We were lucky to catch up with Mary Medellin Sims recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, appreciate you joining us today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

When I first met Amy in 2018, she was navigating life with multiple disabilities and often seemed unsure of herself and the world around her. We met at a small studio in Littleton, Colorado where Guided By Humanity was renting space. Our sessions began with the mindset, less is more. Together, we chanted a mantra taught to me by Sonia Sumar, “Hari Om, Hari Om, Hari Om,” repeating it over and over. It was a gentle way to help Amy become comfortable with me while encouraging her to use her own voice and breath to regulate her nervous system and move beyond the repetitive phrases she often relied on.

Over time, we introduced new mantras and songs, while keeping the same asana sequence. We would slowly add on new adaptive poses and breath practices as Amy became more comfortable. Repetition was key for Amy’s processing. Session by session, trust began to grow.

By 2024, after six years of one-on-one yoga sessions, I wondered if Amy might be ready for something more: community. At Guided By Humanity, we offer a variety of programs designed to support people with all types of disabilities from affinity classes (such as All Abilities Yoga, Adaptive Yoga, Yoga for Amputees and Limb Differences, Yoga for Brain Injury, etc) to open community classes. Knowing Amy well by then, I recognized that while she had developed many skills, she was still missing something important, connection with peers.

We started with Amy attending a group every other week, our All Abilities class that is specifically geared towards individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The transition wasn’t always easy. Amy would sometimes become overwhelmed. Her face would turn red, the familiar furrow between her eyebrows would disappear, and when she had reached her limit, she would announce, “BYE YOGA!” In those early days, I heard that phrase often.

But at GBH, we understand that meaningful change rarely happens overnight. We create spaces where people can move and breathe at their own pace, build trust within themselves and with others, and experience community in ways that feel safe and supportive.

Today, two years later, Amy attends group All Abilities classes every week. She greets familiar faces, participates in conversations, and responds when asked questions like, “Amy, what does your heart have to say?” Her answer is often: “I am peaceful.”

One of the greatest joys of my work is witnessing authentic relationships form. Amy’s journey reminds me that transformation takes time. Sometimes it looks like showing up week after week. For Amy, what began as a yoga class became something much more, a community of people who know her, welcome her, and celebrate her exactly as she is.

Mary, 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 have worked in the disability field since 2004. Fresh out of college, I began my career at a mental health facility in Texas, supporting individuals with dual diagnosis’s. That experience lit my heart on fire and has guided my life’s work ever since.

When I moved to Colorado in 2007, I continued serving the disability community through a variety of roles, including Early Intervention, Family Support Services, Adult Residential Services, direct care, and advocacy. Each role gave me a deeper understanding of both the strengths of the disability community and the barriers that too often prevent people from accessing the services, relationships, and opportunities they deserve.

In 2017, I founded Guided By Humanity (GBH) with a simple vision: to create a place of healing, connection, and belonging for everyBODY. Throughout my career, I witnessed countless individuals and families encounter barriers to care, whether financial, physical, systemic, or social. I wanted to build an organization where people could access an alternative to clinical support without all the red tape and where they would be welcomed exactly as they are.

Today, GBH serves individuals of all types of disabilities through adaptive and all abilities yoga, nature retreats, caregiver and grief support groups, stress management acupuncture clinics, workforce internship opportunities, community engagements events such as Adaptive Night at Denver Fashion Week that help to increase overall health, build self-confidence and independence for daily living.

What sets GBH apart is our commitment to the disability community. The majority of our students are now long-term yoga students after being a part of GBH for the last 10 years before we officially became a non-profit.

What I am most proud of is the community we have built. I am over the moon that GBH has become a place where authentic relationships are formed, where people can find support without judgment, and where individuals with disabilities are celebrated for who they are. Being of service to our community continues to be my greatest honor.

At the heart of everything we do is simple: every person deserves the opportunity to be fully included and valued.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Without question, the organization that has had the greatest impact on my leadership, yoga journey, and overall best practices is Accessible Yoga. Their mission is to share yoga with everyone by advancing accessibility and equity in yoga spaces around the world. Their work challenges us to reimagine what inclusion truly looks like and reminds us that yoga should be available to all people, regardless of ability, age, size, background, or circumstance.

Accessible Yoga has been the foundation of many of the best practices we implement at Guided By Humanity. More importantly, it has been a source of inspiration and a constant reminder that humanity requires humility, curiosity, and a willingness to listen and understand the communities we serve.

I am especially grateful to Accessible Yoga’s founder, Jivana Heyman, whom I am fortunate to call both a mentor and a friend. Jivana has been a lighthouse throughout my yoga journey.

The lessons I have learned through Accessible Yoga extend far beyond yoga itself. They have influenced how I lead an organization, build community partnerships, develop programs, and think about service. Much of that philosophy can be traced back to ancient yogic philosophy and the values and example set by Accessible Yoga.

I believe some of the most brilliant leaders are those who lead with compassion, authenticity, and service.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As a former single mother, there were certainly challenges, heartbreaking times, and moments of uncertainty. But through it all, I never gave up on myself. Resilience, for me, has never been about pushing through hardship or letting it define me. It has been about choosing hope, staying curious, finding joy, and continuing to seek beauty in the world around me. No matter what season of life I was in, I always made time for the next adventure, to be in awe, and to always be learning. That mindset continues to guide both my personal life and my work today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://guidedbyhumanity.org
• Instagram: @guided_by_humanity

Image Credits

Dean Allman