Hi, I’m Larissa (she/her).
I’m an embodied joy coach. I help you move toward radical self-love, body liberation, and joy, so you can live a delightful, justice-oriented life.
I do this through group coaching, 1-1 support, and embodiment/movement classes.
How do you know I’m the coach for you?
Because you’re ready to reclaim your life from the negative messages that you've received from our oppressive culture.
Because you're ready to be more of yourself.
Because you want moving your body to feel good, so you can do the things you love.
Because you want to feel, in your bones, that all bodies (including yours) are worthy of love.
Because you want to live a life of joy and justice.
The mindset and movement practices I teach can be a pathway to liberation.
These practices help us unlearn all of the negative, oppressive messages you’ve heard your whole life. My clients are women, non-binary folks and other folks oppressed by the patriarchy who want to feel stronger and more connected, inside and out. We find the way to this connection together--because humans need each other to thrive. When we work together, I draw on a variety of tools, from movement, to FutureWriting, to conversation. Together, let's take back your body, mind, and soul, and learn how to embody joy and justice in your life.
Here’s some other stuff that might matter to you:
I’m a Black, biracial, queer former high school English teacher, and a mom to twins.
My pronouns are she/her.
I’ve spent most of my life trying to find a place where I fit in, and finally, in my 40s, I’ve carved out my own space.
I grew up in DC, spent nearly eight years in the San Francisco Bay Area, and now I live in Durham, NC, on the traditional lands of the Lumbee, Cheraw, Occaneechi, Shakori, and the Tuscarora People.
Things I’ve done with my body: as a child, I was a competitive swimmer; as an adult, I’ve been a runner, a yogi, a dancer, a weightlifter, and often all of those at once.
As someone with chronic illness (Crohn’s disease), I understand how complex it is to just live in a body. But my body is a home for joy, and justice. And so is yours.
Five things I love:
Plants. Indoor plants, outdoor plants, making lists of plants, reading gardening books, and distributing plants all over my Animal Crossing island.
Heartstopper.
Sunshine and water. I will take pretty much any combination of those. My favorite is the beach, but seriously, y’all, I am the kind of plant that will thrive anywhere as long as she has water and plenty of sun.
Books: I am a reader who can hole up at home all day just to finish a good book.
Having a body. In a world where just having a Black body is a risk, I am grateful to have a body that is mostly capable of everything I ask of it. I want you to find that, too.
When we work together, your whole self is welcome.
You only need to show up. Whether we’re talking about movement or mindset, I see you as a multifaceted human being--we’re just as likely to chat about books or social justice as about your glutes, and that’s part of what makes our work so special. I believe that life is meant to feel good, that we’re all worthy of being seen, heard, and loved.
Gratitude List: I am indebted to the work and guidance of many teachers, among them:
Lauren Ohayon: Lauren is an internationally recognized Yoga and Pilates teacher specializing in core and pelvic floor issues. Her Restore Your Core Teacher Training gave me the tools to better assess and work with a variety of bodies. I learned to deeply love my own body and how to better support others' process of coming home to their bodies.
Katy Bowman: Katy’s Nutritious Movement philosophy introduced me to the idea of movement as a diet full of varied flavors and textures. Studying with Katy offered me a deeper connection with my physical self and an understanding of how to integrate more and better movement into my life.
Abby Tucker: Abby has built a beautiful community around yoga. Practicing with Abby for many years taught me to find joy in movement and ultimately set me on the path to a career in movement education.
Tigress Osborn gets a special shout-out for awakening me to the body positivity movement, long before I started teaching people how to move.
Deb Malkin is a phenomenal, body-positive, bodymind wellnesscoach. She helped me get so much clearer on being with feelings, and being fully embodied.
I am also deeply grateful for every body I encounter in class. There are too many authors to list here in terms of influence on my thinking about bodies and minds and the world, but among current influences are Dianne Bondy, Amber Karnes, Eric Franklin, Michelle Cassandra Johnson, adrienne maree brown, Sonya Renee Taylor, and Resmaa Menakem. I am grateful to the many coaches and friends who have helped me build this business from nothing into a purposeful endeavor—Kelly Diels and Makenna Held, and my WE-C and Shmillie crews.
Finally, I am so so grateful for the beautiful images scattered throughout this site thanks mostly to Maria Brubeck and Allie Mullin. Some stock photos are from createherstock.com, some images are from bodyliberationphotos.com (including art by Kat Max), and that stellar illustration of me on the home page is by Maureen Bales. Please check out and support these artists!
I am committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in my life and in my business. I am committed to always doing better.
Let’s connect
So you’ve read all the way to the bottom of the page; now what? Let’s talk about how I can help you meet your goals.