Daily Inspiration: Meet Abby Wills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Wills.

Hi Abby, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in South Louisiana among the rivers. From a young age, I was captivated by the healing power of movement. Being a dancer contributed to my resiliency. By the time I hit adolescence, I was committed to sharing the gifts of dance with younger children. Over time, my fascination with dance transformed into a spiritual practice through explorations in Yoga, which led me to Los Angeles in 1995. Studying yogic philosophy offered access to a new way of seeing and being in the world that felt authentic. I was welcomed into the thriving Yoga community where I was invited to teach both adults and children across the city and in schools. Throughout this time, I had the delightful opportunity to tour the country with my boyfriend, Aaron “P-Nut” Wills, and his band, 311. In 2001, we married under the live oaks in St. Francisville, LA.

In the 2000’s, I pursued higher education in Human Development and Social Change at Pacific Oaks College where I was awakened to the ways in which systemic change is needed and activated. I graduated with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and began to more intentionally integrate social change into my contemplative practices and teachings. My thesis centered on the development of Critical Contemplative Pedagogy. I conducted participatory action research in post-Katrina New Orleans school district. During this time, I had the honor of training teachers in immersive educational experiences throughout the US and overseas.

In 2010, we gave birth to our first child, with our second following 3 years later. Our two boys are the center of my life and keep me focused on continuing to work for peace and justice.

I proudly serve on the Board of Directors of Pandion Music Foundation, supporting wellbeing and careers of independent artists, and the Advisory Board of Cactus in Bloom, supporting child sexual abuse survivors in trauma informed pre and post-natal care.

I find joy in cooking, hiking, flower arranging, reading, staying informed and being in community with loving people.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a child in the South, I was hyper aware of racial and gender inequality and injustice. I struggled to find ground in an environment where overt racism and sexism grew like weeds. I experienced the suffering that comes along with living in an environment where people were violently marginalized for their skin color or gender. I also remember learning about the violence of war and the ever-present threat of nuclear weapons which appear as seemingly intractable obstacles to peace. I witnessed economic inequities living in a region where poverty and wealth lived side by side. I saw how corporations were allowed to pollute the lush environment around me with carcinogenic chemicals. Of course, these challenges and obstacles have continued to reveal themselves in greater clarity throughout my life experience and in all locations I have lived in and visited. I am aware of the debilitating impacts of white ideology on all of us; both white-bodied and global majority folx.

I continue to struggle alongside colleagues and community members who know in our heart of hearts that violence and discrimination of all kinds must be overcome in order to achieve peace, justice and liberation for all people. And that the health and wellbeing of our species is inextricably interwoven with. the health of the land and planet we inhabit.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Through deep practice and study in the Tibetan yogic traditions, I found a path of healing, equity, compassion and balance that is infused into all of my practice and work. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating on a wide variety of projects including:

Shanti Generation: As co-founder and program director, I was able to collaborate with a wonderful team of filmmakers, including Michael Kuehnert, to produce a library of youth-centered yoga and mindfulness video content, all of which can be accessed free on YouTube. The great joy of this project was the participation of my diverse and brilliant middle school yoga students from New Roads School who advised on every aspect of the production and are featured in the videos. Many of these students also participated in our first Youth Peacemakers training, a 15 month experience co-facilitated by Karen Lee Garcia, Amy Hori, and I which guided teens through coursework in yoga, Ayurveda, non-violent communication, the history of peacemaking and community-based social action with luminaries in their fields including Dr. Chris Chapple from LMU Yoga Philosophy department, editor of LA Yoga Magazine and Ayurvedic practitioner Felicia Tomasko. This inaugural program has continued to evolve into what is now called Peace Lab and has been facilitated at dozens of schools across Los Angeles and the surrounding communities. The peace symbol at the center of our logo specifically represents a call and commitment to nuclear deproliferation.

From Stressed Out to Stress Wise, How You and Your Students Can Navigate Challenges and Nurture Vitality: Released in 2023 and published by ASCD, I co-authored this book with Anjali Deva and Niki Saccareccia as an innovative way to integrate practices for personal and collective wellbeing into middle and high school classrooms. The book features inquiry-based learning cycles to support educators and students in the development of stress intelligence.

Professional Development: I am delighted to co-facilitate professional development trainings for a variety of organizations including the Center for Child Abuse Prevention, Full Circle Consulting, LAUSD, PUSD, and UC Berkeley’s Puente Project.

Heartful of Peace: My latest project is a collaboration with Rebecca Trujillo Vest of Osmunda Music brings an album of heart-centered music to soothe our souls and nurture hope in these troubling times. I had the honor of serving as producer of a virtual, free TK-2nd grade curriculum designed by Lynne Hardy of Ajoobasani which features kids yoga teacher extraordinaires Pooja Sharma and Grace Cecilio and the musical brilliance of Alma Cielo.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
heartfulness, compassion, open-mindedness, awareness, flexibility

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heartfulofpeace.org
• Instagram: @teachlovebreathe
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShantiGeneration
• Other: https://ascd.org/books/from-stressed-out-to-stress-wise?variant=123004