We recently connected with Alana Valentine and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alana, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I finally found my true purpose 8 years ago. At the time I was 47, just divorced and found my health declining due to stress and trying to be so “strong”. I was ignoring as I call them, the “slow drips” occurring in my body….dizziness, headaches, rashes, anxiety, digestive issues. I went to the doctor, they just looked at the symptoms, not me as a whole person. So I started doing my own research and decided to try a naturopathic doctor. She told me I had developed Crohn’s Disease which is an autoimmune. My mother passed away at the age of 59 of an autoimmune. While Crohn’s isn’t life threatening, I still saw the pattern. My mother too was a “Strong Black Woman”. Reflecting when she went through her divorce from my Dad and how she coped. I knew I wanted to change narrative and change me. So my journey began and that journey brought me to yoga.
Yoga and meditation changed my life. My practice began at home following online videos because I was too embarrassed to go inside a studio. Then about a year into my practice, a friend who had purchased a 200 hour yoga certification said she realized the certification was not for her…a voice inside her said it was for Alana.. Me?? A yoga instructor? A sat on that, meditated about it…and said YES. I’m so grateful for that beautiful friend. It changed my life.
That’s when my true purpose began. I delve even deeper into myself, my practice and my certification. Met with my yoga mentor in Austin regularly and was certified 6 years. That’s the beginning of my company Your Nourished Soul..
My purpose is to help all beings but especially woman find a “Notion of Wellness” through yoga/stretch, art, dance and fitness. We want to offer a safe space for vulnerability, to be able to sit in silence, to feel sexy and have fun! We don’t always have to be strong.
I’m now 55 years old,healthy haven’t had a Crohn’s flare in years and am grateful to walk in this purpose daily of helping others.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a yogi, an artist, a mother of 3 awesome grown children. I’m a sister, a daughter and a friend.
I love nature so I spend a great amount of time outside running/walking, doing yoga or grounding/earthing. I do have another company that is the non profit component to Your Nourished Soul called Blackgirlsground. Black women have the highest rate of heart disease and autoimmune deficiencies and grounding can help in these areas. We will use this platform to reach young Black girls and women and educate about the benefits of grounding and yoga for their health.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
#1 Being Teachable – Being a student is a continuous gift. Let go of ego and listen. I search for spaces where I’m not the smartest one in the room. It helps me be a better person and instructor.
#2 Being Accountable – To know thyself is REAL. Let go of the illusion and be accountable for who you truly are. Acknowledge your weaknesses and strengths…your lightness and darkness..and grow. This truth helps in connection with others.
#3 Being Communicative – Learning effective communication is a gift. It includes speaking but it also includes listening and understanding. I work with the public all day and sometimes my clients just need a moment to chat. So I strive for those moments to be effective. It builds trust.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
All of my clients. I teach primarily one on one yoga/stretch therapy. My clients are Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers NCAA/NFL Referees, Ministers, Entrepreneurs.
They come to me to reset, rest and restore through yoga/stretch but I’m so encouraged by all of them: their confidence, achievements and purpose. They speak about how they stay focused and their resiliency. We have built a community and I appreciate them so much for encouraging me in my by business, sending me referrals and offering suggestions. I’m teachable.
Contact Info:
- Website: yournourishedsoul.com
- Instagram: @yournourishedsoul
- Facebook: yournourishedsoul
