Kensli Diggs

Who Am I: I am a Black woman. I have an unparalleled ability to assimilate into multiple places and spaces. I work to use these opportunities to lift up others and call out wrongs. I guess that’s part of how I ended up here; creating Diversity in Wellness. I recognize that in many ways I align with the traditional images of wellness as in the thin, cisgender female in her 20s. But like many of the other women, I think there is a lack of racial representation in the wellness industry. There can also be an unconsciousness when it comes to various elements of wellness. This could include operating under the assumption that a person understands how important it is to be physically active or eat healthy, assuming a person has the time to dedicate to wellness practices, and of course a lack of understanding in regards to a person’s financial means.

Project Reflection:
You’ve seen us, you’ve heard us but were you listening? Did you hear all that we’ve had to overcome along our wellness journey? Traditional depictions of what wellness looks like, body image issues, immigration, substance abuse, navigating white spaces, unhealthy relationships, disease, and injuries.

I’m really glad everyone felt comfortable and confident to share these stories because I know there are others who can relate to their journey. I’m incredibly inspired by this group of strong women. Personally I may not be a marathon runner or a certified instructor, but I am on a wellness journey. This looks different for each of us, as showcased by these women. It doesn’t matter where you start, just make the choices that are best for you.

Wellness In The Community: When it comes to diversity the number one step is being accountable. We have all said and done things that looking back on them, could be offensive to others. Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and open and have the hard dialogue is the most important part. Brands and companies who have only featured a specific type of person, or those that only offer specific sizes, or those that don’t allow access to all people; should work to reflect on what they’ve done in the past, acknowledge their mistakes, and move forward with a plan driven by diversity. This is the only way we can actively work to widen the reach of wellness and create a more inclusive community.

My Past: In November of 2015 I was living in St Louis and decided to move back to Chicago with my 4 month old daughter. I left an abusive relationship and was feeling really low; low confidence, low on motivation, and low energy. One of the activities my daughter and I would do together were family yoga classes. As a 5 year old, she’s now more rambunctious and high energy and less interested in moving through a yoga flow. My interest in yoga continued to casually grow and I started to find myself at various wellness events. One event was a panel discussion and I was immediately drawn to the presence and high energy of Jeana Anderson Cohen, founder of aSweatLife. After the event I reached out to her, we grabbed coffee, and she told me all about aSweatLife. I became an aSweatLife ambassador last year and the timing could not have been more perfect. On average it takes a victim 7 times before they leave an abusive relationship for good. Now a single mom of two, I couldn’t have predicted that I would rely so heavily on all of the practices I’ve picked up in the wellness community. From doing yoga in my living room, to a daily journaling practice, to focused and intentional eating I’ve been able to remain positive and optimistic. I’m part of a community and friends who I can create goals with, feel supported by, and have the opportunity to turn ideas into reality. This is wellness.

Erika Lowerr

Who Am I: I am white. My family’s heritage is primarily German on both sides, with my grandparents on my mother’s side having immigrated from Germany. Due to the strong tie to Germany, this is the culture we most celebrate at home. I have learned what a privilege it is to know your roots & have such a strong connection to your family’s heritage.

My Practice: I practice wellness professionally as a yoga teacher, and personally as a lover of movement - that means anything that gets my body moving, I’m usually down! I grew up dancing competitively and was always drawn to music and movement. It wasn’t until I took a 1-credit Yoga class as an elective in college, that I found true connection to this ancient practice. We learned postures, but much of the class was also devoted to education of the philosophy - the Yamas, Niyamas, the Yoga Sutras, the Chakras. The spiritual tied with the physical, filled a void within me. 2 years ago I finally took the leap (and large financial investment) to earn my 200-hour yoga certification. I chose to enter the wellness space, specifically in yoga, to share the practice with others. I have gained so much from the physical and the spiritual teachings, that I found a purpose in teaching. I am an Enneagram 3, so I’ll just say there isn’t enough space or time for everything I want to accomplish in the next 5 years; if you know, you know. To name a few...I want to master forearm stand (pincha), expand my influence in the wellness space, and bring the practice of yoga to as many people as I possibly can!

