Women in Wellness

As we continue our month long focus on women’s health and wellbeing, we chat to three women driving positive and inspiring changes within the wellness industry. To learn more about their enterprises, their mission and their experiences as women in business. We caught up with Donna Noble, Laura Wilson and Gabriella Espinosa about the great work they are doing… Donna Noble Image by Cecilia Cristolovean http://yogaandphoto.com/ Donna Noble has been practising yoga since the late 1990s. She is an Author and the Founder of CurveSomeYoga. She has been a certified Yoga Teacher since 2011. As well as teaching Internationally and all over the UK at conferences and festivals, and she runs Workshops and yoga retreats. She has written in numerous digital and print media on various topics covering diversity & inclusion, and body positivity. You can find out more about Donna at her website www.thenobleartofyoga.co.uk. Tell us about yourself and Curvesomeyoga… I‘m an Author, Coach, Educator, Yoga Teacher, Activist and Founder of Curvesomeyoga. I spent over 20+ years working for various corporate companies. I am a Londoner of Jamaican heritage; I spent two years of my childhood living in Jamaica from nine to eleven. My yoga journey started in the late 1990s when a friend saw a picture of Madonna in a yoga pose online. I became a certified yoga teacher in 2011 and teach internationally. I am passionate about sharing the benefits of yoga after it was instrumental in allowing me to heal from Bell’s Palsy and change careers. Curvesomeyoga was created in 2014 from a desire to provide accessible and inclusive yoga. Showing that everybody can do yoga regardless of shape, size, ethnicity or gender. Where anyone can come and experience yoga on their own terms. What advice would you give to women wanting to start their own business in the wellness industry? Don’t let the mainstream wellness industry let you doubt that you have something to offer or feel you have to look a certain way to start your business. If ever in doubt, always come back to your why and remember there is someone that needs what you have to offer, as representation is so important and does matter. Just go for it, as version one is better than version none. Also, don’t feel that you have to follow a script – go with what feels right. Be authentic and don’t be afraid to create something that does not exist – as one day you may be a pioneer. What challenges have you faced as a woman in business? The challenge as a woman in business is the inequity encountered because of the double bias of race and gender. The lack of representation equates to constantly proving my worth and qualifications. Coping with the fear of being visible – the fear of being judged – resulted in my being invisible for a long time Do you have a mission that keeps you grounded? My mission is to create greater diversity and inclusion within the yoga and well-being space as well as always being authentically true to myself, fulfilling my passion, going with the flow of life, and letting the path unfold organically. To be the change I wish to see in the world. Which women inspire you? My Mum and Michelle Obama inspire me because of what they stand for and I am able to continually learn from them. Find out more about Donna through her website and her Instagram @donnanobleyoga. Laura Wilson Laura is the founding director of Edinburgh Community Yoga, a not-for-profit social enterprise with a focus on promoting accessible and inclusive yoga in underserved communities. She is also a Minded Yoga Therapist specialising in trauma-informed yoga for mental health. She has been practicing yoga since 2004 and teaching in mainstream settings as well as in collaboration with third sector organisations, NHS services and Criminal Justice Services since 2011. Laura is a survivor, practitioner, yoga teacher and therapist, with a gift for understanding the complex relationship between the experiences we have, the subsequent patterning laid down in our nervous system and subconscious, and the interplay between body and mind in integrating these experiences. She is motivated by a deep faith in our ability to integrate, process, let go and reframe, and finds the rich tapestry of practices offered in yoga to be an extraordinary set of tools for navigating life as a human being. Laura works therapeutically both in groups and one to one and presents on the importance of body/mind practices for stress management in workplace settings. She also writes and delivers trainings for yoga teachers interested in working in community settings. Laura holds a BSc (Hons.) from London Contemporary Dance School, 2000 Tell us about yourself and Edinburgh Community Yoga… ECY as an idea began in 2010 while I was working with looked after children and young people with emotional, social and behavioural challenges in a residential school. My eyes were opened to the mental health and addiction issues that are all too prevalent in Scotland. As I learnt about the effects of trauma on emotional development through this, I was simultaneously dealing with my own substance misuse and mental health issues by practicing yoga. It occured to me that if yoga was easily accessible to all communities then it could be a useful resource for many people. When I met my business partner Lorraine Close in 2014 we took the step to become a not-for-profit social enterprise and have been running community based projects ever since. Our work spans several populations including those in recovery from addiction, women affected by trauma, people living in prisons and secure psychiatric hospitals, people with long term health conditions, the homeless, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent people, injured military personnel, refugee and asylum-seeking women, disengaged youth, children, young people and families, carers and older people. What challenge have you faced as a woman in business? As a social entrepreneur in the yoga world, being a woman has never felt like a challenge to me. I’ve certainly never felt discriminated against because of my gender. It is, though undoubtedly difficult to be ambitious and driven in my career and also to be a mother. I have 2 young children and balancing my work commitments with my dedication to my family is a constant juggle. It’s very important to me that I model to my children a healthy work/life balance and that I live by the yogic principles I teach, but that isn’t always easy. What advice would you give to women wanting to start their own business in the wellness industry? Leading on from above I’d also say wherever possible, have clear boundaries around work and home life. Running your own business has so many benefits but if you let it, it will take over every minute of your waking life so you have to be strict around also prioritising other things