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

Hi Zen, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

I believe that there are multiple key factors lacking in our educational system. On a public level, our current educational system is not designed to promote the learning and demonstration of emotional intelligence & regulation, nor does it embrace different styles of learning. I understand why this is. Do stressed, overworked & underpaid educators as a whole truly have the capacity to cater to 20 different learning styles in a packed classroom? Do they have the ability to remain emotionally regulated themselves in high energy environments where they may often feel less than supported and appreciated?

Ideally, emotional regulation should first be learned in the home. In my healing work I work with the emotional fields of women of all backgrounds and ages. What I’ve found is that most people’s stress and anxiety levels are so high just from existing (as well as a lack of awareness of how to process their emotions) that they cannot spare the space to be bothered with their children. So then they send them off into the educational system to learn these lesson in the classroom (from educators who lets be honest, are more than likely struggling with their own internal world).

Our public educational system caters to very few types of learners. Either you are a great test taker or you are not. Either you think inside the box, or you fail. I believe that every single person is gifted in their own way, but our system has labeled those who do not test well as failures. That word in itself can induce mental trauma in a child and affect how confidently they navigate their world.

With the above being said, I believe that our educational system can better prepare students by first, taking care of the people that are teaching them. Our students cannot thrive if their educators do not have the resources, physical and emotional support, as well as the stamina to show up for them. A pupil will often emulate their master. When educators are more properly taken care of, the students become the direct beneficiaries.

As we evolve as a society, we’re seeing more and more the different opportunities for success and career path. Schooling as it is cannot thrive and prepare the students for the world that is coming if the system continues to test by one standard. We can further prepare students for a more fulfilling future by widening the scope of what is deemed “success” and “failure”.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Zen Oasis and I am a pole fitness coach, healer, and curator of healing spaces that promote internal wholeness. Whether through pole fitness or energetic healing, I have a passion for helping women come to a place of awareness of who they really are so that they can create a life that they love.

My journey began in 2016 when I decided to start taking pole dancing classes. Like so many other women, I was looking for a way to feel great in my skin. I wanted to “find my sexy”. I immediately fell in love with the sport, and it quickly became a huge part of my life, regardless of the questions and judgement I received about whether I was training to work in a club. I had found a place where women were supportive and encouraging, and at that time in my life it was the perfect atmosphere to reinforce what I didn’t even realize was broken inside of me.

It was 2020 when I really “found my flow” and started to make a name for myself within the community. The love, admiration, and support that I was receiving from the pole community did not match what was actually occurring in my personal life. The toxicity of my job, home life, and romantic life were doing so much damage to my nervous system that my body broke out in stress induced hives from head to toe. Although I was smiling online, waking up and feeling anxiety take my body before I could take my first full breath had become my norm. My life felt like I was fighting a losing battle for just a slice of peace.

August 2020, I woke up one day and knew that if I did not quit my job, I would be committing an act of continued self betrayal. A voice inside of me said “please, don’t make us go”. I knew that I had to make a decision to choose myself in that moment, although I had no back up plan. Ideally, I would have loved to start my business and then quit my job but I waited too late. My health was on the line now.

After leaving my job, it felt as if the world opened up for me. I dove head first into teaching pole dance full time and taking private clients. My clients would always comment that my sessions felt “healing” and that my teaching style felt “holistic”. With more time on my hands, I propelled myself into my own healing which included self guided practices as well as shamanic led work. My outlook on life was changing so fast and the more I changed, the more I wanted to bring other women along with me. Pole and mindfulness had done so much to change my life and I knew that if it worked for me, it could work for others.

In December of 2020 I launched “The Total Reset Experience”. Total Reset is a retreat experience that focuses on movement, mindfulness, and connection. My vision for Total Reset was to curate a space where people with common interest could come and commune, and heal through learning pole dance together, being in community, and participating in intentional healing practices.

What Total Reset does is provide a space for our participants to feel free. There are so many influences and energies at play that say it isn’t okay to be who you are. Some people have never felt accepted or celebrated for their uniqueness or have often felt that they didn’t belong. What we’ve done is create a safe, protected space where its okay to not be okay, but where its also okay to be joyful out loud.

I am most proud of the way that Total Reset has evolved in such a short period of time. What started off as “let’s just see if anyone is actually going to sign up for this” has turned into a space for intentional spiritual development. We now have a team of tenured and dedicated healers who truly take their work seriously. The work and emotional breakthroughs that the participants have done is absolutely phenomenal. The people that attend our experiences leave forever changed and with lifelong connections, as well as amazing pole skills!

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

I believe that desiring to connect authentically with my students and clients has been a key factor to the reputation that I’ve built within my community. Although I do have to make a living, no aspect of my work (healing or pole) has ever been just about the money. I believe that people can really when you’re genuine and it creates 1) customer loyalty & 2) great word of mouth.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

The initial capital for my business was entirely funded by friends. Since I quit my corporate job with no backup plan and a young child to support, at the time that I needed business capital my savings were non-existent. Interestingly enough, I was at the stage of my journey where I was actively practicing vulnerability. I reached out to three friends and asked them to contribute to my business. Because of my willingness to ask, I was able to build.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zenoasis.net
• Instagram: instagram.com/hurricanezenny
• Other: Tiktok: healerbae_zen