Right in the heart and commotion of the Midtown bar scene, a calming, peaceful urban sanctuary for the body, soul and spirit serves Mayan spice chocolate French toast with a side of Tibetan bowl sound therapy, or perhaps a cocoa butter massage, to people seeking nourishment and relaxation. This multi-faceted center of well-being, Ancient Future, is located at 2331 K St. and opened its doors and its arms to the public on July 1.

“It’s been rewarding seeing the vision come alive and watching people in the space being able to take a nice deep breath and enjoy themselves and one another,” owner Teresa Flint said. “I really want this space to be a gathering place for the community.”

Ancient Future, a name that embodies the sanctuary’s overarching theme of melding ancient traditions with new therapies, treatments and thoughts, is a multi-level space that houses many forms of spiritual treatment – a space which Flint said she knew she had to occupy even before she had set foot inside.

The entryway, complete with an ornate glass tea distiller, custom pet beds and Flint’s personal vision board (the inspiration behind the entire sanctuary), leads into the outdoor serenity courtyard and practitioner rooms.

Image by: Sara Godley

The courtyard, which is open to the public during normal business hours much like a coffee shop, grows produce that is used on-site at the 24K Cafe. After visitors see the specialist of their choice, which range anywhere from marriage and family psychiatrists to sound, massage and hypnotherapists, Flint said they are encouraged to sit under the misters and just relax.

Image by: Sara Godley

“We take people’s only day off and make it even more special so they feel more rejuvenated and can go back and do what they do really well,” Flint said.

Upstairs is the urban sanctuary, a space that was once an altar and pews as the building used to be the Sacramento Spiritual Center. Vibrant local art lines the walls and the high ceilings make for powerful acoustics. Flint said she considers it the heart of the entire sanctuary – the womb where new ideas are birthed, relationships are formed and people are encouraged to be in the present.

Image by: Sara Godley

Currently, events such as children’s yoga and drum circles are held upstairs, and Flint said she wants to eventually begin tai chi and is open to other feedback.

“It looks like Midtown is getting a wonderful variety of places that are looking to address the spiritual needs of people in a way that’s evolving for this century,” said Margie Will, founder of the Franciscan Living Urban Center for Spirituality located at 2410 K St.

Along with addressing spiritual needs, Ancient Future also offers a chocolate brunch component to fulfill hunger needs on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. downstairs in the cafe.

“I’ve been studying the history of chocolate for a long time,” Flint said. “I’m no chocolatier, but I’m a lover of chocolate. I’ve taken my recipe inspirations and adapted them from ancient Mayan recipes. It’s a very different chocolate experience than is normally found.”

Cafe-goers can sit in the dimly lit cafe and enjoy antioxidant-rich items such as chocolate cherry scones with lavender crème fraiche, chocolate pudding with bacon or a bananalicious nut muffin with a side of chocolate butter.

As far as her ultimate vision for the sanctuary, Flint said she wants it to be a transformative place for people in the community to come and, for whatever reason, reclaim their lives. Metaphorically speaking, she said she also wants to build permanent sidewalks only after the pathways have been drawn by the Midtown community outlining how they want their spiritual collaborative to be formed.

“I hope people continue to find niches that meet the spiritual needs of people,” Will said. “I think a lot of traditional church groups have stopped meeting those needs for whatever reason. It’s important for people to have a place where they feel they can explore their spirituality since it’s such an important part of who we are.”

For more information, visit Ancient Future's website.