. This led to my passion for health and wellness. I left my job in marketing to study nutrition and wellness and started a private health coaching practice before co-founding The Well.

How did you meet?

Rebecca Parekh: I knew Kane and Sarrah socially when I started down the path of building The Well and somewhat serendipitously, we reconnected at a point where wellness was playing an increasingly important role in our lives. We were all facing similar challenges when it came to staying well and it became clear to us that there was a deep need for an integrated model like this.

How did you come up with the idea for The Well?

Rebecca Parekh: The idea for The Well first came to me in 2009. I was working long and stressful hours on a trading desk and had zero time to navigate the city’s disparate wellness offerings. That paradox — needing support more than ever, but having no bandwidth to seek it — is a universal problem for busy professionals. After a restorative visit to a holistic spa in Sedona, Arizona I was inspired to bring an integrated “destination wellness” model to an urban market.

What is the concept behind it?

Rebecca Parekh: The Well is a modern membership-based wellness club that recognizes both the benefits of Western medicine and the wisdom of Eastern healing. Our integrative medicine doctors, health coaches and skilled practitioners — from personal trainers and mindful-movement teachers to acupuncturists and bodyworkers — come together under one roof to build customized plans uniquely suited to each member’s needs and goals.

What sets The Well apart from other wellness centers/spas?

Sarrah Hallock: The Well is the first of its kind. Consumers are becoming more conscientious about their well-being, but with so many different offerings in the health and wellness space, they find themselves running around town receiving conflicting advice. At The Well, our expert team work together to create streamlined solutions for each member.

What are some of the key experiences on offer?

Kane Sarhan: A core part of membership is the monthly one-on-one sessions with a dedicated health coach who help drive the experience. Unlimited yoga, meditation and movement classes are also included, as well as access to a private training gym, relaxation lounge, sauna and steam room. Our treatments and services menu is extensive with highlights including appointments with our functional medicine doctors, Ayurvedic consultations, acupuncture, physical therapy, reiki, craniosacral, dry brushing and lymph drainage, myofascial release and neuromuscular and trigger point therapy. Additionally we’ve developed a series of signature classes as part of our Mindful Movement Program, ranging from a robust yoga program and a proprietary training sequence, HEAT (High Energy Activation Training) to a meditation class called Centering. Within The Library, we also offer members life-enhancing programming — from educational sessions and workshops to support circles and member suppers — completing the experience.

Why is this concept so right for now?

Sarrah Hallock: We wanted to create a space where we can bring together the best practitioners, who are passionate about what they do and are experts in their respective modalities. Our doctors and practitioners communicate in real time and align on customized treatment plans for members — this integrated approach helps avoid what’s broken in most traditional healthcare systems. Together, we want to change the narrative around health and wellness.

What are you hoping to accomplish with The Well?

Rebecca Parekh: Our mission is to be the gold standard for wellness — a place where members come for trusted advice to achieve their individual health goals. Empowering our community to take greater agency for their well-being and supporting them on that journey — these are the fundamental principles that drive us every day.

What is the one thought that should go through people’s minds when they leave?

Kane Sarhan: We hope members feel rejuvenated and relaxed but also realize that it is possible to easily integrate wellness into their day to day. We want to change the narrative and have our members adopt the mentality of “wellness and…” not “wellness or…”