A pilates class can be an incredibly white-washed, privileged space. So what does it mean for a Black Trans Woman to step into a leadership role in that context? Well today, I've got a special treat for you.

After chatting with Sonja Herbert, the founder of Black Girl Pilates, I asked her who should would recommend I talk to next. Today's guest, DJ Rock, was her number one recommendation. And I have to say - I'm so glad she connected us! After going to one of DJ Rock's classes, I sat down with her to chat all things body neutrality, inclusivity, queer safety, and more.

I really appreciated DJ Rock's vulnerability and all of her insights about protecting her peace. As she comes face to face with real physical threats because of her identity, she's found a way to make her relationship with her body the key to protecting her peace. I think you're going to love this episde, and if you do, please share it with a friend!

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

•  Movement as a Political Act
• Body Neutrality and Self-Love
• The Role of Wellness in Transition
• Navigating Unwelcoming Spaces in the Wellness Industry 

Connect with DJ Rock: 

• Instagram

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

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• Tiktok
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It's time to take a quick look back on the trends we're seeing the wellness space! And this time, the Olympics really takes the spotlight. If you're anything like me, the Olympics took over your life for a short period. But we've also got some fascinating events happening in the world of politics that actually have a lot to do with wellness.

Vice President candidate Tim Walz's discussion on IVF has made me pretty emotional. It's rare to see men discussing issues of fertility in the same way that women do. And with the attack on women's bodily autonomy, I think it's worth mentioning and hopefully, we see more of these discussions in the future.

But on a lighter note, we're seeing more beauty at The Olympics than ever before! From Suni Lee sporting a Rhode phone case with her signature lip color to Jordan Child's graphic eyeliner - it's a whole show. I have to say, I wasn't expecting to be so inspired by the makeup and hair being sported at The Olympics.

Tune in to hear all of my hot takes about the games because it turns out that sports and politics actually have a lot to do with beauty and wellness!

In this episode, we're chatting about:

• What does politics have to do with wellness? 
• Why it's important to hear men talking about fertility issues 
• Olympic beauty trends 
• Simone Biles self-care journey 
• The archaic nature of the worlds reaction to Imane Khelif 

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

The fact that up to 80 percent of black women by age of 50 or 70 percent of white women by age of 50 have fibroids doesn't make it normal condition. And if you have a practitioner telling you "it's not a big deal," I'd encourage you to push back.

If you've been following the podcast for a while, you know that fibroids are a cause close to my heart. After going through the process of egg retrieval, only to realize that my fibroids were obstructing access and going through a myomectomy, I've made it my mission to understand and bring awareness to this issue.

Dr. Yan Katsnelson is the CEO of USA Clinic - the parent company to USA Fibroid Center, as well as Fibroid Fighters, a foundation with a mission to bring awareness to fibroids. At the heart of his work is the belief that women deserve to live healthy lives and birth healthy babies and not enough research is being poured into these efforts.

Even if you don't think fibroids is an issue for you, I'd urge you to listen to this episode, especially if you've been experiencing heavy, abnormal periods. Dr. Katsnelson is walking us through every aspect of the diagnosis and how we can properly advocate for ourselves. Unfortunately, so many women end up with no alternative given to them aside from heavily invasive surgeries.

With a focus on uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), we delve into treatment options and the overall need for greater awareness and research in women's health.

In this episode, we're chatting about:

• When you should ask for an transvaginal ultrasound
• What questions to ask your doctor when you're diagnosed with fibroids 
• The health benefits and risks of uterine fibroid embolization (UFE)
• How to choose between uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) and a myomectomy 

Connect with Dr. Katsnelson: 

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

When was the last time you checked your pelvic floor's health? Do you even know what your pelvic floor muscles are? I didn't until I sat down with Dr. Alyssa Hariprashad, a certified pelvic floor physical therapist and founder of Blossom Pelvic Health to talk all about supporting those pelvic muscles. And man, do we get into it: 
Is it true that "tighter is better" in the bedroom? Are kegels really the start and end of pelvic health? Is it only women that can benefit from pelvic floor therapy? You'll walk away with all of your questions answered — and answers to questions you didn't even realize you had.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• What is pelvic floor therapy? 
• Who is pelvic floor therapy for? 
• How can pelvic floor health improve your sex life? 
• Pelvic floor support and surgery prep and recovery.
• Common misconceptions about the pelvic floor 
• Dr. Alyssa Hariprashad's suggestions for personal pelvic floor intervention

