Azul Health

06/24/2026

Mama's Sanctuary by Sweet Sofia is fundraising to open their doors with a raffle to win a $500 gift card to Slumberland furniture and two spa gift baskets to be drawn live on 7/4/26 at noon (no need to be present to win) receive 1 ticket to the raffle for every $1 you donate between now and July 4th at noon. Donations can be made through venmo -sanctuary, paypal or (preferred as no fees)

Help us build Iowa's 1st urban outdoor sanctuary for healing utilizing the benefits of nature & joyful, mindful movement to improve mental health & promote wellness.

06/16/2026

Our site is live! Sweet Sofia’s licensed home bakery closed when our Mama went to Heaven but we are now honoring her life & legacy through a non-profit created in 2025 called Mama’s Sanctuary by Sweet Sofia. Please consider donating or sharing our crowdsourcing as we work towards our goal of land acquisition by 5/29/26 & the opening of our goat yoga & wellness spaces by Fall 2026 💕
www.mamas-sanctuary.org

06/16/2026

I haven't posted since 2022. Yes, my clinic roster has been full, but if I'm are being completely honest, it's mainly because I have been grieving the loss of my mom/the person whose love, encouragement & support afforded me the confidence, time & energy to build Azul Health into what it is. She wasn't just my mom, she was also the person I was training to become my clinic receptionist/biller, & she was our sweet Sofia's homeschool teacher, allowing me to continue my post-doctoral PMHNP certification & nurse practitioner work at the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic & 8/2020 Derecho. As an adult she became one of my best friends. We talked daily & we genuinely enjoyed spending time with each other. Losing her so unexpectedly, and in such a traumatic way was devastating.

Psychiatrist, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, best summarized grief, "the reality is you will grieve forever. You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered."

Our family has chosen to honor the life & legacy of our "Mama" through the creation of Mama's Sanctuary by Sweet Sofia, an IRS 501(c)3 designated nonprofit, coming soon to the urban forest off Blairs Ferry Road in Marion, IA. Azul Health & Dr. Megan are proud sponsors of Mama's Sanctuary.

Ilook forward to connecting with you through one of the many workshops & offerings coming soon (campfire gatherings, walking trails, meditation spaces, restful hammocks, book clubs, crafting events, goat yoga, belly dance for stress reduction, & more!) or through our continuing education offerings & retreats for fellow licensed professionals. More details and ways to help with our fundraising or collaboration can be found on www.mamas-sanctuary.org

-Dr. Megan Fernandez, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

09/07/2022

Heaven has gained an Angel ❤️🥰😢
Dr. Megan’s mom, Barb passed away very unexpectedly last week. Barb was an amazing mother & a vital part of the restoration & remodel of Azul Health over the past year. Her sweet disposition & kind, calming presence are already greatly missed.

Please be patient with Dr. Megan as she returns all of the messages and emails that accumulated over the busy weekend. Thank you ❤️

08/06/2022

This is your official invitation to join Dr. Megan TOMORROW from 4-5pm as she leads a class called Mindfulness & Movement for Stress & Anxiety Reduction. This 60 minute class is designed for all physical ability levels and is only $10. Wear comfortable clothes & bring a journal if you have one for reflection. Yoga mats are available for use, or feel free to bring your own. Please pre-register through Dance Garage's online booking tool Vagaro (link below).

Note: Class is held at Dance Garage LLC 4333 Czech Lane NE Suite B6 in Cedar Rapids (it's right next door to HACIENDA LAS GLORIAS on Center Point Rd NE)

08/03/2022

Join our fellow Iowan & owner of Heartland Yoga, Dr. Betsy Rippentrop, TODAY at noon to learn more about Trauma and the toll it takes on our mind, body & soul.

Trauma: Your Body Keeps the Score
TODAY, Wednesday August 3 at Noon
Register with this Free zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_H8wwFXQgQjW8Kc0RRBL2sQ

Join Dr. Betsy for Wisdom Wednesday (the first Wednesday of every month) as she dives deeper into topics from the traditions of psychology, neuroscience, and yoga.

In this Wisdom Wednesday she is discussing trauma and the toll it takes on our mind, body, and soul.

Here are the things you will learn in the Webinar:

1. How common trauma is and how all of us are impacted by it.
2. The types of trauma, and how developmental trauma may the most challenging of all.
3. The advances in the field that have led clinicians to understand trauma must be addressed at the level of the body and the nervous system.
4. How trauma impacts relationships and what we can do about it.
5. Treatment for trauma and the power of a bottom up approach.
6. Yoga for trauma.

If you have problems with the link, please reach out to [email protected].

If you cannot make it live, it will be recorded and put on the Heartland YouTube channel.

05/21/2022

Did you know that one of Dr. Megan’s favorite things to do is to dance? She even teaches 1:1 dance and yoga classes for trauma-healing through her clinic practice.

Tomorrow morning she is filling in for a friend at Dance Garage LLC & will be teaching a Bellydance for Beginners class on Saturday May 21st from 10-11am. It’s for ALL ability levels & all ages. AnyBODY can dance! Only $10 for the class. Come join her and learn how to shimmy & boost your dopamine levels naturally through dance 💃🏽

03/30/2022

The website for Azul Health is getting a new look!
The website is currently unavailable while the new updates are being put in place, but will be back up shortly. If you have any questions during this time, please feel free to email or text Dr. Megan!
email: [email protected]
text: (319) 552-4267

03/12/2022

Did you know that Azul Health offers patients complimentary hot tea, coffee or bottled water to enjoy during their scheduled appointments?

We also support local small businesses by stocking their handmade items in our lobby. Today’s featured product: Lavender Essential Oil Bath Soaks from Sweet Sofia's.

Small 7.6oz jar $5/each or 3/$12
Large 11.3oz $7/each