Daily Inspiration: Meet Neda Soderqvist

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neda Soderqvist.

Hi Neda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
WHERE THE HEALING BEGAN

“To be a good healer you have to experience your own pain to understand someone else’s” – Neda

Stemming from her childhood struggles of personal pain combined with a special sensitivity to energy , a natural gift to mentally, physically, and emotionally HEAL and her undying compassion to help people Neda has healed many bodies and souls. Whether it’s a client going through chemo, or divorce, a loss, even a young woman stricken with MS bound to a wheel chair………Neda has healed many.

Although she’s humble about the healing work she does like volunteering at a shelter for battered women where she teaches yoga and life coaches, to helping high profile celebrities navigate through health issues Neda puts what she’s been told throughout her life to the test. She has always had compassion for those less fortunate and as she was once told by an Indian man in one of her yoga classes she is “the chosen one, a light so bright she could change peoples lives, a true healer.” Since childhood she has always been an empath and sensitive to people’s energy, aches and pains.

The first time Neda realized she really did have healing powers was when she was teaching a dance class at Spectrum. She noticed a beautiful girl sitting in a wheel chair watching her teach. Neda felt guilty for being able to dance, jump and move so freely and felt compelled to bring the girl into the room to watch. When the class ended Neda asked the girl what her story was. It turns out she was in a terrible car accident when she was nine months pregnant. The trauma of the accident activated the MS inner body she didn’t even know she had. The baby survived but she was left in a wheel chair for the rest of her life.

To make matters even worse she told Neda when she got home from the hospital with their new baby her husband had a U-haul waiting and started packing her things in garbage bags. He took her and the baby to her parents house and said, “he didn’t marry a handicapped woman.” When she heard this Neda took her Pilates knowledge, healing powers, and compassion and started working with her on The Reformer. She worked with her for free a half hour every day and miraculously the young girl was soon able to feel her legs and make progress. Five months later she walked into the studio with a walker. Her parents insisted- “Neda had to continue healing.”

Since then Neda has been working with numerous people with a plethora of injuries, ailments, and illness. She works with patients of many doctors who she’s also gotten out of wheelchairs. As you can see by the comments below Neda’s gift has helped many, not only those who are sick but those who just might need the confidence to come alive. Neda heals bodies, minds and souls. Taking Neda’s class at JAM is more than a workout. Neda’s energy is infectious, she creates an environment where everyone can release themselves and feel good, one class at a time.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Getting past challenges and obstacles is absolutely essential for being a great healer or fitness trainer. Think of it this way: the tough stuff you handle—like a client’s stubborn plateau, a personal injury you have to rehab, or the emotional drain of helping someone through a massive life change—doesn’t just test you; it actually builds your professional toolkit.

For a healer or trainer, navigating difficulties deepens your empathy. You learn not just what the research says, but what it actually feels like to struggle, which allows you to connect with your clients on a profound level and customize solutions. Professionally, every failure or difficult case forces you to refine your methods, master your specialized knowledge, and become a far more resourceful and creative problem-solver. You stop being someone who just runs people through a routine and become a true architect of change. Ultimately, the best healers and trainers aren’t the ones who avoided trouble, but the ones who learned the most by powerfully and compassionately overcoming it.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Known for her dynamic, exuberant personality, Neda has an intense passion for inspiring people to achieve their goals, motivating students and clients to feel better, both inside and out. Neda loves seeing the excitement of her students and clients as they see results and their mutual dedication to her.

An all-around athlete with a master’s degree in physiology, fitness has always been a part of Neda’s life. For over 25 years, she has been teaching/participating in just about every sport imaginable. She has competed in triathlon’s, marathons (qualifying for the Boston Marathon twice), adventure races, 220-mile bike races overseas – just about anything that challenges the mind and body.

Neda’s devotion to fitness dates to her school days where she excelled in swimming, track & field, volleyball…even captaining the cheerleading squad. Blending her skills as a gifted athlete and her studies in physiology, Neda realized the importance of cross training, carefully developing her own unique style of workouts — which takes the best from many sports and practices.

JAM focuses on maximizing cardio training, strength building, and toning by combining dance and fitness –all in a supercharged, fun atmosphere. Neda makes it a point to learn every student’s name, whether it’s a group of eight or eighty. If there are any physical limitations, she offers modifications to keep each person safe from injury. It’s been said that her classes are like personal training in a group setting.

As an instructor who has built a large following, Neda have been teaching JAM at some of the top L.A. fitness clubs, Her clientele range from stay-at-home moms to the professional athlete — back up dancers, marathon and triathletes, bodybuilders including a former Mr. California as well as Hollywood’s top artists, actors and actresses.. She has also taught JAM classes as well as other fitness programs to children.
Neda is actively working as a healer and Physical Therapist. Doctor’s at Cedars-Sinai refer patients to her for therapeutic treatments that have helped fully heal patients with sometimes grim diagnosis and outlook for future healing. She have helped patients bound to wheelchairs back to a normal life.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My top advice is to prioritize genuine connection and continuous learning.

Build Relationships: Focus on understanding your clients’ or colleagues’ individual needs and motivations first. People hire a trainer/professional, but they stay with a person they trust.

Never Stop Learning: The fitness and health field constantly evolves. Commit to evidence-based practices, seek mentorship, and get specialized certifications to keep your knowledge and skills sharp.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jammalibu.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jammalibu
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachneda
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JAMMalibu
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoodangelz

Image Credits
Ulf Soderqvist