Advice & Reflection: My advice to ALL WOMEN is to know your why and be yourself. I spent a lot of time in my first few months of teaching adhering to a very rigid way I thought yoga teachers were supposed to act. When I finally started letting go of those ideas, when I started showing up as myself, I found a stronger connection with the yogis around me. I challenge others to join me in working to open the wellness space to all. The next time you see someone new in a class, especially someone representing the minority in that space - say hello. Learn their name, ask them about their week, ask them about their favorite anything - music, color, celebrity, Netflix show. Foster connection. And if you are really vibing with this new person you just became BFFs with in the 5 minutes before class, make plans to workout together again!

Wellness In The Community: To bring wellness to more communities, we have to literally bring wellness to more communities! There are many neighborhoods in Chicago that don’t have gyms or boutique fitness studios. Recently, I learned that my neighboring Humboldt Park community doesn’t have a yoga studio - and there are some incredible people working to change that. Location and proximity are definitely important. Add to that price, imagery, staff, and patrons; which are all contributing to the wellness industry remaining as exclusive as it is today. People who see themselves reflected in the staff and patrons of wellness, take that for granted. We have to find ways to break down some of these barriers. Pay-what-you-can models that businesses such as ASweatLife are adopting, is just one way we can open the door.

Recommendations: Eb & Flow is actually the first yoga studio I practiced at when I moved to Chicago almost 5 years ago. One of the first things I noticed was the wide range of bodies, genders, and abilities all in one space. Eboni Howard, the owner & yoga teacher extraordinaire, creates an environment for all to grow as humans and as yogis. This studio will always hold a special place in my heart! Woke Chicago is pretty new as a sort of yoga & community wellness startup. Their focus is bringing yoga to the Humboldt Park community through offering yoga classes to Humboldt Park residents for FREE. All other participants are asked to purchase a ticket, with the funds going directly towards their goals & community action. I actually just attended a Sunday Yoga with them and I was in love!

My Future: I differ from many of the other women involved in this project. It is no mystery that a mid-20s, moderately healthy, white woman is the center of what the industry is projecting. In fact, I’ll admit I was intimidated & a little nervous about how I would play a role in this project. It is for this reason that I feel I have a responsibility to spend my privilege in ways which uplift the women standing beside me and the multitude of other BIPOC individuals in our communities. Supporting BIPOC-owned businesses, leaders, and individuals in not only wellness, but in all spaces has become a central focus for me. Support can take many forms, and I’ve sought to support not only financially, but also with my voice on social media and in my circles of influence. As an instructor, I have an even greater responsibility to provide a space which welcomes people from all backgrounds, all levels, all communities. Normalize the fact that you don’t have to have the expensive clothes or a specific shape to practice yoga! Yoga is for everybody. Wellness is for everybody.

Nimbe Juarez

Who Am I: I was born in Mexico and I’m 100% Mexican but having grown up in the US, has made me feel American. When I attend workout classes or studios, my skin tone is darker than most of the other class attendees. I used to feel very self-conscious and overthink everything I was doing because of it. I also didn’t fit the image of what someone who was ‘athletic’ or ‘healthy’ looked like because I wasn’t the smallest or thinnest in class. I live in a neighborhood on the southside of Chicago that is primarily composed of Latinos and the average income is a lot lower than what it is in the neighborhoods I take classes in. Something that was always in the back of my head is the fact that I was not a citizen of the US. I was a Dreamer and only in the country with a work permit. Although that status was not something I shared or people knew about at the beginning, I used to try to push it back and not think about it because I didn’t want others to judge me.

