Inclusivity in the Wellness Space (Pt. 1)

The term "for all bodies" , or “for everyone”, is often used in the fitness and wellness domain. In the past, I too used this phrase. Frankly, this was before delving into my own self-discovery as a biracial-transracial adoptee and realizing how disconnected I was from my own roots. We can look at this topic in a couple of different ways, but today I’m going to talk about culture and tradition. It's important to acknowledge that not everything is universally suitable, and that's fine. Instead of homogenizing our diversity, we should celebrate it. While we shouldn't purposely exclude anyone, concentrating on who we are helps us serve our communities more authentically.

Using imagery or phrases to invoke inclusivity might be easy, but does it genuinely reflect lived experiences? Or are we simply attempting to conform to the current political and social climate? I ask each of us to look deep into how we are exploring spirituality and wellness in and outside of movement. Sometimes less is more, not everything needs to be a thing.

During my journey into building a career,  I've observed that many lack understanding about a tradition's origins, including myself. For instance, cacao ceremonies are frequently attributed to the Mayans. I see so many goddess circles, and sacred circles, using this rite inaccurately. In the extensive time I spent in Guatemala and Costa Rica, I learned a lot about tradition from local women in a weaving co-op where I volunteered. The funniest thing to me was that the way we see cacao presented isn’t a Mayan tradition, it actually comes from a guy named Keith (self proclaimed “chocolate shaman”). Why attach false narratives? Why not present things for what they truly are? 

This particular trip, I spent a month in Guatemala volunteering for that weaving co-op, while living in a house that offered stripped down bare bones yoga (how it should be taught, in my opinion). This month rocked my world from the inside out for several reasons. The main one being, I had just come from working in marketing/media for a transformational festival in Costa Rica that heavily relies on borrowing the local’s “jungle vibes” to attract international attendees. At the same time, the festival bought out the beach so that local vendors can’t sell there, blaming the “cartel” for the trash that is produced by their thousands of attendees. There were several instances that shone light on my own blindspots while working for the marketing/media team. I got in trouble for posting a picture of a (black) friend with armpit hair and dreads. They directed me to choose “racially ambiguous” influencers. Already full of anger I didn’t know what to do with, I realized my own misunderstanding of identity, culture and spirituality caused me to idolize this festival for years. These experiences shifted my trajectory towards really leaning into what was authentic for me. 

When I got to Guatemala my heart and soul knew that I needed to do deeper work to find where I fit in the wellness world. My yoga teacher there was calm and composed but also walked and spoke with an air of no-bullshit. I remember a moment where I broke down in the hallway, pissed off at myself for being fooled into this mindset that felt like it was robbing others of their cultural identity. He knew of my dreams of wanting to open a studio, but he also could see that I had a lot of exploration ahead of me. His advice? To find the simplicity in my practices, and to practice without trying to tie in fantastical spiritual associations that didn’t belong to me.

So, how did I gravitate toward Pilates as my primary movement modality? I had been teaching Pilates at this point for a couple of years, with years prior focusing on HIIT & “traditional” fitness. Pilates was developed by a German man, Joseph Pilates. The method stems from his experiences with movement, asthma, and anatomy. What drew me in was the method’s absence of aforementioned bullshit. To me, Pilates embodies the science of movement. Breaking down its principles and applying them universally showcases this. However, the Pilates industry has increasingly focused on celebrity abs and glutes, thanks to the fast fitness trend. So, clearly we still have work to do… which is why Rhythms is here today.

I'm not implying people must rigidly stick to their cultural categories, but I encourage exploring why they're drawn to other traditions, words and imagery. Have we examined our heritage and roots, and learned about the traditions and experiences of those we are borrowing from? Many of us lack this knowledge of our own backgrounds. It's a shared experience. So, why not together endeavor to reconnect with our ancestors, and ourselves, to regain some of that insight? I’ll leave my reflection at this - when we take imagery, rites, and words from unrelated communities, how does that impact those communities? And do our actions truly connect us to our purpose, roots and spirit? 

Stay tuned, Part 2 and 3 will cover size and age inclusivity.