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HIGHLIGHTING BARRIER BREAKING WOMEN. THE MIND BODY CONNECTION IS AN IMPORTANT ONE. AND AS �������� 13 CARLA WADE SHOWS YOU, NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THAT BETTER THAN A BIRMINGHAM WOMAN WHO IS GETTING INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR MAKING YOGA ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. KIMBERLY RICHARDSON IS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CERTIFIED YOGA THERAPIST IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA. AFTER YEARS OF RUNNING HER OWN BUSINESS, SHE NOW TEACHES YOGA FULL TIME, BRINGING THE ACTIVITY TO PEOPLE AND PLACES WHO EXPERIENCE IT THE LEAST BUT CAN BENEFIT THE MOST. SO WE’RE NOT HOLDING OUR BREATH, AND WE’RE GOING TO DO WARRIOR TWO. IT’S LIKE GOING ON A SURFBOARD. YOGA ON THE HARDWOOD ANYWHERE. KIMBERLY RICHARDSON CAN ROLL OUT HER MAT IS WHERE YOU’LL FIND HER. MY APPROACH TO YOGA WAS THAT IF I WAS GOING TO REACH PEOPLE WHO TRADITIONALLY HADN’T BEEN INCLUDED IN YOGA, THAT I JUST WANTED TO GO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ALREADY WERE INSTEAD OF OPENING A YOGA STUDIO AND SORT OF SAYING, COME TO WHERE I AM. HER APPROACH HAS TAKEN HER AND YOGA TO SOME UNLIKELY PLACES. MY FIRST YOGA CLASS THAT I STARTED TEACHING WAS AT OUR DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY. SO IT WAS CENTRALLY LOCATED. IT WAS FREE. IT WAS ACCESSIBLE. RICHARDSON’S BRAND OF YOGA IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. THE NAME SAYS IT ALL. YES, YOU. YOGA AND WELLNESS. STRIVING FOR INCLUSIVITY EARNED HER THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF YOGA THERAPISTS AWARD FOR SERVICE. IT HONORS YOGA THERAPISTS AROUND THE WORLD WHO SHARE YOGA WITH PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY HAD ACCESS TO THE PRACTICE. I DIDN’T SEE MUCH DIVERSITY IN OUR LOCAL YOGA SPACES, AND SO I SAID SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE, AND THAT REPRESENTATION MATTERS. AND I DECIDED TO GO DO MY 200 HOUR TRAINING IN 2018, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, SHE WALKED AWAY FROM A MORE THAN 15 YEAR CAREER RUNNING A GRANTS CONSULTING BUSINESS, AND LIKE A LOT OF HER CLIENTS, RICHARDSON DIDN’T ALWAYS SEE HERSELF AS A YOGI, LET ALONE AN INSTRUCTOR. BUT LIKE SO MANY WOMEN, SHE WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO RELIEVE THE STRESS OF A HECTIC LIFE. SO I WAS A MOM AND I WAS MARRIED AND A MILITARY WIFE AND RUNNING A BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEUR. AND SO I HAD LOTS OF STRESS. AND SO I JUST SAID, LET’S GIVE THIS A TRY AND SEE WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, REALLY STARTED TO SAY, YEAH, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS THAT WORKS, RIGHT? WHEN I STARTED TO FEEL THE CALMNESS THAT CAME ALONG WITH IT, THE RELAXATION I STARTED SLEEPING BETTER. I STARTED TO HELP ME MANAGE STRESS BETTER. AND SO I SAID, YEAH, THERE’S THERE’S SOMETHING TO THIS WHERE I WANT TO DO MORE OF THIS IN 2023, SHE DECIDED SHE DIDN’T WANT TO JUST ATTEND MORE CLASSES. SHE WANTED TO TEACH THEM AND TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER WITH A COMMUNITY MODEL APPROACH TO YOGA, ADDRESSING HEALTH ISSUES LIKE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT LIKE WHAT? WHICH COMMUNITIES ARE BEING MOST SEVERELY IMPACTED BY THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU EXPERIENCE THOSE HEALTH DISPARITIES IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES? SO I WANTED TO TRY TO BRIDGE THAT GAP. RICHARDSON HAS WORKED WITH VETERANS WHO HAVE MOBILITY OR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BIRMINGHAM VA. THE CITY IS TAKING NOTE OF HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS. SHE WAS INCLUDED IN MAYOR RANDALL WOODFIN STRONG, HER CAMPAIGN, AND RICHARDSON IS A YOGA AMBASSADOR FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVEWEAR BRAND LULULEMON. WHEN YOU PUT AN EMPHASIS ON MAKING YOGA ACCESSIBLE SO THINGS LIKE USING YOGA PROPS AND KNOWING HOW TO OFFER VARIATIONS OF POSES AND MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, WE COULD DO YOGA SITTING IN THIS CHAIR. SO I SAID, THE ONLY THING THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO DO YOGA IS HAVE THE ABILITY TO BREATHE. AND THE ABILITY TO FOLLOW HER EXAMPLE AS A TEACHER AND A WOMAN WILLING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING.