Wellness has turned into quite a buzzword lately. Since the beginning of 2020, every brand from fitness to food are coming up with more ways to help us achieve mind + body wellness.

Here at Therabody, the word means something more. We believe in its power and know that everyone is deserving of it. And a big part of that is recognizing that sometimes, wellness is not one-size-fits-all.

For every person, every background, every orientation; self care is an individual journey. So this Pride Month, a time to highlight all walks of life, we’re handing the mic over to our LGBTQ+ community to find out what wellness looks like to them.

Check out our video.

“Wellness is moving my body."

For me, wellness is movement. It’s where I find a lot of joy and feel a lot of strength. Some days, I’m pushing my body and slaying a workout. Other days, I’m taking a light stretch and spending extra time with my Theragun and Jetboots. Movement in any form is a reminder of my power, and that feeling flows into the way I treat my friends and family everyday.

“Wellness is finding balance."

As a family, we make sure there is equal balance through all aspects of life; from work and gym time to having dance parties with the kids and finding moments to be present. We leave our cell phones aside during family time, and that is when we really find wellness. With that balance, we see that the kids are so excited and energized about life, and so are we.

“Wellness is a lifelong journey."

For us folks who don’t necessarily blend in or fit the mold, staying true to my gender presentation is an act of wellness. Living authentically is a daily challenge that takes a lot of practice, so I look to other gender variant non-binary people. Despite what’s happening in the world, they are still being themselves and it gives me permission to be myself, too.

“Wellness is knowing my self worth."

Before transitioning, I was not living as my true self, which had a negative effect on my wellness. Now, self acceptance is way more important to me than trying to appease others. Whether it’s picnics at the beach with friends in the queer community, rollerblading, or phone calls with my mom, wellness happens when I’m being myself and doing what I love.

“Wellness is a little bit of everything."

As someone who does a lot, wellness is not just one thing to me. It’s both action, and inaction. I love how I feel after a tough workout, but I also make sure to rest, have some ice cream, and take social media breaks. When you’re part of a marginalized group, you fight to find welcoming spaces. So doing fun things with like-minded people is also my form of wellness.

“Wellness is connection."

Growing up, being gay was not super common in my culture. So when I moved to America, I was so lucky to have found a really great group of friends who love to go to concerts just as much as I do. And when I joined Therabody’s LGBTQ+ employee group, I connected with a community of even more like-minded people. And that, to me, is wellness.