My Practice: I practice wellness by making sure that I stay grounded and give myself time to just breathe and sweat. I also work on reminding myself that wellness doesn’t mean working out every day and that I need rest and to be gentle to my body. It has been a lifelong process to get me to where I am now. I grew up swimming and playing water polo since I was about 7 years old and continued through college. After that, I went through an unhealthy relationship where I didn’t prioritize myself. This led me to not feel confident or happy. I struggled with my weight and eating. After that ended, I re-discovered my passion for health and fitness. I found the aSweatLife community in Chicago and continued my love for running and triathlons. Eventually I received my personal training certification and started teaching group fitness classes and personal training. This combination of mind and body is what makes me be the person I am today.

Wellness In The Community: I think we should work with local organizations and already established groups in underrepresented communities as a first step. People within the communities are close to each other and sometimes have a hard time accepting or trying new things. Being placed out of our comfort zone is hard and to try to make changes, will be a process that takes time. It’s also about maintaining the work and dedicating to long term progress. It’s not just about doing one thing, one time. Affordable resources are hard to come by and a lot of times, people in our communities are struggling to have their basic needs met. They have to worry about those necessities first before actually thinking about wellness. We have to teach that in order to stay strong and support our community and families, it’s important to work on ourselves and maintain our health to make an impact.

My Future: In the next 5 years I would love to have finished my MBA and reached a management position in a company. I will have lived in New York for a few years and have come back home. I would also love to grow my personal training business and be able to help more people. I am hoping by then I’ll be working with more organizations in the city and have more connections in order to reach more of the Latino community and provide resources regarding wellness and training. I want to help expand the message to the community that wellness is something needed for all.

Advice For Others: People are open to meeting others and a lot of people have the same fear of being judged or rejected. No one is perfect and this is a journey and you don’t arrive there overnight. Find something you like and really throw yourself out of your comfort zone. Sometimes it’s when you think you will fail that you come out with more than you ever thought. Take that one step and don’t think about everything that could go wrong. All it takes is that first step. The details and everything else come after. But truly find a space or group where you feel you can be yourself and grow with it, it makes a huge impact having that support system.

Recommendations: Some of my favorite places to workout are Fit Results, The Space Between, Train Moment, Urban Athlete, Barefoot Power Yoga, November Project. Some of my favorite trainers in the city include Lou Centeno, Kelita Hollins, Maggie Umberger and David Carson.

Anchisa Pipatpinyopong

Who Am I: I am from Bangkok, Thailand and I moved to the US when I was in third grade. My parents wanted my brothers and I to come here to learn English for one year. They realized that one year was not enough, so here I am – knowing English much better than Thai, completely different from when I could barely communicate with my fellow third grade classmates and feeling overwhelmed by culture shock. For a long time, I dreamt of going back “home” to continue my childhood in Thailand. At some point, I realized that I had a conflicting mindset of not wanting to be seen as an Asian-American because I didn’t feel like an American, while wanting to fit in with my peers at the same time. Before I realized it I started to slowly lose my Thai culture, language, and Buddhism practices. I didn’t know how to feel about becoming more Americanized because I am seen as an “outsider” in the US and in Thailand. Now, I am proud to have a unique perspective with my “third culture,” where I integrate beliefs and practices from the “best of both worlds.”

Thoughts on Wellness: There are many online resources about health and wellness, but I noticed that a lot of the content comes from people with similar backgrounds and lifestyle. Research and opinions that currently exist overlook many communities, so I believe big corporations and organizations should advocate for more diverse representation in their marketing as well as support underrepresented communities. COVID lockdown has connected people more online than ever before, so this is an opportunity for more collaborations and wellness programs that address gaps in resources.

Personal Experience: My body type would be considered different from a lot of Asian women - I build muscles easily and I have very muscular legs from figure skating. I noticed this when I started going back to Thailand during the summers of high school and college. I think that people perceive my body size as average or even smaller in the US, but most girls in Thailand tend to be very lean with little to no muscle tone. I definitely stand out whenever I'm there!

