The Well Report
Welcome to the Well Report: Where inclusive wellness meets real talk. Dive into discussion about health, wellness, beauty, and mindset — all while embracing diverse perspectives. Here, we spotlight voices often overlooked in wellness and beauty discussions.
Join host Danilae Smith for candid chats with BIPOC (and allies) experts, founders, and wellness visionaries. Get the inside scoop on the latest beauty and wellness trends, valuable self-care tips, and discover how to upgrade and uplevel your life.
This is more than a podcast. It's a movement toward a more diverse, compassionate world of wellness. Tune in weekly for a fresh perspective that includes everyone.
The Well Report
8. Where Are All the Black Pilates Instructors?! A Conversation with Sonja R. Herbert, the Founder of Black Girl Pilates
How many Black pilates instructors have you had? Personally, I've never felt totally represented in the pilates space. I've even had trouble re-entering the space because I felt uncomfortable as the only Black person in the room in the past.
Today's guest, Sonja R. Herbert, had an experience that seemed divinely orchestrated so that she could bridge that gap. Her very first pilates instructor was Black and her peers in that space were as well. Because of that, Sonja was hyper aware of how few Black pilates instructors she was meeting outside of that environment.
So Black Girl Pilates was born out of a real need to bring Black pilates instructors together. She intentionally created this space specific for Black instructors, not generally people of color. As a result, she's seeing Black women in the pilates space becoming more visible, more confident, and creating their own programs.
So if you've ever felt pulled towards pilates but found yourself disappointed by the lack of representation, this episode is for you!
In this episode, we're chatting about:
- Black Girl Pilates' origin story
- Recent trends for pilates in the Black community and pilates as a whole
- How racism shows up in the pilates industry
- Why we need to create our own safe spaces
- A brief history on pilates
Connect with Sonja:
- Black Girl Pilates Instagram
- Sonja's Instagram
- Black Girl Pilates website
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