Shelves of Aeaea combines yoga, herbs and books
The unique shop took over in the space formerly occupied by October Guitars
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One of the first things that hits you when you walk into Shelves of Aeaea is the smell of incense as it wafts through the air and into your nostrils.
I am not the first person to make that observation, says owner Angelique Sandas. Sandas opened the shop Nov. 15 in the space next to The Milk Merchant and Katzenbarkers. Previously, the space housed October Guitars.
But one would hardly recognize the place. Shelves of Aeaea combines yoga, herbs and books into a unique shop unlike anything Wausau has seen.
“The space in general is intended to be mainly sort of a wellness space, but how that manifests in many facets of our lives,” Sandas told The Wausonian, citing on example of how the books represent the self-knowledge aspect of yoga. “We wanted to create a space that sort of represented that search for self and that search for well-being, and offer different sort of roadways to that.”
The shop is the brainchild of Sandas, who trained in Ashtanga Yoga in India with the head of the lineage. Sandas is from the Wausau area originally, having grown up in Merrill, but she lived in Miami for a number of years.
Now that she’s moved back to be near family, Sandas says she is the only authorized Ashtanga teacher in the region. For a time, before she moved, she taught at the former Wausau studio Community Soul.
But as COVID changed the yoga industry, Sandas said she expanded her reach and started studying herbs. She is now studying health sciences and mental behavioral health in graduate school.
The focus of Shelves of Aeaea
Sandas believes the three aspects of the shop work well together. The books represent an important aspect of yoga - self-discovery. They include yoga and spiritual books, but also romance books. Her sister Amy Bird selected the books and is a romance author herself. And the herbs are an important part of health, which is important. She can make custom herbal blends for customers who want it.
The community can choose between Ashtanga/Mysore self-practice and community flow classes. And drop-in, weekly and monthly rates are available.
Sandas says she has more in store for the space, including book clubs, yoga workshops, continued education, teacher training, breath and meditation workshops and even tea blending workshops.
As for those wondering about the name? It comes from the mythical island in Homer’s The Odyssey, where the witch of the island trapped Homer and his men. Sandas says they chose that as the name of the business to evoke the mystical, esoteric and the seeking of self-knowledge and well-being.
Shelves of Aeaea is located at 404 S 2nd Avenue, between The Milk Merchant and Katzenbarkers. They’re open Tues.-Fri. 10 am-6 pm, and Saturday 11 am-3 pm. Find them at their website, or on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
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