My Practice: I have been involved in sports my whole life - from figure skating to dance to cheerleading and other random things like soccer/tennis/golf/horseback riding/skiing. I stayed active in college by being on the cheerleading team, but I wanted to stay active and healthy after college. Coming to Chicago for my graduate program was when I realized that I can no longer eat whatever I wanted and just run to stay fit. I met a classmate who loves to dance and she found a perfect studio for dance classes: Free Mvmt Shop! We went to our first class together and kept going back. I realized that working out doesn't have to be boring and I set out to find more fitness studios in Chicago. I joined a 6 week fitness challenge that made me aware of the importance of healthy eating habits. For the first time, I was consciously thinking about my health in a more multifaceted way. Since I started to be more interested in wellness, I’ve brought back practices like meditation for mindfulness – a common Buddhist practice that I was taught as a child, but I now have a much better understanding of its importance. From then, I learned more and more about health and wellness by reading articles, finding scientific literature, and listening to podcasts ~ which was how I found aSweatLife and later applied to become an ambassador!

Recommendations & Advice: Free Mvmt Shop is my favorite dance/yoga/fitness studio in Chicago. I feel a sense of community there and they continued to engage with the community by holding virtual classes and events, along with donating to charitable causes. I also enjoyed going to Lululemon classes in Lincoln Park and BodyRok for pilates. My advice would be, do what makes you feel good physically and mentally for the short as well as the long term! Look to other people not for comparison, but for inspiration! There is an overwhelming amount of information out there, so I would start by learning from one source and expanding from there.

My Future: My goals are to practice mindfulness everyday, inspire others to take control of their health/wellbeing, find a fulfilling career that positively impacts people's lives, connect with more like-minded people in different communities, and learn something new everyday.

Lizzy Diaz-Ortiz

Who Am I: I am Puerto Rican and identify as Latina. I decided to enter wellness because I felt I had a different perspective to offer that I did not see represented in this space. For years, I practiced yoga (you know that ancient practice originating with Brown people?), but I saw only young, White, Lululemon-clad, size 0 female instructors all teaching the same type of class. That “yoga model” is the Western standard, but in class I would look around and the students varied in age, size, ability, color, and gender. I would have loved to walk into a class and see someone like me teaching in any way – Brown, plus-size, older, anything other than the “model.”

My Practice: I practice wellness in various ways, some traditional and others not as obvious. For physical activity that means Pilates, yoga, and strength training preferably with friends because it’s more fun which boosts my mood. For mental health, I meditate and turn off notifications, alerts, and sounds on all devices to reduce anxiety and distractions throughout the day. Also, I try to give myself a home spa day weekly, and while that doesn’t always happen, having alone time in the bath or while masking forces me to take a few moments to slow down and enjoy some quiet. Over the years I have also developed and tried to maintain good sleep hygiene. I use a white noise machine (it really works!), blackout shades, and I do not generally watch TV in my bedroom before bed. Lastly, food is a passion of mine so I try to eat well by cooking most of my meals at home and eating real food when I can. I also have a daily tea ritual that helps soothe and ground me. However, I am not above Trader Joe’s Salt & Vinegar chips!

My Future: I am plus-sized and older so when people look at me, they do not think I “look like a yoga teacher” or so I’ve been told. I have also suffered several injuries over the years which has changed my yoga practice and overall approach to fitness. In my 20s, the focus was on a physical aesthetic. Now that I’m in my 40s I want longevity, strength, and vitality. It wasn’t until I took classes at The Lab in the West Loop where my first teacher was a 50+ retired paramedic male recovering from multiple injuries; I felt I was in an inclusive space. I knew after the second or third class I would finally take the yoga teacher training I had contemplated for years with Carmen Aguilar, the previous owner. It took another few years to make it happen, but I finally did it. I’m happy to say even though the studio changed ownership, the community is still inclusive and fantastic. I would love to go back to teaching yoga and obtain my Pilates teacher certification. On a personal note, I would love to travel to some of my bucket list places like Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan.

