How Outdoor Fire Features Help Us Slow Down, Connect, and Heal
The Mental Health Benefits of Gathering Around Fire
Can a fire pit actually improve your mental health?
Turns out, it can. When you build a space to slow down — outside, under the sky, with the glow of a flame — your body responds. Stress drops. Conversation opens. And rest starts to feel possible again.
We see it time and time again: fire becomes the heartbeat of the backyard. More than a luxury, it becomes a lifestyle. A simple ritual with real benefits.
Your fire pit is the heart of your backyard. It’s where friends gather for conversation, where you unwind after a long week, and where memories are made under the stars. But when the party’s over, your fire pit remains exposed to the elements year-round. Rain, snow, harsh UV rays, and falling debris can take a toll, leading to fading, and damage over time.
Fire Has a Way of Resetting the System
When you sit in front of a fire, something shifts. Your mind slows down. Your breathing settles. You stop checking your phone every 20 seconds.
It’s not just in your head — research shows that watching a fire can lower blood pressure and quiet the nervous system. But you don’t need a study to tell you what you already feel. The warmth, the movement, the sound — it all pulls you back into the moment.
It’s one of the few things that has always worked. Long before therapy apps or sleep supplements, humans gathered around fire to reconnect and recover.
A Real-Life Example: The Health Haven in Miami
In 2025, we were honored to be part of a deeply meaningful project with Justin Roethlingshoefer and Alyse Gaulin — a husband-and-wife team transforming their home in the heart of Miami into something extraordinary: The Health Haven.
Justin is a former NHL performance coach, author, and founder of Own It Coaching, where he works with purpose-driven leaders on optimizing recovery, performance, and longevity. He’s also a thought leader in HRV (Heart Rate Variability), sleep, and cellular health — and he walks the walk.
After years of feeling burned out despite doing all the “right” things, Justin realized his home wasn’t helping him recover — it was extending his stress. So in 2025, he and Alyse turned vision into reality by building an intentional space to restore the body, mind, and spirit.
“The Health Haven is more than a space—it’s a testimony,” Justin wrote.
“A testimony that God still fulfills promises, that He still restores, and that He still calls us into wholeness.”
Set on a rare full-acre lot in Miami, the Health Haven includes a gym, sauna, cold plunge, outdoor kitchen, podcast studio, stage, and gathering spaces. It’s designed not for comfort alone, but for calling — to prepare people to carry what they’ve been entrusted with.
At the heart of it all? Fire.
We were proud to contribute two handcrafted fire features from our Venture Series:
Both were built right here in Montana using industrial-grade American steel — made to last, and made to matter. These fire tables now serve as anchors in the Health Haven’s outdoor spaces — spaces meant for conversation, connection, rest, and reflection.
“When you design intentional spaces for purpose,” Justin said,
“intentional results follow. That is the heartbeat of the Health Haven.”
A Fire Pit Is More Than a Decor Choice — It’s a Daily Reset
You don’t need a Miami acre or a wellness brand to feel the benefits of a fire pit. Even a small space on your back patio can become the reset you need after a long day.
For many of our customers, a fire table becomes:
- A habit that helps slow life down
- A place to talk without screens
- A reason to get outside in the winter
- A moment to exhale after dinner
The result? Less anxiety. Better sleep. Stronger relationships. And a space you actually want to spend time in.
Design a Backyard That Supports Mental Health
Mental health doesn’t always require big changes. Sometimes, it’s the small ones that make all the difference — like adding a fire feature to your yard and choosing to spend more time around it.
A few design tips to get the most from your fire feature:
- Choose seating that encourages comfort and closeness
- Keep the lighting soft so the flame remains center stage
- Use natural materials like wood and stone for a calming feel
- Create separation from the distractions of everyday life
Whether it’s five minutes alone or a whole evening with friends, fire gives your space rhythm, and your mind rest.
Want to Create a Space Like the Health Haven?
Whether you’re dreaming big or starting small, we’re here to help.
We build fire features that become more than furniture. They become part of your rhythm — part of your story.
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