What Self-Care Looks Like To Yogi Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts
In xoNecole's Finding Balance, we profile boss women making boss moves in the world and in their respective industries. We talk to them about their business, their life, and most of all, what they do to find balance in their busy lives.
"Drink as you pour" is Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts' favorite yoga mantra. Yoga is her drink of peace. After quenching her thirst, she pours the practice into others, hoping they find the same solace.
Chelsea's a certified yoga instructor. Her Yoga, Literature, and Art Camp for Teen Girls at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art just completed its 5th summer program where she taught a small group Atlanta's teenage girls positive self-care through yoga and creative arts. Chelsea is a BOSS. She has a doctorate degree focused on the impact of yoga with Brown and Black young women. "Yoga as it is practiced today, places a lot of emphasis on the body and it is important to expand the definition for what yoga is today," she explained.
Chelsea uses her Ph. D to lead and serve a community where Black owned yoga studios and practitioners are scarce. As founder of Red Clay Yoga, her faculty and staff offer trainings on yoga, community, and engagement within marginalized neighborhoods.
"My favorite response from students has to be, 'I feel at peace.' This reaction keeps me encouraged that the yoga is working."
Chelsea is currently taking her passion for guiding others through a flow of body movements, breath, and meditation across the pond as a Global Yoga Ambassador for Lululemon. We recently had a chat with Chelsea on how she finds balance while teaching others how use their body and breath to relax, relate, and release.
You're a former third grade teacher. Why did you combine education with yoga in your doctorate studies?
Anyone who knows a public school teacher knows that the profession is rewarding and extremely demanding. As a result, I knew I needed to adopt a routine that would support my wellness, so I started practicing yoga and eventually became certified while teaching school. I started to notice how the breathing exercises and moving my body supported me when I would leave school.
As a result, I wondered what would happen if I introduced the breathing exercises to my students. I taught elementary school for 8 years and decided to apply to Emory University where I earned my PhD in Educational Studies.
Is access to yoga growing in marginalized communities?
I do find that social media platforms are changing the ways in which we see who practices yoga, understand who yoga is for, and pushes back on the limited beliefs of what an ideal yoga body should be.
With this, online platforms have also offered access to practicing yoga if you don't have a yoga studio in your neighborhood, or the money to purchase monthly class cards.
How does a peaceful day for you begin?
A peaceful day looks like waking up with the sun and finding at least 5-10 minutes of deliberate conscious breathing. I don't always have time to get up and go to a studio. When I do make it to a class, I treat myself to Sacred Chill West in Atlanta. When I don't, my daily ritual looks like waking up, treating myself to a juice or smoothie, and maybe taking a walk.
How do you find balance with:
Work?
I find balance by taking time to do the things that bring me joy. My balance comes from sitting on my Granny's porch in Dayton, Ohio with my phone on silent. Being present for my partner to watch a movie without thinking about my to-do list.
Food?
Eating good (vegan) food and treating myself to a massage helps me maintain balance. My food absolutely impacts the ways in which I show up in the world for myself, my partner, family and my community. I love the practice of yoga because usually, when I am practicing yoga consistently, I am more mindful about all that I am putting into my body. As a result, I have more energy and more space to do my work in the world.
When you are going through a bout of uncertainty, or feeling stuck, how do you handle it?
I stay on course each time I look at the words the girls of YLA Camp produce each summer. I stay on course when I think about all that my ancestors had to endure in order for me to be here today. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, distractions always come up for me and in the moment I use [my] breath and sometimes meditation to refocus and recenter my vision and my goals.
Do you detox?
Yes! I practice a 10-day Ayurvedic detox seasonally. I still train with my teacher Jaya Devi in Atlanta, GA and she leads our home yoga community in 10 days of yoga in addition to a kidney, liver, and colon cleanse at the change of each season. It is amazing! Ayurveda is the ancient Indian practice that is the sister science to yoga that places emphasis on our organs, the systems of the body, and more specifically what foods are in alignment with our unique bodies.
What does a peaceful end of the day look like for you?
Depending on the time zone I am in, my bedtime can vary. I usually try and turn off technology at least an hour before I go to sleep to unwind. I also love a cup of chamomile tea and a shower or bath. I was just on the road this last week and I make it a habit to practice abhyanga, which is a self-massage, before a warm Epsom salt and lavender bath the night I return from a trip.
And honestly, what does success mean to you?
Success looks like accomplishing something I have been honest with myself I want. It is the experience of clearly stating to myself through written form, or I may speak the goal, and it can even been stated with silent intention. For me, success is a continuous process that may shift and evolve as I grow.
"I am constantly checking in and making sure that the thing I've accomplished and experienced is in alignment with my values, actions, and it brings me joy."
Be sure to follow @chelsealovesyoga for ideas on how to find your inner yogi. Check out her inspiring community with youth at chelsealovesyoga.com. Also be sure to check out some of the other amazing ladies we've featured in our Finding Balance series by clicking here.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Featured image via Chelsea Loves Yoga/Instagram
Erica Ayisi is a freelance international journalist who covers the Black global experience. She's filed numerous feature news reports from the United States, United Kingdom, Jamaica, and Africa. Go global with her @akosua0906 on Instagram & Twitter.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy