We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Corinna Dunn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Corinna below.

Corinna, appreciate you joining us today. What was your school or training experience like? Share an anecdote or two that you feel illustrate important aspects or the overall nature of your schooling/training experience.

It was an absolute struggle lol! In 2020 during the pandemic, I was blessed to be one recipient of a scholarship to become a certified Yoga Instructor. The scholarship was designed to put more Black Yogis into the practice of Yoga to encourage wellness in the Black community. It was such a journey, although I was so honored to receive this amazing gift, I really was not mentally nor spiritually prepared for the dramatic transformation that occurred within me. I often found myself fighting against the changes that were taking place simply because I have never liked change, I was always a person that liked to know what was next and on this journey to becoming an instructor, I never knew what would unfold within me. It was supposed to only take me a few months to complete and it wound up taking me an entire year to complete however after my completion I realized that I finished when I was supposed to and that life, healing or even business is not a race that wherever you are in this moment of your journey is exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Corinna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Corinna Dunn, founder of Flexible Soul Yoga and Host of The Melanin Wellness Podcast and I have been in the Health and Wellness Industry for the past 12 years. I began practicing Yoga in 2015 to help improve my flexibility and help heal my hip dysplasia after years of dancing. I was offered the opportunity to become a Yoga Instructor in 2020 and after years of practicing at home because I was unable to find a welcoming space with Yogis who looked like me, I jumped at the chance to be a part of the change that we are seeing now. I learned that Yoga, journaling and meditation play a key role in helping us heal not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well so I took my Yoga education a little further and received a Trauma Informed Yoga Certification as well.

I offer everything from monthly memberships (coming 2023) to a la carte yoga classes and 1:1 private lessons. I help my clients to create mindfulness moments to address past traumas and hurt that may be preventing them from moving to their next level whatever that next level may be. Often we tend to not address a problem until it becomes a physical one so my clients and I not only help heal the physical pain but we address the mental or emotional aspect that is attached to it.

I am most proud of the way I navigate obstacles and still show up for myself and those who choose to work with me. I want those who are thinking of working with me to know that I am not a “typical” Yogi. I don’t necessarily listen to solfeggio tones or sound healing during every practice lol, I listen to whatever frequency my energy may be on at the moment, I may dance a little during my poses if the music hits me a certain way. I drink coffee, wear wigs, lashes and makeup and sometimes a cuss a little lol. I always tell my people to meet yourself where you are in the moment because it probably changes daily.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Absolutely! By trade I am a Cybersecurity Analyst so I went to college obtained 3 degrees in that field and then realized after my Lupus diagnosis in late 2019 that the stress of the job I had at the time was no longer conducive for my mental nor physical health. I had no idea what was next for me then the pandemic hit and I was given the opportunity to pursue something that I loved and that was already healing me stay well. It was definitely a scary time for someone who is generally a very logical and analytical. The ability to pivot and move into the chapter of my life was critical.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Knowing who your people are. If you are marketing to everyone, you are marketing to no one. You have to be able to figure out who you want to work with, who you want to help because that’s how you craft your messages and marketing so that it touches that emotional part in your ideal client that makes them want to work with you. It might take some time to figure out but don’t give up just tweak your strategy a bit. Change the plan but never the goal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bit.ly/flexiblesoulyoga
• Instagram: instagram.com/flexiblesoulyoga
• Facebook: facebook.com/livingwellwithcorinna
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CorinnaDunn789
• Other: 💙The Melanin Wellness Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qGFvhzhZAq0S76Izjam7N?si=3357d7b3f0d6488f 💜Pintrest https://www.pinterest.com/flexiblesoul7/