What's in Dr. Alyssa's "Pelvic floor therapist" bag?:

• Slippery Stuff Lubricant
• Good Clean Love
• Intimate Rose 

Connect with Alyssa: 

• Website
• Instagram

 Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

70% of women of child bearing age will develop fibroids. And even more alarming: 80% of Black Women of child bearing age will develop fibroids. So, since July is Fibroids awareness month, I'm taking this time to do a deep dive on the issue.

I want to challenge you to listen to this episode even if you don't think fibroids are a problem for you. Because the reality is, you or someone you know will definitely face this challenge. If you're a repeat listener, you may know that I'm intimately aware of all things fibroids.

After getting tested for PCOS in 2021, my doctor found fibroids. But honestly, the response was flippant and I didn't understand the severity of the issue until I began the egg freezing process. By that time, my fibroids had reached the point where they were obstructing access to my eggs and would have impeded fertility without surgery.

So Today, We're Diving Into: 

• What I wish I knew when I originally got diagnosed 
• How to find the right surgeon for you 
• All of my tips for navigating the Myeometctomy process
• What I'm doing to prevent my fibroids from coming back 

Here are the links I mention in the epi: 

• Episode 5: My egg freezing journey
• Questions to ask your surgeon 
• My Amazon storefront of what to buy for your myomectomy

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

Summer really brings out all of the body talk. I know I've definitely caught myself saying I need to get "in shape" for the Summer as if the body I'm currently in is undesirable. So I thought it was the perfect time to chat with my friend, Renee Angelique, all about fat phobia.


I'll be honest - I wasn't even consciously aware of my own fat phobia until I met Renee. Growing up in the ballet world, the messaging was always "the smaller you are, the better." And that sentiment permeates throughout our entire society.


Did you know that in most states, you can actually be fired for being fat? It's totally legal! Lots of talk around fat phobia doesn't really go beyond "ugh, it must make it hard to date, right?" But this is actually a systemic issue that effects the day to day life of people in bigger bodies, beyond minor inconveniences.


Of course, we're diving into the societal and medical implications of fat phobia. But we're also looking at the intersection with anti-fatness and anti-blackness. I really appreciate how candid Renee was in this conversation and I think you're really going to enjoy this episode!

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• Renee's personal journey with fatness
• Workplace and legal discrimination fat people face 
• Medical bias and personal health assumptions made on fat people
• The Body Positivity vs. Body Neutrality movements
• Why media representation matters 
• Navigating self-worth while gaining weight

Connect with Renee:

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

Did you know the 88% of Black Women report having felt burnout sometimes, often, or always? That's a super high percentage, but I can't say I'm surprised. You may have noticed that I've been a little bit off my posting schedule. Well guess why!? Your girl has coming out of the depths of burnt out.

So I set aside my original plans for this episode to do a deep dive into all things burn out. What is it? How can we identify burnout (it's not as cut and dry as the dictionary definition might make it seem)?

When you google "how to recover from burnout" so much of the advice is incredibly unhelpful. Telling me to prioritize sleep and self-care is just...obvious. Of course I know I should do that! But when we really are bogged down by stress coming at us from all sides and it feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, we need a little bit more than platitudes.

So, I'm sharing the tools and resources that have been tremendously helpful for me in actually navigating burnout instead of shaming myself for not being on top of my self-care. I hope this episode is helpful to you if you're experiencing burnout like myself and many of my friends are right now!