Recommendations: Whew, there are so many! I’ll stick with my three staples of yoga, Pilates, and strength training. The Lab Yoga in West Loop with Chris Gilmore, Veronica Feldmeier, and Nicole Schneider for amazing classes that will challenge you physically and advance your practice immensely. Club Pilates in Wicker Park and Lincoln Park has two of my favorite instructors Annie Gemkow and Corryne Graf for reformer Pilates; both will make your booty burn! For strength training, Rae Raichlin of Ladies Who Lift is unparalleled.

Advice For Others: Try different things and look for a program, teacher, or studio where you feel like you belong because you’ll spend a lot of hours with the people there in a training program or teaching so make sure you like the community. Also, do your research and talk to people who have been through the certification program you’re interested in participating. These programs cost a lot of money and require a significant investment of your time. For years I wanted to take yoga teacher training and attended at least half a dozen info sessions, but there was something that never felt quite like a fit so I waited; it probably took about eight years before I found the program that worked for me. Do not rush into something you’ll regret.

My Past: Last year, I fractured my ankle and tore my Achilles completely. After surgery, I spent 2019 in bed and going through months of physical therapy. It has been quite the set back and test of my non-existent patience to slowly build back my strength and flexibility. It’s a long journey I am still on, but I am so grateful I had a fitness routine and wellness practice as foundations to remind me what is possible for my body despite a painful recovery. I know I am strong because of it. I am hoping in a year or two I can look back on this rehabilitation period and see how far I’ve come.

Chandra Chakravarthi

Who Am I: I'm first generation Indian-American. I have two autoimmune diseases (Atopic Dermatitis and Lichen Planus) that are sometimes invisible and stay dormant until something triggers it. It’s easy to forget about them, but once something sets it off, it can be debilitating. These two illnesses have also triggered other health issues for me including hair loss, insomnia, anxiety, and gut issues. So, while these aren’t life-threatening and can be perceived as superficial problems, it’s been a journey to figure out how to manage them and not allow myself to feel ashamed about my skin. Having two chronic illnesses that started showing up when I was in middle school forced me to think about wellness early on. I spent my teenage years continually finding ways to hide all the rashes and scars that I’d get and going through periods where the itching was so terrible that I’d break down in tears.

My Past: Whenever I looked at myself in the mirror or when I looked down at my body, I felt a lot of unwarranted, irrational shame. It’s hard to explain the embarrassment that would hit me when I’d walk past someone or interact with people, and I’d see or feel their eyes automatically drift to the rashes and scars before making eye contact. Then, there was the stress that came with knowing that I could spontaneously experience a flare up. It was a horrible cycle to have to cope with. Being a teenager is such a weird and complicated time, and unfortunately, when I was a teen, there was such a homogenous standard of “beauty and health”. You’re conditioned to believe you have to look a certain way and it just makes you feel like more of an outsider. There wasn’t anyone that looked like me, nor was there anyone who suffered from these conditions openly talking about it so that it could be normalized. As I was dealing with these problems, I ended up channeling those feelings of shame into my eating habits. I went through a brief period in high school where I had a toxic relationship with food. My thinking was if I can’t control these rashes, then I can control my weight. The turning point for me was seeing a picture of myself and how alarmingly skinny I appeared. It served as my wakeup call to start mending my relationship with food. I’m fully aware that it’s not that simple for a lot of people who go through similar experiences, so I count my blessings that I was able to work through my situation before it became much worse.

My Practice: My views on wellness have evolved, but I still consider my approach to it very much a work in progress. I’ve gone through periods where I’ve had a warped perception of it and made toxic choices as a result. I used to think wellness was just related to exercise and eating habits, but it goes beyond that and looks different for everyone. These days, it’s about checking in with myself to see how I’m feeling. It’s accepting that there’s an ebb and flow to my emotions, especially right now because it’s a surreal time. It’s practicing gratitude and appreciating the little things, like being able to go for a short walk. It’s staying active through activities that give me joy and challenge me to go outside my comfort zone, rather than doing something that I dread or what’s popular. It’s eating food that nourishes my body, but also indulging in things like pizza and desserts and feeling guilt-free. It’s making conscious choices about what I put on my skin so that I’m not exasperating my skin conditions. It’s taking breaks from my phone by turning it off or not looking at social media. It’s continuing to be intentional with how I invest in wellness-centric products and services by doing my due diligence to find out if brands support diversity and inclusion.

