Faces of Haven | Meet Sera Mansueto of Harmony PEC

Meet our friend, Sera Mansueto! Sera is the cofounder of Harmony PEC, a private retreat space in Prince Edward County, Ontario that offers a connection to both nature and oneself. Sera's commitment to sustainable and luxurious design is reflected in all aspects of the guest experience at Harmony PEC, from the cabins built in areas where trees didn't need to be cut down to the use of hand-sewn natural flax linen sheets and coffee cups made from recycled coffee husks.

We were fortunate enough to speak with Sera about Harmony PEC and her commitment to sustainable living and design. One of the ways she provides a healthy sleep environment for her guests is by choosing Haven mattresses to ensure rejuvenating and eco-friendly sleep!

What inspired Harmony PEC? 

My husband, Michael, was given a year to live. He was on $12,000 a month of prescription drugs and in bed with chronic pain 3-4 days a week. He decided to take his health into his own hands and studied different holistic modalities that eventually started to work along with lifestyle changes. That was 7 years ago, he is alive, on no prescription drugs, and built much of our retreat space.

Michael switched his then business coaching to transformational coaching and discovered higher consciousness. With this change, many of his clients have felt the difference in his approach to coaching and recognized that being your best self by healing the mind, can lead to not only powerful but in his case, life-saving breakthroughs. Clients then began to not only want weekly calls but to extend their learning and attend week-long intensive coaching offerings.

This led him to want to create a space where more than one person at a time could come and benefit from his healing experience. His desire to reach more people, alongside my passion for sustainable living and design, and bringing other like-minded practitioners together sparked an idea, and Harmony was created!

How would you best describe Harmony PEC for someone new?

Harmony is a private retreat space that offers a connection to nature and oneself. We host our own Experience Harmony Retreats and are a space for others to host their retreats. At Harmony, you are surrounded by nature, organic plant-based farmer/foraged-to-table meals, waterfront, environmentally protected wetlands, forest trails, and sustainable luxury design and personal attention.         

Tell us about your commitment to sustainable and luxurious design.

Our commitment to sustainable design and connection to nature is reflected in all that you experience at Harmony PEC. When sourcing all goods, we first look for companies with a commitment to the environment, environmental practices, and materials and who give back to the community. We then select the best of what we research.

Our cabins blend seamlessly into the natural landscape of our property, without any trees being cut down. Sustainability is at the forefront of our approach, with features such as hand-sewn natural flax linen sheets, Haven mattresses, and coffee cups made from recycled coffee husks. We also offer natural hemp-filled meditation cushions, crafted with recycled fabrics and embroidered with intention, and our natural amenities are created with essential oils - some of which are sourced from fallen tree branches on our property. Additionally, all tissues are made from unbleached bamboo, and makeup wipes are made with Vitamin C and essential oils and are fully biodegradable. Guests can indulge in organic herbal teas sourced locally, while the shower floors are made from stone found on our shoreline. 

We also take pride in repurposing fallen trees on our property, using them to create unique pieces such as tables, door handles, and wall hooks. To top it off, each guest night stay results in a tree being planted in a Canadian Reforestation project, creating a serene and luxurious connection to nature that fosters relaxation and rejuvenation.

What do you hope guests take away from their experience at Harmony PEC?

That you can live in Harmony with oneself, and nature without sacrificing- a new view of how wonderful and luxurious sustainable design and materials can be. Taking time to care for yourself and discovering the art of rest, reflection and connection is so important in helping you be the best you. You are not a reservation number to us, you are our guest and Harmony feels like home when you are here.

How does the natural environment of Harmony contribute to a better quality of sleep for guests?

We offer our guests an example of clean, healthy living, and a good night's sleep is a pillar to good health. Having Haven mattresses that provide no off-gassing is so important as most people do not realize that the chemicals coming from your mattress are major sleep disruptors.

We also offer services like Contrast Therapy, hot/cold immersion, yoga, meditation, and infrared sauna, which all benefit good sleep. Movement and fresh air help with a good night's sleep and 1400 feet of waterfront, walking trails in the forest, and the hike down the escarpment make this easy.

Taking time away from technology is also vital to quality sleep, and Harmony does not have TVs in our cabins and WIFI depends on the day, lol!

Do you have any pre-sleep rituals or bedtime routines that help you relax and prepare for a good night's sleep?

This can be difficult running a small business, especially during the high season. Meditation is a non-negotiable as well as clean plant-based eating. Sleep is the hardest part of my self-care as we have long days ensuring our guests are taken care of. When my head can have some pillow time, I am sure to have it be a good sleep, being outside in the fresh air all day does help, as well as:

• sheets that create a welcoming cooling bed with no chemicals
• applying topical magnesium
• lavender pillow spray
• no devices near our bed
• stretching to relax my tight muscles from being on my feet all-day
• meditation to empty my busy mind
• Of course, a good Haven mattress and pillow!

Without good rest we can't serve our guests well, so rest is an important part of being our best selves to offer others. After all our logo tagline is PAUSE - EVOLVE – CONNECT.

To learn more about Harmony PEC check out their website www.harmonypec.com or give them at follow @harmonypecretreat