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

Kiara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

For years, I didn’t know which direction the Holy Spirit would guide me in, so I followed as I saw fit. I started out as an educator, working for childcare centers, nonprofits, brick and mortars to virtual and now as a business owner who created HERstory!

Yoga has become my mental health tool since 2018. Once in the classes, I would notice I was either the only Black person in the studio or one of the only ones, with no Black instructor present. I was just a student for 5 years and nothing changed. I knew that my love for Yoga was growing because it helped me heal in so many ways, through multitudes of trauma I have endured. At this moment in time, I was not aware of it, but I was healing my body through asanas (yoga poses).

So in January 2020, I made the decision to get certified. Unfortunately, COVID hit and I found out I was pregnant with my rainbow, March 2020. My current position was a math teacher and we had to shut down the schools and stay home but the thought of getting certified never left my mind.

Fast forward to August 2022, after I had my baby and started working virtually, I am scrolling on TikTok and see a Black yoga instructor pop up on my screen. To my surprise, she was BLACK but the other surprise, she was doing a special type of yoga I never heard of; trauma-informed. I was in love! I watched her channel to learn more about trauma-informed yoga and ended up googling it. I didn’t know it was a real thing! I ended up dreaming about doing trauma-informed yoga, seeing me as the instructor! That’s when I knew, it was time.

First, I got certified in meditation October 2022. After, I started on my 200 YTT and completed and passed it in January 2023, making me the first Black yoga instructor, born and raised out of Longview, TX! I also ended up being the first one hired in one of the studios in Longview called Freedom Yoga, Inc., the first Trauma-Informed studio in East Texas! Finally, a class was being led by a Black yoga instructor and the pathway to bringing inclusiveness to yoga opened up even wider! My certification for being trauma-informed, came shortly after.

The owner of Freedom Yoga, Toni Dussex is the biggest reason why I started my trauma-informed practice. She started out her career in yoga years before I did and was in the process of becoming a Yoga Therapist! She even noticed how the diversity of yoga in East Texas was bare to none and knew that a change would come, with me starting it. So I did it!

Now, I have learned I am not the first Black Yogi in East Texas but I am the first from Longview. I am not the first to try and start a practice but I am the first to keep it going and the first to make it trauma-informed. So, I created TRAP Yoga, the first Trauma-Informed Black Mobile Yoga Business of East Texas! I created HERstory!

TRAP is a period-less acronym for trauma, release and peace; the goal is to release what is trapped through asanas. Oh I didn’t stop there! I ended up becoming certified in Prenatal care, understanding how mental health can be healed through Yoga Psychology and most of all, added Trauma-Informed Care Mentor Certification to my practice for those not quite ready to do yoga! My next biggest goal is to become the first Black Yoga-Therapist in East Texas!

Since I am mobile, my approach is to be a safe space for all clients I have, with an emphasis for the Black community in East Texas. I was able to bring both the black and brown communities in one setting when I had a contract through NetHealth! My approach is very cultural and informative. I let my clients know, I am only a guide and their healing journey is based on what they share with me. What they share, determines the way I create the sequence, whether they’re ready to start their healing journey or not. Either way, I am there as a guide and safe space.

Kiara, 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 the industry by going to yoga studios and going to the classes. You know how some people go to the gym to release stress? Well mine was through yoga, even though I used to love going to the gym. Once I became a constant student, I started memorizing the different asanas and learning how to balance well in them. I really worked on my stamina in those sequences!

My discipline just comes from always feeling like I am not doing enough. I get bored easily with how life can be and always want to find something exciting and new and create something that my children can look at and be like, ‘that’s my mommy and she did that!’ I only had a few people who were able to guide me through the journey of becoming a yoga instructor, that was already certified or were very acknowledged about it. One thing for sure, my parents, my husband, best friends and in laws were rooting for me. I had no choice but to do it!

The problems I started to face was how to market myself. East Texas supports who they choose and I knew since I was new to something already popular, my clientele would be small. Also, I am not shy about telling others my business is Black owned!

I am proud that I started something needed for the Black community. I may not be working with each individual I would love to work with but I know my business will target those who need it when the time comes! You cannot force others to want to heal. They have to desire it! Also, if they have never done yoga before, I would not be surprised if they had their doubts about it.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Being relatable!

I have videos of different types of traumatic experiences that I have dealt with and showed the different asanas that has helped my body go through its healing process. I describe the pose and the purpose within each video.

For example; my first video was on TikTok, from a three part series called “What Yoga Helped me Heal Through-Abandonment”. My traumatic experience through abandonment was through a parent who chose not to be a part of my life. The constant lies and treatment; as though I didn’t matter, gave me anxiety and made me feel like I was never enough to be their daughter, like I was a constant burden or regret. I always saw other people being put before me and even other people’s kids! But as soon as I was doing something worth recognizing, like winning the talent show in high school or joining the drill team or getting a college degree, I was their ‘daughter’. They only loved me when it was convenient for them, not me. I had to go to counseling to learn why any relationship I was in, ended the way they did and the trust issues I had. My husband was such a huge support of helping me navigate how to move on in my life and is even one of the reasons I started going to yoga. Counseling, yoga and prayer was my healing journey.

I would cry during the asanas. I sometimes would have to stop in the middle of the sequence to hold it together. Not because the sequence was a challenge but because my body wanted to scream and shout and breakaway from the memory of a person that I loved and admired so much. Finally, in 2019, after a year of counseling and constant yoga, the feeling of abandonment left. Now do I remember every moment, yes, do I remember the hurt, yes but I do not know how it feels anymore.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Not quite but that is the goal!

My goal is to get off into being a full time Trauma-Informed Care Mentor, Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor and Yoga Therapist through my business. My target will always be the Black community first, with inclusiveness of others. I desire to help children in the Black community, already dealing with pain and suffering, with no understanding of where it came from because I was that little Black child. I desire to show my community that yoga is not a one way ticket for some and not for others. It is for each and every person, needing healing or a better system to help manage their mental health. My goal is to work with school districts and other high stress level individuals that have a very stressful lifestyle or career path.

Currently, I am working on my website. At this moment, my business is used mainly on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. I don’t have a lot of overhead but do have to make sure my insurance stays up-to-date, annually. I am learning all of my marketing skills by what I see is needed but also going off of personal experience and the desires of others.

So my goal is to make this side hustle my career, only when God is ready for me to take that next step.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dope.east.texas.black.yogi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/TRAP-Yoga/61556025490615/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiara-smothers-m-ed-ryt-52417815b/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dopeblackeasttexasyogi

Image Credits

Through My Eyes Photo Company (image with plant)