that are important to you too. On a more political point, health inequality is getting worse and sadly the wellness industry has been guilty of a lot of exclusivity. Anyone wanting to start a health focused business should feel a duty to ensure that what they are developing and offering has an aspect of inclusivity to it. As entrepreneurs, creating more equity in our communities isn’t an option anymore, it’s an essential part of what every business needs to consider and all of us need to play our part in that. Do you have a mission that keeps you grounded? Our mission has always been to empower people and communities by improving access to the therapeutic benefits of yoga by working across the cultural, economic and health barriers that inhibit people from taking part. Which women inspire you? As a trauma-informed yoga teacher I read and listen to a lot of content around trauma and the nervous system and I love what both Jane Clapp and Kimberly Anne Johnson are doing around female empowerment and the promotion of a new world understanding of trauma and stress. They are both unapologetically feminine in their approach to embodied work. Neither are afraid to be vulnerable but equally they are both comfortable in their own power. We need more examples of that kind of authenticity in the embodiment and trauma world to counteract the unhealthy power dynamics that have previously caused more harm than good. You can find out more about Laura’s work through the Edinburgh Community Yoga website. Gabriella Espinosa Gabriella Espinosa is the founder of Women’s Body Wisdom, an online coaching and movement platform that empowers women to own their pleasure, power and purpose in midlife. Her work lies at the intersection of embodiment, neuroscience, female sexuality and menopausal health. She leads 1-1 and group coaching programs and leads international retreats. She also contributes her writing on women’s health and sexuality to leading US and UK publications. Learn more about Gabriella at https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com Follow her on Instagram: @gabriellaespinosa Tell us about yourself and your business and how / when it originated? I am the founder of Women’s Body Wisdom, an online coaching and movement platform to support women through the transition of perimenopause, menopause and beyond. I am passionate about guiding midlife women to reconnect to their bodies and own their pleasure, power and purpose. My work lies at the intersection of embodiment, neuroscience, eastern traditional wisdom and menopausal health. I offer tools steeped in the yoga tradition, modern somatic based practices along with practical applications of nutrition and lifestyle so women can take charge of their physical and mental wellbeing and live their best lives in the second half of life. My work originated from my own experience of moving into perimenopause in my early forties. I never even heard of the word when it totally caught me off guard. I was a busy mother balancing work, life and felt I was running on empty, ignoring the creeping anxiety, the heart palpitations, achy joints, low libido and forgetfulness. It was such a confusing time. I felt that my body had betrayed me in some way. And so I got really curious and went on a deep dive journey of self-exploration learning everything I could about my body. From nutrition to yoga, breathwork, coaching and somatic practices. I have learned so much about myself in the last 15 years through self-awareness, compassion, self-love and appreciation for my body. The guidance and practices I offer aim to take women on a journey of self-exploration, trust and knowing. It may not always be comfortable but it is in those places of discomfort where our greatest learning and healing lies. We do get to the other side wiser, stronger and more empowered. What challenges have you faced as a woman in business? Moving onto the online space has been gratifying but challenging because I had such a steep learning curve to figure out the technology, marketing and sales. I definitely felt outside my comfort zone on so many levels, but I kept reminding myself that I could do hard things. There are many ways to learn how to run your own business from facebook groups, to You Tube, to networking events, to hiring a coach. I think there is no better time than the present for women to start a business. What advice would you give to women wanting to start their own business in the wellness industry? Asking yourself, “what does wellness mean to me?” and reflecting on your own personal journey to find that answer. We all have a unique story so let that story be your WHY for being of service to others. Stay focused on your WHY and don’t compare yourself to others. I think when you are in the wellness industry you want to help as many people as possible. It takes time to grow a business so nurture and cherish your first few clients and they will become your best cheerleaders to grow your business. Finally, cultivate relationships with other female entrepreneurs and find ways to collaborate and support each other’s business. We all rise together. Do you have a mission that keeps you grounded? My mission is rooted in pleasure – the things that make me feel alive and vibrant. Prioritising pleasure is not selfish or indulgent – it’s what makes us human. When I make space to focus on the things that bring me pleasure I expand my capacity to feel more of it and this has a beautiful rippling effect into other areas of my life, relationships and business. So I always ask, “how can I make pleasure the driving energy of my work?” It could be going for a walk in nature, connecting with a friend, dancing, nourishing food- it doesn’t matter. What matters is bringing mindfulness to the things that bring you pleasure, so you can consciously cultivate more of it. What is one thing you can do today to prioritize your pleasure? For some inspiration access a free copy of Gabriella’s Awaken Pleasure Checklist here. What women inspire you? I am more inspired by qualities that all women are capable of expressing, in particular courage, vulnerability, confidence, resilience. Midlife is a time that invites us to change the existing narratives of what it means to be a woman, and to step into our power and pleasure in a whole new way. I am inspired by so many midlife women who are doing this right now especially the women I coach. I also think it is important to look up to, lift and celebrate all those who identify as women – your mother, sister, friend, colleague, neighbour, not just those with a platform, it’s about the collective not the individual. We are stronger together! You can follow Gabriella @gabriellaespinosa and find out more about her offerings at https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com

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