We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Frederika Easley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Frederika, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

Lesson: Always be clear on the goal
Have you ever felt wronged…worked yourself up to address the issue, prepared to be met with defensiveness, only to have the other party immediately agree? And you still were not satisfied? Often times in life whether it be personal or professional situations, the fixing of a problem can be more about an emotional need than the remedy itself. And it is our personal responsibility to know and be able to articulate our needs. Goals may be two-fold but we must be clear on them and their motivations in order to truly resolve.

Frederika, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into a personal practice of yoga almost two decades ago solely to physically compliment other workouts such as boxing that I was engaged in. At the time I had no knowledge of the spiritual healing properties. Years later I can say that it, yoga, has been a saving grace bringing me through some of my most trying and darkest hours.

What started as a crazy idea during the crazy times of a global pandemic turned into an innovative approach to wellness. People were stressed beyond belief and in many cases isolated from family and friends. I thought, what if there was a way to create a safe space to relieve stress and build community without the additional worry of travel. From this thought Flow to Heal Yoga was born. My yoga program is a virtual cohort structure that marries the physical practice of yoga with the facilitation of human connection through thought provoking group discussions and opportunities for deeper personal development through reflective journaling.

Thanks to a partnership with the University of Texas Community Driven Initiatives Program through their Department of Population Health I was able to pitch my idea and have the support to see it through to fruition! The pilot consisted of 13 Black women, who spanned generations aging from 28-67 years of age. After six weeks and through data collection participants showed a 43% average decrease in stress pre and post yoga sessions, higher use of daily wellness activities to manage stress (PreFTH=23%v.PostFTH=38%) and increased mobility.

I was so proud and felt affirmed. It was clear to me that Flow to Heal was in a space of its own! My program that is centered around body considerate cueing, tracking of progress and goals and the intentionality of bringing foundations of yoga into the functionality of life brings value. These things set it apart from traditional offerings and allow for the case to be made that wellness practices for Black women specifically and women overall are essential to our well being!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After having a successful pilot and having the opportunity to speak and share at a number of engagements I was ready to go full steam ahead but life had other plans. My husband and I found out that we were expecting our second child, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, my oldest brother suddenly passed away and I lost a close aunt. This was all within an 18-24 month time span. The weight of it all in addition to being a wife, a mother of a toddler and professional in the cannabis space was too heavy to add a dream on to. I had to focus on my own health and healing. Sometimes life throws curve balls. We can interpret them as this is not for me but I knew all it meant is not right now.

I knew my time had come when the universe kept putting the need in my face and opportunities in my lap! I know the Flow to Heal yoga program is special and it is needed. I am now actively seeking sponsors to launch a new cohort and in the meantime offering donation based flows on YouTube (@flowtoheal7527).

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Bring your full self to the table and be impeccable with your word. Many of the flowers I’m picking now are because of seeds I planted and watered years ago. After piloting the program in partnership with UT’s Community Initiatives Program I stayed in touch with the staff updating them on my personal trials. I was responsive to their requests for participation in opportunities that both highlighted their program and allowed for me to make connections. If there was something I could do I did it and was also transparent about my limitations. In any market building a reputation is about showing up and bringing your A game when you do!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @FlowtoHealYoga
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flow-to-heal-yoga
• Youtube: @flowtoheal7527

Image Credits

Photographer: Sunny Cavazos