Advice For Others: I learned, the idea of wellness goes beyond just eating healthy or staying active. Everyone practices wellness differently depending on what their circumstances are and what’s accessible to them. You define what wellness is to you by identifying what matters to you and what you want in your life. Also, it’s okay if your views on it continue to change. Be kind to yourself. Don’t be embarrassed by any health conditions you may have or by your appearance or what your body can or can’t do. You don’t owe anybody an explanation about your body or health. And don’t give into the societal expectations that come from family, friends, or peers. It’s okay to dismiss what’s considered to be the normal standards of wellness and health because it’s unrealistic, and we should be celebrating all bodies. We’re all beautiful, worthy, and deserve respect and acceptance. Reevaluate your lifestyle. Find ways to practice positivity, express gratitude, and focus on hobbies. Be kind yourself. Reject the whole concept of dieting and question the exclusive, toxic, misleading messaging that is so prevalent in wellness.

Wellness in the Community: I think the whole concept of wellness needs to be reimagined, so that everyone feels supported, empowered, and included. The wellness space comes across as exclusive and in some ways elitist. While I think the intent is to cultivate a sense of community, unfortunately, it ends up doing the opposite because you’re not always seeing a diverse group of people represented nor being appealed to. I think there are also certain forms of fitness that can be inaccessible when exercise is meant for everyone. I want to see companies remove the toxic language from their branding, values, and messaging that shuns certain groups and normalize that all bodies are beautiful and should be celebrated. Additionally, I think it needs to start at the top. The leadership team and/or owners need to be cognizant about creating an inclusive and safe space and ensuring that the company and employee’s values reflect that. They need to hire diverse people and remove the microaggressions. They need to find genuine ways to partner with different communities around the city. Find ways to make the whole concept of wellness less intimidating. Understand that wellness looks different for each one of us. Everyone deserves access to wellness resources, and there needs to be concerted effort to foster inclusive communities no matter what product or service you offer.

Recommendations: I'm a dance fitness enthusiast, so I love Diva Dance, MVFitnessChi, and Werq. Pre-Covid, I had the opportunity to take a dance class called ShoBiz Fit, and it was so fun. These places and classes are on my list when it’s safe to offer more in-person group classes – Groove3, Healthy Hood, Puzzle Box, and Free Mvmt Shop. Until then, I’m living vicariously through their Instagram accounts. Dance classes make me feel empowered and confident, and I get so much joy from attending them. If you’re interested in boxing or barre classes, I recommend checking out Mayweather Boxing and Fitness and Barre Code in River North. I love trying different fitness classes around the city and I’ll try any fitness class at least once. That’s what’s most important about staying active – you need to have fun doing it. I don’t believe in working out if you’re not enjoying it.

Crystal Rosales

Who Am I: My parents emigrated from Mexico to the US in the 1960’s, so I am first generation Mexican American. I tend to identify as Mexican, but also as Latina.

My Practice: I’ve wanted to be a distance runner my whole adult life. However, I felt like I wasn't fast enough or even knew where to start. It just felt so intimidating! After making a major life change in late 2018, I decided to finally challenge myself and become a “runner” in 2019. So I went all the way in without looking back! I ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in March, joined the 3RUN2 running crew in July, ran my first half marathon in September and eventually signed up for two 2020 marathons. I still can’t believe I went from barely running a mile to currently running 40+ miles a week in less than a year!

