Meet Adriana Vargas | Owner of Alivio Wellness & Colon Hydrotherapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adriana Vargas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adriana, how do you think about risk?
I’ve never been afraid to take risks, they are what make life exciting, but sometimes all you need is a big push to take steps outside of your comfort zone and life definitely kept pushing me towards opening Alivio Wellness. I became a Colon Hydrotherapist to better understand my own digestive issues and to help & encourage others on their own wellness journey. When I first got certified, I was working full-time in sales in the tourism industry where I had built a solid career of over 8 years, had great benefits, and the opportunity to enjoy many perks, including travel. So when I was offered the opportunity to become a Managing Partner at Vitality NYC, a start-up wellness studio in Herald Square, I was very hesitant about leaving those comforts behind. Cue life about to give me the first of two big pushes I needed. The day after I was offered the opportunity to manage the NYC studio, the company I was working for had a huge layoff and I was part of it. It was scary but it was the sign and reassurance I needed to know that Vitality and the wellness industry was supposed to be my next step. Plus, I had no choice but to make it work! I felt my time in tourism was coming to an end and I was ready for a new challenge.

After 3 successful years managing Vitality, life was about to give me that second big push. Covid happened and due to several reasons, the decision was made to close Vitality. With Vitality closing and no back-up option in tourism since the tourism industry had been hit pretty hard, I had to make something happen on my own and Alivio Wellness came to be! I’m happy to say that Vitality was able to remain open and I now have two places to see clients! These are only two examples but I’d say the majority of the time, every time I’ve taken a risk, something good comes from it. Whether it’s a lesson learned or a connection made, it all ultimately prepared me for that next step. Life is too short and one good thing that has come out of this pandemic is that it reminded people of that. I am 100% a risk taker and always go with my gut and it hasn’t failed me yet.

What should our readers know about your business?
Alivio Wellness is a wellness studio dedicated to detoxification and self-care. We offer Colon Hydrotherapy, Lymphatic Drainage, and Integrative Health Coaching sessions. Alivio translates to “relief” in Spanish and it’s our mission to educate our clients about the importance of gut health and detoxification to help them feel their best. I am most excited about getting clients excited about taking charge of their health! We offer an inviting space where you can shut the world out for an hour or two and focus on yourself – starting from the inside out. It’s amazing how good you start feeling, both physically and mentally, when your body is functioning properly and how that translates to other areas of your life. Growth and healing start from the inside out and we’ve created a cozy space for clients to start or continue on the journey towards a better, healthier version of themselves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have absolutely loved getting to know Hoboken, NJ. I’ve even done a few tiktoks and instagram reels on getting to know the neighborhood (@aliviohoboken.) It truly has so much to offer from amazing fitness studios to shops and restaurants, the city is full of things to do! Hoboken is very close to New York (just a quick path, bus, or ferry ride away) and you’ll get the best waterfront views of city from here, so a stop at Sinatra Park is a must. You’d have to visit one of the many coffee shops in town, too! Joey No Nuts (right across the street from Alivio Wellness) and Hidden Grounds are a few of my favorites.

I’ve also noticed that the people of Hoboken are very active, and how can you not be with the amazing views from here! Trying a fitness class is definitely something I would make sure to do. Places like Elevate Pilates, Impact Hoboken, and The Studio (an adult dance studio) would be on the top of my list. And after our class, I’d fit in an infrared sauna session at Sweat & Glo.

The jury is still out on restaurants as I am still getting to know many of them in the neighborhood but honestly, you can’t go wrong!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I could not have executed my vision for Alivio Wellness without my contractors, Ian and John, at Mount Companies. I had never built a studio before and knew nothing about the building process, so finding someone I could trust was very important. These guys are pros. They were so knowledgeable and took their time to understand how to properly build a colonic studio. (Believe it or not, there are not many people out there who have built colonic studios before. 🙂 ) Very grateful for their guidance and making the process a lot easier than I thought it would be.

I’d also like to shoutout Mike Perrine, owner of Vitality NYC. Mike is a legend in the colonics world and was extremely supportive through the entire process of opening my studio. Mike owned two colonic studios prior so he was very helpful in the building process. He also gave me the opportunity to basically run a studio on my own in NYC and I’ve taken a lot of his best practices and applied them at Alivio Wellness.

Thank you all!

Website: www.aliviowellness.co

Instagram: @aliviohoboken

Facebook: facebook.com/aliviowellness

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/alivio-wellness-hoboken