Meet Keisean Raines of So Hum Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisean Raines.

Keisean, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
What brought me to the healing community was similar to what many great teachers experience, hitting rock f’n bottom! There was a point in my life when I’d acquired all the material stuff that makes one a real “grown ass woman” – home, car, good paying job, etc. – even with all of that, I was depressed, anxious and miserable.

After the sudden loss of a family member, life gave me pause to reflect on my life. I was lost… a friend invited me into a community yoga class and for the first time. It was there that I began moving my body into postures, learning to connect with my breathing, sipping in the stillness of meditation and I saw myself – beyond the “stuff,” and I let myself weep. I do this work to support people with their pursuit of creating a life of their own design. I do so by applying the wisdom gained through self-study, intensive personal development trainings and frankly making a few dozen mistakes along the way.

My intention is to help others cultivate success and positive growth in their lives with practical, palatable and simple “tweaks” that create a massive, impactful change in their lives. I’m a Los Angeles Native (by way of Inglewood and Long Beach), former Apple Expert – turned published author, podcast host, social media enthusiast, intuitive speaker, holistic healer, yoga & meditation instructor, and lifestyle coach. I earned a 200 Hour RYT Certification in 2013 from Yogalution Movement in Long Beach, CA.

I’ve traveled out of the country to Europe, the South Pacific, Mexico, the Carribean and look forward to more travel in my future. I’ve been featured on the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage, was a lead facilitator of the Women’s Empowerment Movement in Long Beach, a guest facilitator at the QTPOC Open Space at the LGBT Center of Long Beach, served as a volunteer Yoga & Meditation teacher for the homeless population of Downtown LA; and recently relocated to the Washington D.C. area.

In my teaching practice I use the modalities of Hatha Yoga, Amatra Meditation, Channeling Positive Affirmations and Intuitively Guided Writing to cultivate healing for others.

Great, 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?
What have some of the challenges been…

The road to self-discovery and entrepreneurship are both laden with many obstacles. The irony is most of the challenges we face exist only within the mind. How we approach a supposed “problem” has everything to do with how we are mentally, emotionally and spiritually equipped. When we know we are capable and deserving of what it is we desire to create, accomplish, do, be or have… when problems arise, we see them as opportunities. An unexpected change can either be a catastrophe or a celebration. The choice is ours. We get to decide how we cope.

As a new business owner or a new professional come with similar “challenges” or opportunities – time management is probably the most measurable. How we manage our time is a direct influence on the growth and productivity of our business. A wise person once told me, “if your calendar is empty on your “working days” you don’t have a business, you have a hobby.” That statement was very impactful for me, and it rings in my ears whenever I have slow times in business. I ask myself, “How packed is my calendar? Am I busy or productive?”

Additionally, I will add this: being a professional in the Healing (Health & Wellness) Community as a Black, Queer Woman comes with layers of resistance. However, what I’ve discovered is the sense of ownership I have to create spaces for me to make my mark. If I walk into certain spaces, I fully expect to be the only person who walks in the world the way I do. The only Black person, or the only Queer person. At this point in my career, I embrace these opportunities to break down barriers based on race, gender or identity. While being “different” did come with challenges, I have not allowed it to break my stride.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about So Hum Wellness – what should we know?
What I do… and why…

Using the modalities of Hatha Yoga, Amatra Meditation, Channeling Positive Affirmations and Intuitively Guided Writing to cultivate healing for others; my intention is to bring the practices of body-positive yoga, mediation, and mindful wellness habits into the lives of underserved communities in the effort to create a world that is healthy, wealthy and wise.

In 2018, I organized Rooted and the Rooted Collective – a group of Black Yoga Teachers from the LA area who combine their gifts to offer life courses in self-discovery based on the 8 Limbs of Yoga (found in Yoga Sutras and Vedic Philosophy).

I can offer a sincere appreciation for the practice of yoga by teaching simple, palatable sequences to students who are willing to explore it. My unique style of teaching incorporates the traditional Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin practices in order to provide students with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of self, embrace a sensation of peace and grow deeper in love with their bodies.

My expectations are to be able to provide mindful, accessible, and body positive yoga classes to all who are interested in exploring this sacred practice. By doing this, I get to experience a different country, exposing myself to a new culture and embracing all that they have to offer to enhance my life.

The Health & Wellness industry continues to grow in both revenue and trends with each coming term. The Yoga industry is currently over a billion dollar industry and will likely expand more with time. In some sense, this creates a bit of over saturation. On the other hand, it creates an immense amount of accessibility. There was a time when the way certain groups of people would have access to a yoga class or practitioner, they would incur substantial costs and not likely find spaces where they felt comfortable practicing. What will likely happen in the next 5-10 years is growth inaccessibility.

Meaning we will see more community-driven, donation-based courses, classes and studios opening their doors to provide access to the healing practices to underserved communities. I cannot speak for anyone else, I just know that’s my plan. Over time, the community of teachers, instructors and practitioners continues to grow in both size and diversify. This is creating a greater impact on our communities and our culture; by showing people, there are many ways to get well.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Intention, direction, focus, determination, motivation, courage, vulnerability and transparency.

Contact Info:

• Website: WWW.IMSOHUM.COM
• Email: KEISEAN@IMSOHUM.COM

Image Credit:
CoCoJO Productions

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