Advice For Others: My biggest advice is that it’s never too late to develop a wellness practice. I was 33 years old when I finally started to worry about my overall health. From joining new communities to training for marathons, I’m happy to finally be exploring all the things I’ve always wanted to do. Plus I feel 100 times better than I ever did in my 20s! On another note, having a gym membership is a privilege. It’s not fair that not having access to a gym is denying people the health benefits of wellness practices. Something I’ve noticed during the pandemic is that trainers and studios have been forced to think outside of the box and host workouts in unconventional locations like public parks. We should keep that trend going by hosting free workouts, group runs or even nutrition donation drop offs in underserved communities.

My Past: My major life change was finally getting sober from alcohol in December 2018. Most people assume that alcoholics are older men (usually white) that have lost everything and are now on the street, but in reality, that’s usually not the case. Here I am, a 34 year old latina woman, who has quietly struggled with substance abuse for more than a decade. I made mistakes and hurt my body, but I also didn’t hit the proverbial rock bottom. There’s still so much stigma around addiction and recovery, which is why I've decided to live loud, proud and sober to help break those misconceptions and others who may also be struggling.

My Future: Part of the reason it took me so long to get sober was because I didn’t know any women who looked like me and didn’t drink. Also, traditional programs like AA are mostly men and encourage you to use labels. That can be a lot for someone who is just trying to question their relationship with alcohol. I would love to create a safe space/community for Chicago BIPOC sober and sober curious women to connect, workout, run, but most of all, feel supported on their journeys. I planned to start making this happen after I ran my first marathon in April, but unfortunately the pandemic put both of those things on hold. Hope to make my marathon and this group come to fruition in the next few years!

Wellness in the Community: Community is everything! My wellness journey completely changed once I joined the 3RUN2 Running Crew. For so many years, I was terrified to attend a group run, but when I finally went, I was immediately welcomed by this incredible group of Chicago runners. I began to learn so much about the sport and what it meant to be part of a community. I always say that’s when I finally fell absolutely in love with running. Being part of the crew inspired me to join other wellness communities like aSweatLife. It may be hard to step out of your comfort zone at first, but it’s always so rewarding to be able to cultivate new friendships and connections via wellness! In regards to recommendations, Liu Gross at Crosstown Fitness is one of my absolute favorites! His energy is so contagious and motivating. I’ve also always enjoyed his questions or quotes of the day on the whiteboard. Even though he kicked my butt with the workout, I always leave the studio feeling even better than I did coming in.

Nia Ellis

Who Am I: I am a dark skinned, Black woman with natural hair. All 3 of those are opposite of the traditional images of wellness. I’m almost always stared at when entering spaces filled with these “traditional” looking people.

My Past: In winter of 2017, I was the heaviest I had ever been so I decided to try something new that I thought could help shed a few pounds: yoga. Stepping into Core Power Yoga on that Tuesday changed my life. I started practicing yoga and learning how to better care for my body, mind and overall health. The next summer I picked up running and the rest was history. I was not aware of the love, both self and community, I would experience but I am so glad I made the choices I did. Now I practice wellness by moving my body (walking, running, yoga, biking) and nourishing myself in every way possible.

Wellness In the Community: One way that we can bring wellness to more communities is by continuing to highlight the WHOLE wellness community and not just members with the cookie cutter image. People are more likely to try something if they know there will be people who they can identify with. I can be a loner so I don’t mind going to an event or trying an activity but for other people, they NEED that representation, that connection to even get through the door.

Recommendations: My absolute favorite trainer is Coach K at Train Moment aka Mama K. She is hands down one of the best and offers so much love, encouragement and push in just a 50 minute class!

Advice For Others: I would tell them to begin where you are; in your bedroom, at a studio, in your neighborhood. Also, do not ever compare yourself to other people. Everyone was a beginner at some point. If you don’t enjoy a certain thing or activity, try something else. There are so many offerings and never a reason to participate in something that is not serving you!!

My Future: In the next 5 years, fitness wise, I will run my first marathon and hope to complete yoga teacher training. I love to see Black women yoga teachers, their presence in the yoga space brings me so much joy and peace and I would like to give that to other Black women. Non fitness wise, I will continue to learn, grow and connect with my communities.