Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shakeelah Sutton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shakeelah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I have always been passionate about improving health outcomes in Black communities. Having witnessed my relatives suffer from diabetes and heart disease with limited access to resources that would truly heal, I made it my life’s mission to be a catalyst for wellbeing.

Because diet and physical activity can positively impact conditions like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, all of which disproportionately affect Black people, I received my master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology and sought to use movement as a tool for preventing and managing chronic disease.

Early in my career I managed an exercise clinic for diabetic veterans at the Washington VA Medical Center. While I loved leading exercise programs for the vets who were more like family, I felt confined in clinical settings and wanted an opportunity to tap into my creativity to design wellness programs with a community impact. I then joined the department of Community Pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and my career trajectory, and life as I knew it, forever changed.

My role as an exercise physiologist gave me the freedom to design and implement a pediatric healthy weight management program in an effort to curb the prevalence of childhood obesity in Washington DC. Working alongside a team of pediatricians, dietician, and community health educator, we delivered the FITNESS (Fun In Teaching Nutrition and Exercise to Successful Students) program to schools in wards 7 and 8. We’d spend the school day pushing into classrooms to energize students with movement breaks and then hang with them at lunch while teaching them the importance of nutritious eating. Up until that point I viewed wellness as something exclusively linked to physical health but working with those kids helped me realize the importance of supporting mental and emotional health as well.

I noticed that many of them struggled with emotional outbursts and self-regulation so I began incorporating yoga into the movement breaks. My personal yoga practice was always a safe space for me to process emotions and I wanted them to have a chance to experience that as well. I received my yoga teacher certification and developed a kids yoga and mindfulness program to supplement our work in schools. The healing impact of mindful movement and conscious breathing was beyond what I could have imagined, inspiring me to adopt a more holistic approach to wellbeing. Because of that experience, I’ve since been able to start my own business centering BIPOC wellness and devote my knowledge, talents, and skills to creating accessible healing spaces for the communities that need it most.

Shakeelah, 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 am a yoga instructor and wellness consultant who’s spent the past 15 years teaching people all over the country how to relate to their bodies as a source of healing, relaxation, and ease.

Living in a world that moves fast with high expectations to perform, achieve, and do, I find joy in holding space for us to slow down and simply be. Blending my background in physiology, psychology, and mindfulness I specialize in soothing nervous systems stuck in overdrive thanks to our stressful lives.

Because BIPOC communities experience overwhelmingly high rates of chronic stress (and related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, and depression), I founded the calm/cool collective to create space for us to explore holistic wellness practices that strengthen self-awareness, connectivity, and the ability to feel at ease in any given moment. As a mobile wellness community, we rely on collaborations with local businesses, nonprofits, and BIPOC wellness practitioners to offer yoga and meditation classes, workshops, and retreats.

Inspired by my family’s legacy of trauma, mental illness, and holistic healing, my work is dedicated to my mom and grandmother who both passed at the age of 49 due to stress-related illness, and to all of our ancestors who deeply needed to rest but never got the chance to do so.

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

After two years of building my business plan, solidifying a brand identity, and learning the art of marketing, the calm/cool collective launched in October 2020 with our first event, the Yoga Kickback. Although COVID and social distancing still loomed over our heads, people were excited to gather together and eagerly anticipated events to come. Two weeks later, my mom died unexpectedly and everything came to a halt.

Losing my mom was the most traumatic experience of my life and I was swallowed whole by relentless waves of grief and panic. As an only child and sole heir to my mom’s estate, it was up to me to pick up the pieces of the life she abruptly left behind. Because that required me to make frequent trips to California, I had to stop pouring into my business that had finally gotten off the ground. Grief was compounded with anxiety over the prospect of losing the budding community I had worked so hard to build, but I knew that it was impossible for me to continue offering yoga classes and wellness events when my world was in shambles.

Thankfully with the support of my friends, family, and spiritual guides, I was able to release the need to hold space for others so that I could be fully present for myself during this dark night of the soul. As I retreated inwards, I relied on my restorative yoga and pranayama practice to guide me on my healing journey, with faith in knowing that I can pick back up where I left off when the time was right. When I re-emerged during the summer of the following year, I was blessed by a community who welcomed me back with open arms and I was better able to receive opportunities for growth because I’d given myself time to heal.

Although grief is still a revolving door, I openly share my journey with others through the platform I’ve created and offer it as a testament to the healing power of yoga.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Since there’s an endless supply of yoga teachers in the DC area and classes more accessible than ever, having a clearly defined niche that’s in alignment with who I am helps to differentiate myself in a saturated market. I’m a very chill, laid back person who prefers small groups and intimate spaces, so it’s very natural for me to create cozy environments where people can unwind through easeful practices like yin and restorative yoga. My commitment to invoking relaxation is apparent in the small yet intentional details embedded in all of my offerings.

Collaborations and partnerships have also been paramount to building a reputation. I value working together to make our world a better place and find joy in connecting with other BIPOC wellness practitioners, brands, and businesses who share in my mission of amplifying the healing of communities of color.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.calmcool.co
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/calmcoolco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shakeelahsutton
• Other: Personal Instagram page: www.instagram.com/cool_shak

Image Credits
Amber Iris Photo