We were lucky to catch up with Kimberly Revereza recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kimberly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
We believe everyone is made to meditate and that the purpose of meditation is to know yourself better. Our mission is to educate people on those things – to bust the myths that meditation is for certain people, that the goal is to quiet the mind or stop the thoughts, or that the purpose is only for recovering from stress, etc. By definition, meditation us using your mind, body, and breath to deliberately change your state of consciousness. It’s in that practice that we find this space between ourselves and the running track of our thoughts and feelings, and it’s there in that space that we learn that thoughts and feelings are something we have, not who we are. And it’s in that space that we can meet our truest self. So you could say, then, that our mission is to create the space for you to come face to face with your truest self.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m the founder of Flourish Meditation, but I started in what seems like the opposite place. My first career was in the entertainment industry where I started as a wardrobe stylist. I spent my hours decorating on the outside who I thought my clients might be on the inside. As my career in entertainment grew, I deepened that work to not just styling but artist development – working with musicians, authors, designers, and so on to figure out who they are and why they do what they do, and how to communicate that message through all aspects of their work. So really, it wasn’t so opposite. Looking back now I can see that I’ve always, always had this deep calling to help others discover who they are and how to live most authentically.
Flourish was born of my own recovery from ego and anxiety. I used to think that the busier I was, the more important I was. That the more important people I knew, the more successful I was. That the more I could get done in a day, the better I was than anyone else. After a really challenging couple of years, I began to use meditative methods to heal my anxiety, and what I found was far deeper and more life-changing than that. I no longer worshipped work and productivity. I found joy in doing less, more slowly, more thoughtfully. I met my true self. Everything about the way I live changed for the better.
Leaving entertainment after 17 years, I set out to bring others this same sense of self in their own lives. I founded Flourish Meditation in January of 2019. We now teach Meditation Teacher Trainings (a 200-hour for anyone, which launches as an online course in early 2023, and a 40-hour for yoga teachers), as well as workshops in meditation, creative writing, and healing, and host a free online community where people can connect with each other and access a ton of tools from us like meditations, journal prompts, movement practices, recipes, and so much more.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Before Flourish I opened an indoor cycling studio. I dreamed it up, named it, and literally built it from the ground. The community we had there in the first year or two was everything I’d hoped – friendships were born, lives were changed, people connected with themselves and each other. It was magic. My business partner, however, was slowly and desperately gaslighting me, convincing me with these lies that just piled up and up that I wasn’t wanted there and was doing a terrible job. Eventually she had me pushed out of the business and it was only after I brokenheartedly agreed to leave, believing it was best for the business, that our team members began reaching out to let me know what had really happened. I wasn’t terrible at my job. I was wanted there. I had been deceived.
Following that experience I felt the loss of that dream twofold – in that I was no longer running this business and community that I loved, and that what had happened was completely unfair.
It took me some time to learn to believe in myself again as an entrepreneur in this healing space, and through Flourish I’ve come to be stronger, softer, and more sure of myself than ever.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
When I was in college learning about the music business, a professor gave us the life advice to “act as if…” meaning to act as if you are in the role you want to be in, as confident as you wish you were, etc. I took that to heart and lived that way for a really long time, wearing these costumes of “important” “successful” “knowledgable” “fine”.
I had to unlearn to “act as if,” and instead learn to “be as I am.”
Now, when I don’t feel like being strong or brave, I soften. When I’m feeling raw and hurt, I open up to someone who can support me. When I am not okay, I take time or space to work through what’s in the way. When I’m in charge or feeling confident, I step into my authentic power. I no longer have to show up as anything other than who I am in any given moment.
I’ve never felt so light.
Contact Info:
- Website: flourishmeditation.com
- Instagram: @flourishmeditation
- Facebook: @flourishmeditation
- Twitter: @flourishmstudio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishmeditation
Image Credits
Photos by Kati Hoy and Kimberly Revereza