Beginning January 16, prices will shift slightly in order to keep up with the growing costs to maintain this small business. 

 

 

 

 

These small changes will help support backend costs like website hosting, scheduling software, and Flodesk membership, purchasing new props, and the time and labor it takes to bring you thoughtful, intentional, trauma-informed barre classes.

 

Last week a dear friend turned client took her first ever barre class and I had the honor of guiding her through it. Our conversation the day after her session further affirmed that I am indeed standing in my purpose.

Freedom Barre + Wellness evolved from me seeing so few mirrors in the fitness community, hardly any examples of women who looked like me. Physical representation is important in helping a person feel like they belong to a community, but so is emotional representation. Being a Black woman means I have many shared life experiences with other Black and Brown women. This affects how we show up in spaces and often how we don’t show up in spaces. When there is no physical representation, we can feel like we don’t belong and perhaps won’t come back even if it’s an activity that we really enjoy. When there is no emotional representation, we may show up, but feel like we cannot be our full, authentic selves in the community.

FBW is first and foremost by and for Black women because there are so few spaces outside of our own homes where we are made to feel like we can bring our full selves and be seen and celebrated and safe and enough just as we are. And as we all know, when the lives of the Black women in a community are honored and centered, the whole community is elevated and thrives. Me making a conscious effort to center the wellness of Black women means that the wellness of everyone in the FBW community will be treated with love, care, and mutual respect regardless of how they identify.

So you may notice a difference when taking classes with me. FBW classes are shaped by my training with Barre Body and Breathe for Change, but also by my lived experiences and my deep desire to expose women of color to this modality of exercise and its benefits.

When I said to Nia that a movement practice can be kind and Black women, especially, need loving movement in our lives, she replied, “'Loving movement' yes. Absolutely & Amen.” 

When she told me, “I feel so comfortable within myself and like I did something good for my body. The space you created combined with the music and type of movement was just so relaxed and positive, gentle yet effective,” I really took that as a sign that the community I set out to create is actually coming to fruition.