We're chatting about: 

•  Why I think the dictionary definition of burnout is not the full picture
• The four warning signs that signal to me that I'm burnt out 
• The refuel method my coach and I created to identify burn out and take care of myself through it

Resources:
- Burnout; The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle: 

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

The beauty and wellness industries are FULL of drama. Like, I'm not kidding you - it's never ending. From companies who say they're inclusive dropping the ball to wellness influencers showing their true colors, wellness and beauty trends are a gold mine for content. So today, I'm sharing the trends in the wellness and beauty space that I've been obsessing over in May.

First, we're checking in on Operation Back to Baddie. How are we doing!? It's Pride month now which means it should technically be over. but I've decided to extend Operation Back to Baddie for myself until the beginning of Summer. Because if I'm honest, I'd give myself a B minus so far, and I want to get that A+.

But the perfect way to boost our inspo for Operation Back to Baddie is to sit down for some tea first. First, let's chat about which companies have completely lost the plot. It's a lot of them, I can't lie! But I'll be zero-ing in on two companies that have come under fire recently for some...questionable decisions. "Tar in a bottle" sound familiar to you? If not, tune in to see what I'm talking about.

Then, I'll close us off with one company that I'm actually really excited about. This is a celebrity brand. I know, hold the eye rolls, please! But all of the branding decisions so far seem incredibly aligned with this tennis pro's story and I'll definitely be trying her products and giving you my honest take.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• Why I'm continuing Operation Back to Baddie 
• A makeup company that's getting roasted for "inclusive" products that aren't actually inclusive at all 
• How Equinox is losing touch with reality by charging $40,000 for a new offer! 
• Serena William's new makeup line WYN Beauty

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

Have you ever been told that the American diet culture is racist? I hadn’t until today’s conversation. With so many cultural foods being demonized in the wellness industry, today's guest is a thought leader in this space.


Today I'm chatting with Samantha Lee, a weight loss coach who specializes in teaching people how to lose weight without abandoning their cultural identity. She's completely reframing what it means to diet … and truth be told, I had a couple “aha” moments during our conversation.

Losing weight doesn't have to mean you have to isolate yourself at the family function when your aunt makes tamales or adobo or any other ethnic food. First, we have to understand that food more than just caloric numbers going in and out of your body. Food   is directly tied to your community and your identity!


I can't wait for you to tune into this episode and walk away with actionable tips to begin your weight loss journey sans food shame. Because with the Summer months fast approaching, I know there’s pressure to get in shape. Together, let's focus on finding a sustainable body instead.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• The loss of identity when we deny ourselves of our cultural diets 
• Why diet  culture is inherently racist 
• How to tell when you're hungry and full 
• A guide to understanding emotional eating 
• A "summer body" reframe 

What's in my bag?: 

• Mark Bell Resistance Band 
• Boom Chicka Pop
• 1st Phorm Beef Jerky

Connect with Sam: 

• Listen to Your Winning Journey
• Instagram
• Website

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram

Remember last week when I highlighted the brand "Shaz & Kiks" for AAPI appreciation month? Well, surprise! Today I'm joined by one of the co-founders - Kiku Chaudhuri to chat all things haircare and Ayurveda.

Kiku and Shaz teamed up to create Shaz & Kiks as a way to honor their roots and work closely as sisters. They're bringing Ayurveda, the world's oldest healing system, straight to stores like Sephora. I love the way Kiku emphasizes to importance of a holistic approach. At the end of the day, no topical product will have a magic ingredient that balances your body and mind.

I really enjoyed hearing more about Kiku's upbringing with a grandmother who would hand make beauty formulas for them. But when they got older and didn't have access to the rich ingredients on that property anymore, they started to consider how they could make these formulas more accessible.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• What is Ayurveda? 
• How Kiku and her sister started working together 
• The formulation process that involves extensive customer feedback 
• Ingredients highlighted in the brand 
• Kiku's favorite Shaz & Kiks products 

What's in my bag?:

• essential step 1 pre-wash
• Balancing Clay Hair Cleanser
• Briogeo Curl Charisma

Connect with Kiku:
- Shaz and Kiks Instagram
- Linkedin

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you enjoyed this episode. Let me know where you're listening from and what you'd like to hear more of!

Connect with me:

• Tiktok
• Instagram