Case 113: Zen Blossoms Yoga Studio

Listen On Your Favorite Podcast App

 

Welcome to Sleepless in Suburbia Podcast Case 113

Intro

Locked away in attics, basements, and dark corners across the world are stories of beings and beasts that hide in the night. 

These are those stories.

This is the Sleepless in Suburbia Podcast

I’m Brooke, case manager for our team, and this is our audio case recap for Case 113: Zen Blossoms Yoga Studio. When I received this email from manager Lila Goens, I dusted off my Gen Blossoms CDs. Okay, so I pulled up Gen Blossoms videos on youtube because I’m still not tech-savvy enough to understand how to find their music on Spotify.

Lila Wrote:

Ladies,

My name is Lila Goens, and I’m the manager of Zen Blossoms Yoga Studio in Springfield. We’ve been open for about 18 months, and things are happening more and more frequently.

We are a woo space walking the beautiful lines of spirituality, body, and soul. The space we provide our yogis is supposed to be one of calm, providing them an opportunity to connect inward to grow their strength and mind-body connection. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to foster this environment when a ghost or something like it keeps harassing our staff and students.

Water bottles get knocked over in class for no reason. A teacher has seen the same face looking back at her from the mirror in the women’s locker room. A yoga block launched across the room and hit a student in the stomach during savasana; several students witnessed this. These are just a few of the things happening here.

This is the last place I thought would be haunted, but there’s a ghost here, we all know it. Please come to the Studio and see what you can find.

Love and Light,
Lila

Property Details

Zen Blossoms Yoga Studio is a two-story brick building set in the town square area of Springfield. You might hear it before you see it, because of its collection of outdoor wind chimes.

Once inside the reception area, there’s desk and couches for students to relax before and after classes.

Just past the reception area are two large locker rooms, a men’s and a women’s

Finally, on the main level, there are individual yoga studios.

There are 5 Yoga Studios of varying size-

• Lotus is the largest Studio used for different hot yoga classes. 
• Lilly is the second-largest Studio and it not heated
• Hyacinth is a heated room used for yoga classes
• Iris is not a heated space
• Poppy is the smallest room used for Yin Yoga and other more gentle practices.

There’s a flight of stairs that leads up to the meditation rooms and staff areas.

Two meditation rooms – both are lightly heated.

• Mindful Meditation Room – This is a quiet room with meditation pillows and dim lighting. 
• Music Meditation Room – In this room, you can listen to records, pop a tape into a cassette walkman, listen to your favorite 90s music on a diskmen, or use various other digital devices to meditate through music. 

Office – Used primarily by management.

Staff Lounge – Large area of the second floor also used for yoga teacher classes. 

Team Update

During the prep stage of the investigation, Pru had her hands full at a local bookstore, coordinating a book signing event for an up and coming thriller author. So Lark jumped into online historical archives to dig up some details on the building that houses Zen Blossoms. We will keep them paired up for the actual investigation.

Lo and Claire teamed up for this investigation. We can always count on something interesting happening when we match up the one who can try to logic her way out of the most concrete evidence and the one who gets scared of leaves blowing in the wind. They also kept an eye on HQ.

I investigated with Ford. She’s the prankster of the group even when it comes to other paranormal investigations. Once on a trip to Estes Park to explore the Stanley Hotel, Ford snuck in on a tour investigating the conservatory. She planned to scare them as they left; instead, she got spooked by the tour guide who happened to be wearing an old-timey hat. After she screamed and ran from the building, we had to admit she was with us sheepishly. What happens when our prankster meets whatever is going on in Zen Blossoms, which sounds like a trickster entity as well.

Historical Society Research

Lark, you did awesome on this!

1485 South Bixler was built in 1920 for the Geller Accessories Company owned by Adam Geller. Adam started the company for his new bride Bina, his wedding gift to her, a factory to create the fashion accessories she designed. 

