S4: Ep 58: Wellness Series: Pt.1 – We Have to Take Care of Ourselves

Join Aria for her kickoff conversation with Laura Gavigan, Empress Sean Smith and Melanie Funchess about wellness, balance, priorities and doing good! Stay tuned for our March post with more information on wellness as well as info on our incredible guests! 

Laura is the founder of Mindful Matters and offers mindful education, counseling and coaching for anyone looking to find more balance, focus and peace in their lives. Working as an educator for 20+ years at the University of Rochester, Laura became interested in how life can inherently create stress and anxiety, leading to burnout and chronic health challenges. She has counseled, coached and advised thousands, integrating a framework of mindful wellness, compassion and support. Laura has led introductory and advanced mindful meditation classes and workshops and has been featured as a guest speaker or panelist for a wide variety of organizations. Mindful Matters offers classes, workshops and guided meditation both locally and internationally. Every program emphasizes a mindful approach through insight, practice and reflection to help people thrive, rather than survive.

Empress Sean Smith is Rochester’s foremost female fitness instructor and the owner of Baddass Bodies by Sean, the only black-female-owned gym in the City of Rochester. Baddass Bodies by Sean is an exclusive, members-only gym & personal training facility for women, children, and their families. Sean personally instructs group fitness classes appropriate for all ages & fitness levels five days a week, in-gym at varying times of day and at 6 am live via Zoom twice a week. Sean is available for in-gym personal training for one or more people by appointment. Find the schedule and other information on our website.

Ms. Melanie Funchess has served as an advocate for families and youth for over two decades. She serves as the Director of Mental Health and Wellness for Common Ground Health. A health planning organization serving the nine county Finger Lakes region. She is also the CEO and Principal at Ubuntu Village Works LLC. An organization dedicated to the creation of culturally responsive community-driven healing and wellness spaces. Melanie has worked extensively in the areas of family engagement and empowerment as well as community building. She presents, trains, and consults locally and nationally in the areas of cultural competence, culturally responsive practice, implicit bias, family engagement, community partnership building, racial trauma and healing, and mental health in communities of color. She also has a TEDx Talk Implicit Bias -- how it affects us and how we push through available on YouTube. 

She is a devoted wife and mother of four young adult children (two boys and two girls). Her mission is to use her knowledge of systems and communities to create culturally responsive spaces for healing and opportunities for youth and families to be empowered and successful. To rebuild the village, where every child is our own, we have front porch neighborhoods, and we use language that respects everyone.

Links: 

https://www.mindfulmatters585.com/

https://www.baddassbodiesbysean.com/

https://www.commongroundhealth.org/

Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, balance, care, health, invisible work, mental health, patriarchy, physical health, racism, roles, self care, sustainability