Soul Wellness and Downward Om provides a safe communal space where individuals may come to promote their emotional and physical wellness. This can be facilitated by guided yoga, mindfulness meditation, individual therapy, Reiki, and intentional and purposeful journaling.
We are a safe, sacred space that provides yoga classes and related modalities, and therapy services under one roof. Our mission is to heal the community and guide the community by showing how yoga and therapy is an element of healthy living and self-care as racial injustice and trauma is linked to fitness and health.
Chrystal Mincey
RYT–500, Reiki Master, Thai Yoga Bodywork Practitioner, Sound Healer, OLB Breathologist,
Qi Gong 200-hour Practitioner
After practicing yoga off and on for about seven to eight years, Chrystal took her practice up a notch by enrolling in a 40-hour yoga teacher training with Guru Dana Smith at Spiritual Essence Yoga in Upper Marlboro, MD in 2018. Later that year she realized she was totally committed and completed the 200-hour certification in 2019 followed by the 300-hour certification in 2020. Chrystal loves providing her healing services to all in need. A technical writer by profession, Chrystal holds a BS in Mass Communication and an MA in English, Technical and Professional Communication.
Tracy Roberson-Woolard
Instructor, Co-Founder
Tracy Roberson-Woolard is the recipient of the 2015 Firefly Ridge Literary Magazine Women’s Writing Award. She is currently finishing her memoir about raising a child with a mental health disorder titled, Be Committed. Tracy became a mental health advocate after her son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His diagnosis led her to seek alternative treatments for him and ways to cope for herself such as yoga, meditation and journaling. A Business Systems Analyst by profession, Tracy holds a BA in Criminal Justice and an MA in English, Creative Nonfiction Writing. She is currently pursuing her 200-hour yoga certification.
Kandis Gibson
Guest Instructor
Kandis Gibson is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and endurance athlete. Originally from New York, Kandis is currently based in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Kandis is a five-time Ironman Finisher, an avid cyclist, a salsera, an aspiring drummer and a lover of all things fitness. She loves seeing clients achieve their goals and embrace new lifestyles. She believes that an active life is the basis for a healthy life.
Christy J. Fenner
Guest Instructor,
RYT 200, Certified Breathing Coach
Christy Fenner’s yoga journey began over ten years ago as a means tocomplement her passion for endurance sports. Christy is a Registered Yoga Teacher and member of the Yoga AllianceTM Black Yoga Teacher’s Alliance, a Jiivana (L.I.F.E.) Yoga® Teacher, Certified Gospel Yoga Flow® instructor, Certified Breath Coach®, and a Certified Usui Reiki Practitioner. She holds group and private yoga instruction and across various studios in Maryland. Christy is a wife, mother of four, ultra-marathoner, ultra-distance cyclist, and avid triathlete. You can expect her classes to be an energetic spiritual experience with an emphasis on self-love and acceptance.
Ana
Teixeira-Jester
Instructor
Ana is from Brazil and has been living in the United States since 2019. She had her first experience with yoga as a child but lost her connection with that, connecting with yoga again at the beginning of Covid-19. Over the last two years, she has learned how to reconnect with nature through her husband that brought her the culture of hiking, being outside, camping, looking at the stars, and living the simple life! Breathing nature is now definitely one of the most important things in her life.
After changing her way of seeing the world because of the new things she has learned since moving to the United States, she decided to start a new cycle of her life learning - yoga and becoming an official instructor through her master Michelle Young at My Vinyasa Practice. She wanted to become a yoga teacher to help people find their yoga path and happiness.
Ana is a military wife and is currently studying Anthropology. She is also a translator for BYU Devotionals and a Childcare Consultant for Cultural Care Au Pair. Ana loves to write songs and play the piano and guitar! She believes that everyone is a divine Spirit having a human experience, and because of this, she seeks to find light and help others find the same!
Rayna Howard
Instructor
Rayna Bell is a passionate artist, educator and mover. She started dancing at a young age of 6 attending Hollywood Dance Studio learning tap, ballet and hip hop. Due to financial issues after her second year she had to stop training at the studio. Yet she continued to learn on her own; as a self taught hip-hop dancer she sought out knowledge of movement everywhere she went. In high school she joined the dance team and for 3 years studied Jazz and Kick. Later, in 2014 she joined a collective called Energy Dance Collective (EDC), performing throughout the twin cities. Learning from her peers and mentors like Tomiko French and Amanda Leveak she began to explore various forms of movement such as modern and yoga. In 2016 she set out to get her yoga teaching certification through Core Power Yoga. Yoga became an important part of her healing journey and her movement journey. She began to shift how she taught dance and focused on the holistic part of movement that inspires healing within the body. Currently she is attending Metropolitan State University to obtain her BA with a focus in Holistic wellness and Movement Therapy. Her goal is to use the knowledge she gains about food medicine, Therapeutic movement and Ancient African spirituality to continue to create accessible spaces for her community to find whole body wellness through healing and connecting in mind, body and spirit.
Chanel
Barnes-Osula
Instructor | RYT-200 Hour, Certified Meditation Teacher
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Chanel is now a longtime resident of Maryland where she began exploring the endless possibilities that yoga has to offer. Following an injury, in 2018 Chanel felt inspired to deepen her practice by enrolling in 40-hour yoga teacher’s training at Spiritual Essence Yoga. Shortly after, she continued her journey by completing 200-hour, 300-hour, and meditation teacher’s trainings. Chanel is passionate about offering space where others can share experiences, connect with self, and be themselves. Her classes encourage and support self-kindness, compassionate observation, and adjusting as often as needed.
Chanel’s teaching incorporates elements of both gentle flow and energetic practice—inviting her students to move, breathe, and be in alignment with their unique energy and the beauty of who they already are. Chanel enjoys strength training, creative writing, and yummy food. She is a public health professional who holds an MHS in Mental Health, an MA in Psychology, and a BS in Biology.
Cherie Biggs
Instructor
My yoga journey began when I started going to yoga with my 93 year old mother in New York, going on 8 years ago. That's how long I've been in love with yoga, from the first day. I then decided to get better educated, which lead me to enroll in 200-hr training at Spiritual Essence Yoga for intensive training and received my certification to be an instructor. I say with all sincerity that God and yoga saved my life, and molded me into the person I am today.