SYRACUSE, N.Y. – At a time when most young girls are entering puberty and learning to drive, Lisa Newcomb was learning how to manage a debilitating autoimmune disorder that left her infertile.
While she didn’t know it at the time, her diagnosis would go on to shape her life’s work.
“My own personal journey… led me to yoga, led me to learn how to heal my body,” said Newcomb.
As a certified yoga instructor and founder of Thrive in Healing and the Syracuse Yoga Collective, Newcomb has created spaces for BIPOC women in Upstate New York to reclaim their peace through practices that are often perceived as whitewashed.
“Because we’re not visible in these spaces,” said Newcomb, “you don’t see diversity; they’re not inclusive spaces.”
With a focus on holistic wellness – an all-encompassing term that describes health at the mind, body, and spirit level – Newcomb hopes to teach women of color how to cope with the stresses of everyday life.
Healing isn’t an individual exercise. Rather, it’s a function of community. Renowned feminist author bell hooks said it best in All About Love: “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.”
Newcomb’s grandmother passed down yoga and breathwork practices. They are acts of service that Newcomb now hopes to pass on to other women.
“A lot of these wellness practices come from people of color, and these spaces are important because people should be able to see themselves in the room,” said Newcomb.
Through Newcomb’s adversity came a life’s calling and a passion to make wellness accessible to everyone.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Rhea Parks, Yoga Instructor: “I am connected to myself, I feel comfortable in my body and my body is safe”
Maggie Robinson, Reporter: Rhea Parks knows the power of these words.
Parks: “I’ve come across a lot of women of color that look like me that are just extremely uncomfortable in our bodies unknowingly.”
Robinson: A licensed therapist by day and somatic healing instructor by night, Parks helps women relax and unwind.
Robinson: While yoga is supposed to be a place of acceptance, studies have shown that women of color in the US often feel excluded from the practice.
Arielle, attendee: “Normally, like pilates or yoga sessions consist of mostly white women, so I think this was a very inclusive space.”
Robinson: Arielle isn’t alone in that sentiment.
Lisa Newcomb: “A lot of these wellness practices come from people of color, and these spaces are important because people should be able to see themselves in the room.”
Robinson: Lisa Newcomb is a yoga instructor and founder of Thrive in Healing. Her mission is to make wellness more accessible.
Newcomb: “It’s just between us, our mat, and our practice. So as long as nothing hurts, you’re doing it right, ok?”
Robinson: And for Newcombe, feeling good is personal. After struggling with autoimmune disorders, she found strength in holistic wellness.
Newcomb: “We can talk through a lot of different things, but often tapping into our bodies is what’s gonna help us to heal as well.”
Robinson: And now she’s healing the women of Syracuse one deep breath at a time. Maggie Robinson, NCC News