Today we’d like to introduce you to Shante’ Haymore-Kearney.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shante’. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I completed my 200 RYT program in 2011 from 305 Yoga & Outreach and started teaching there immediately following. I had always been one of the very few black teachers on the scene but I didn’t really think much about it because I was always so used to being a minority in my social circles.
{To go back a little bit} – I grew up in the historically black neighborhood of Coconut Grove, now known as the West Grove. I attended some of the most prestigious private schools in Miami for elementary and high school, where you could count the number of black and brown people on one or two (maybe three) hands. Plus my extra-curricular sport as an adolescent was volleyball, I played throughout college, which is a very white sport. Before I attended FAMU (a historically black college), I hadn’t played with more than two other black/brown girls on my team, ever.
As I began teaching and infusing my personal style and soul into my classes, other black/brown students of mine would resonate with it. About two years ago, I led a day retreat that was super successful with 25 people in attendance. I was stunned to see that I was the only black person in the group photo. That was a major turning point to be more intentional and specific in my efforts of connecting with more women like me. That was in 2017. Simultaneously, I received a lot of requests to create online content for black/brown people.
After my son was born, I started practicing more and experienced yoga as a student. I really felt a void for soulful, classes with color, and spiritual connection. I began to better understand my students’ needs and at having a teacher like myself that plays regular neo-soul, r&b/soul music, as well as mantra music. Infuse a lot of truth teaching, and inspirational messages throughout my classes and truly see to provide a space for healing and transformation. Not only do I create a unique experience, but I also teach a very technically sound, safe, and accessible sequence that any body shape or skill level can do. I love teaching and leading. I can see how all of my past experiences and strengths growing up had led me here. I am so grateful.
Brown Goddess Collective was born in 2018 which was probably one of my most challenging years (not ever in life, but recently). I spent much of 2018 either unemployed or underemployed and in between jobs for my “day-career”, which is in the non-profit community in Miami-Dade. I made a Vision Board represent my next steps, to bring me out of my current rut, and shift my energy. At the time, we were trying to move to Atlanta and I was especially excited about being in a majority black city and to plug into a network of black, professional, healthy, spiritual, and conscious women – Like me!
The move to Atlanta didn’t work out and I got a new job at a really awesome local non-profit, Kristi House Child Advocacy Center and simultaneously, put the ideas and concepts in motion to create Brown Goddess Collective and launch it at the Yoga Expo. I looked at my Vision Board a few days before our kick-off event, and I noticed that in the area that represents black women empowerment and wellness, I glued the word “Goddess” there! At the time, Brown Goddess Collective hadn’t been articulated into an idea yet, but when I opened myself up for guidance it came to me, so I am excited to follow this path to see where it leads. In so many ways, Brown Goddess Collective feels like the light after the storm.
Has it been a smooth road?
So far, the obstacles that I have had are the usual… limited resources, including time, money, and (wo)manpower. But with social media, technology, and planning there are a lot of ways to DIY things to fit a budget or a tight time schedule. It has helped me be more creative in what I prioritize and how I get things done. Overall, it can be empowering to have to really work at building something, and I feel that I am really in the midst of building something great and valuable to so many.
Another obstacle is finding balance and managing overwhelm in the midst of everything that I do. In addition to Brown Goddess Collective I also, have a “day job” at 40 hours/week, teach one-two private yoga clients a week, run Inner Inspiration (my other brand that includes workshops/retreats/speaking engagements), am a Facilitator Training Program for the Connection Coalition (Trauma-Informed national yoga and mindfulness non-profit), have a 3-yr-old son and have been married for five years, stay social and connect with friends and family, and create “me time” as a form of self-care and to keep my nervous system in check and regulated.
At the end of 2018, I adopted the mantra, “I am not overwhelmed, my capacity is INCREASING.” Activating that mantra really helped me shift my perspective and raised my vibration/energy to allow me to begin attracting so many amazing opportunities and experiences like the Brown Goddess Collective. Perspective is everything!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Brown Goddess Collective – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Brown Goddess Collective is a sisterhood of wellness for self-identifying women of ALL shades of brown, that come together and connect through sisterhood, mindfulness, and self-care to level up our lives with the support and encouragement of other like-minded women.
Brown Goddess Collective is a space for connection, empowerment, support, and healing. When we come together in our sister circle, each person has an opportunity to be seen and heard in ways that aren’t available to many to us in our day-to-day life. We are able to begin to let go of the labels that we wear in the outside world (ex. mom, wife, job titles, and other personas) and let our guard down to just be ourselves. We practice sharing, listening, and celebrating each other. Everyone brings their unique gifts and perspective to circle, it’s a really beautiful experience to watch it unfold.
We have monthly pop-up gatherings called Brown Goddess Magic which is a 2-hour hybrid experience that is a combination of a yoga class and a sister circle and includes meditation, breathwork, inspirational music, self-reflection, and culturally relevant group discussions about “things that matter to us.”
We hosted our kick-off event on March 9 at the 4th Annual South Florida Yoga Expo with 32 brown yogis sharing space and creating #browngoddessmagic together. Our next gatherings will take place on Sat, April 6 in Miami (Little Haiti area) from 3p – 5p and Friday, April 19 in Coral Springs at Zen Loft Yoga Studio. We also have a lot more gatherings, events, and online content coming down the pipeline as well. We have a lot of momentum and support behind us!
Any predictions for the industry over the next few years?
I see the health and wellness industry continuing to diversify through color, size, abilities, economies of scales, and ages. I know several people in their 60s and 70s that are taking teacher training programs, larger-sized women creating radical self-love and body appreciation classes, trauma-informed and social justice yoga programs, and trauma survivors teaching yoga are all directions in which the fitness & mind-body industry will evolve in the upcoming years.
The yoga and wellness industry has grown exponentially in the past decade alone, and Fitness & Mind-Body is a global industry whose worth exceeds $570B dollars and the industry projections are increasing. The Miami market may be saturated, but there is still a lot of work to be done to get yoga and wellness practices to other demographic areas and under-represented persons too.
This work empowers people to take a leadership role in their lives and as you feel better about yourself, the more that you want to help other people. “Hurt, people, hurt people. Healed people, heal.”
Pricing:
- $25 for the Brown Goddess Magic Gatherings
Contact Info:
- Phone: 786-233-9094
- Email: browngoddesscollective@gmail.com
- Instagram: @browngoddess_collective
- Facebook: @browngoddesscollective
Image Credit:
Derek Kearney Photography @derek_photo, Bianca Valentim @biancavalentim
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