Bina designed:

• Beaded clutch purses
• Cloche hats embellished with fabric flowers
• Ribbon Choker necklaces
• Cuff bracelets
• Gem hair accessories like tiaras 

90% of the workforce at Gellar Accessories Company were women, only 25% of whom were married. The Gellar’s created great loyalty amongst their employees by paying them 2% more than other pieceworkers in the state. On average, those creating the designs made between $18 and $22 a week depending on which accessory they crafted.

Business and family were booming for the Gellar’s. Demand for Bina’s accessories had grown to the point where they had no more space within their walls for any additional employees. They needed another building. At home, Bina had welcomed two children Matthew and Samuel. Life was everything the Gellar’s could have dreamed until the afternoon of June 6, 1927.

A fire broke out at the Gellar Accessories Company. Several small fires grew quickly, trapping 7-second floor workers, including Bina’s sister Eliza. One of those women jumped from the second story breaking her leg, fracturing several ribs, and all but crushing her wrist. The other six women died in the fire, most succumbing to smoke inhalation. 

• Eliza Abrams
• Molly Porter
• Rebecca Youngmen
• Ruth Bing
• Johanna Marks
• Marie Russo

Investigators determined that the fire had been set intentionally, but were unable to determine who had set the fires. The Gellar’s paid for the funeral of all six women and the hospital expense of the one who had jumped to safety. The Gellar Accessories Company never reopened, and the Gellars moved from Springfield. 

The building sat empty for nearly two decades before being gutted and refinished as a Wilson’s Soda Fountain in the early 1950s. In the early 1990s, the building changed ownership and looked again to give people in Springfield to listen to live 90s alternative rock bands. The Polished Minx served drinks to music lovers from across the state. Closing its doors in 2011. It was vacant until the Zen Blossoms Yoga Studio moved in. 

Onsite Interview Recap

• Margot Witter took us to the women’s locker room, where she had experience with the same female entity six times.  
  • After teaching evening power yoga classes, Margot locked up the Studio, and headed to the locker room to get ready so she could meet friends to celebrate a birthday. 
  • She was bent over blow-drying her hair, standing up she looked in the mirror to see a pale woman with red lipstick wearing a black dress with silver beading, and black feathered headband staring back at her from over her shoulder.
  • Margot turned around, but no one was there. She was alone in not only the locker room but the entire Studio.
  • Several weeks later, while cleaning the floor in Lotus studio, the woman in the black beaded dress appeared again in the wall of mirrors at the front of the room. The apparition appeared to be right next to Margot.
  • Margot has seen the same woman, always in mirrors, once more in Lotus Studio and three additional times in the women’s locker room 
• Lotus Studio is a hot one; the day we visited the room was around 100 degrees. In this room, a student during Savasana or relaxation at the end of the yoga workout had a block chucked at him.
  • Lila showed us where his mat was set up, about 15 feet from a shelf holding equipment like blocks, bands, and towels. 
  • One witness says she was lying with her eyes open when a block flew over her head. 
  • Another student fluttered their eyes open; head rolled to the left when the block struck the man in the stomach. She had no idea where the block came from.
  • The yoga teacher in the room, who quit shortly after the experience, described the blocking flying off the shelf out of nowhere and striking the man.
  • The man struck was the only guy in the class that day. 
• During a Yin Yoga in Poppy Studio, the class was in downward facing dog pose. 
  • Which if you aren’t a yogi is a pose with your body in a triangle, your booty is in the air, your hands are flat on the mat in front of you, and your feet are behind you. Your booty is the top point of the triangle. I am not a yoga professional, so I’m sure I explained that terribly and a yoga teacher somewhere is cringing. But you get the idea. 
  • The teacher was walking in the back of the room when she heard something fall. It was a water bottle from the second row. She didn’t think much of it. Until another water bottle fell over. In total five water bottles fell over without an apparent person or thing touching them 
  • Water bottles falling over without help from the living has become a common occurrence in all studio rooms. 
• Lila was working in the office one evening; she noticed a chill in the air before a male voice whispered near her ear, “hiya bearcat.” 

Haunted Happenings

• Staff members have heard footsteps like someone wearing high heels upstairs when they go check to see if anyone is up there, it’s empty.
• In Hyacinth Studio several classes have heard disembodied laughter throughout the room
• Passerbys report seeing a shadow figure standing in the second-floor windows when the Studio is closed.
• Cell Phones left in lockers in the men’s locker rooms have had their batteries fully drained.
• Thermostats controlled within each individual Studio have turned up on their own. 
• Cold spots are reported on both the first and second floors. 
• A student reported hearing “excuse me” from behind her, thinking she was blocking another student’s locker, she moved, turning to apologize she was alone in the locker room.
• The smell of smoke on the second floor
• Orbs witnessed in darkened studios 
• Phantom handprints on mirrors in the studios
• A feeling of being watched 
• Several students have reported seeing shadows move from the corner of their eye 
• Lights will grow brighter in dimmed studios while yoga classes are in session
• Batteries on the media players in the music meditation drain suddenly 
• The record player in the music media player has begun playing on its own. 

Investigation Recap

Setup took place on Sunday afternoon after the last Yin Yoga and Hot Yoga classes. Lila and Margot, one of the Power Yoga teachers, joined us for setup and stuck around for the first hours of investigation. With so much activity happening around them, we were curious if their presence could spark activity during the investigation.

HQ was on the second floor in the Office. 

Lo setup video monitors in HQ as well as three stationary cameras around the building. 

• One on watching the stairs 
• One in the reception lobby area
• One in lotus studio 

Our three research packs were lighter this investigation since we’re all in one building.

Our Research Pack supplies included:

• K2 EMF Meter
• SB11 Spirit BOx
• Digital Camera
• Digital Voice Recorder
• Full Spectrum Video Camera
• Bandaids 
• Protein Bars – we still get hungry even if we aren’t leaving the building

Each team got a pack before heading out to investigate. 

Claire and Lo took both meditation rooms on the second floor, the staff lounge, and held down the fort in HQ. 

Pru and Lark investigated studios Hyacinth, Poppy, and Iris.

Ford and I took the lobby/reception area, and studios Lotus and Lilly. 

These are our Experiences 

• Equipment Happenings
  • The battery in the camera setup in Lotus Studio drained twice and had to be replaced. 
• Lo and Claire in both meditation rooms on the second floor, the staff lounge, and HQ. 
  • While in the music meditation room, Claire caught the following EVP, give it a listen and tell us what you think it says.
  • Please listen to the podcast episode for EVP
  • Let’s play it one more time.
  • Please listen to the podcast episode for EVP
  • It sounds to us like the word smoke. Maybe it’s one of the women who worked in the factory noticing the growing smoke from the fires?
  • Doing another walkthrough of the second floor, Claire and Lo found all the meditation cushions in the mindfulness meditation room stacked on top of each other like a pyramid. When they first investigated this room, the cushions were lying scattered on the floor. 
  • Before leaving HQ to do their second sweep of the second floor, Lo set up a digital camera on the desk. When Lo and Claire returned, the camera was lying on the desk battery drained. 
  • If you want to see the video check out the case file on Instagram or Facebook, we are @SLEEPLESSSUBURBIAPOD on both.
• Pru and Lark in studios Hyacinth, Poppy, and Iris.
  • Lark did some research after our onsite interview after hearing that Lila had heard the word bearcat. She learned that back in the 1920s, the word bearcat was a slang term used to describe a strong-willed, often spirited woman. So perhaps the voice belonged to a man from the 1920s.
  • While in the Poppy Studio, this is the Studio where water bottles get knocked over by nothing, Lark witnessed a shadow move in a corner. She snapped several pictures but wasn’t able to capture what she witnessed. 
  • The two have a theory that the phantom handprints on the mirrors in various studios could result from people touching the mirror with their hand, perhaps for balance. Then after cleaning, the oil from the handprint isn’t entirely removed from the glass. From there, the right combination of humidity or even glare of light with the right angel might cause what appears to be a phantom handprint. They weren’t able to thoroughly debunk, it’s a theory they wanted it documented and shared with the Gin Blossoms staff. 
  • While in Hyacinth Studio, both Pru and Lark heard the sound of high heels on the floor above them. Neither Claire nor Lo are high heels girls and we all where tennis shoes to investigate. They caught the footsteps on Pru’s digital recorder, give it a listen.
  • Please listen to the podcast episode for EVP
  • Pru then went upstairs to Claire, and Lo finding them both in HQ, neither had been walking around upstairs for about 30 min. 
  • We believe these feets
  • Please listen to the podcast episode for EVP
  • Are the footsteps from someone just on the other side of the veil? 
• Myself and Ford in the lobby/reception area, and studios Lotus and Lilly. 
  • Margot and Lila joined us at the start of the investigation in Lotus Studio. Remember this is the Studio where that man had a yoga block thrown at him by a disembodied force. 
  • We all stood in the center of the Studio while Claire ran the digital recorder, Lila asked questions. We got a couple of responses to those questions. 
  • When Lila asked, “Who’s With Us?” we got this intelligent response. Listen, what do you hear?
  • Please listen to the podcast episode for EVP
  • Did you hear Ruthie? We didn’t hear the response in the room, but I couldn’t believe the response when I listened back. It sounds to us like When asked who was with us, a voice responded with Ruthie. It seems very likely that this could be an intelligent response from the spirit of Ruth Bing, who lost her life in the fire.
  • Here is our next EVP evidence caught in the same room during the same session. 
  • Lila asked, “Are you okay with us being here?” We got this response.
  • Please listen to the podcast episode for EVP
  • Did you hear berries too? Now at first, this didn’t sound like a response to our question. Having Lark listen to the recording, she remembered reading something during her 20s and 30s research. 
  • She discovered that Berries was slang for something cool similar to the slang saying the bee’s knees. If that was Ruth responding to Lila again, she’s happy to share her afterlife with the yoga studio. 
  • We moved to the women’s locker room where Margot had seen a woman looking back at her in the bathroom mirror. We rolled with the digital recorder but didn’t have any EVP evidence captured.
  • In front of the butcher block countertop at the bathroom sink, we found a cold spot, 9 degrees colder than the rest of the locker room just in that area. Sticking your hands near the cold mass caused goosebumps. 
  • Margot also said she smelled smoke, the rest of us did not have that experience. 
  • After the women’s locker room Margot and Lila left the building, locking the door behind them. Ford was disappointed that our night went smoothly with no other notable experiences or encounters. We did have to use a few bandaids on her after she tripped over yoga mats that were rolled up and stacked against a wall. Tumbling over them, landing on a stone elephant incense holder. Cracking it and her elbow. Three Hello Kitty and one cheetah print bandaid later, the bleeding stopped.
  • Note to self to Venmo Lila money to replace the incense holder. Sorry girl.

Wrap Up

I can say I never thought we’d check out a yoga studio for paranormal activity. Thank you, Lila and Margot, for inviting us into your space to investigate. It does look like there are some spooky happenings at Zen Blossoms Yoga Studio. From our experience, it doesn’t seem like this haunt is malevolent. More like an honorary spirit or two playing with the living and possibly some residual haunts. We are comfortable closing case 113.

Closing

If you want to check out some of our pictures from Whitehurst Winery case file, listen to the EVP’s, and stay up to date with everything happening behind the scenes you can stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram we are at @SLEEPLESSSUBURBIAPOD

We will be back next week with another case, until then thanks again for listening to Sleepless in Suburbia. If you enjoy our cases, please make sure to rate and review us on Apple Podcast, and make sure to subscribe, so you get our new case each week.

Listen On Your Favorite Podcast App