For well-known meditation and yoga instructor Chelsea Jackson-Roberts, PhD, tapping into wellness modalities were initially just a means to remain active. But it was after a traumatic life event during college, that she found practicing was actually a way for her to navigate grief and life in general.
“I had never lost anyone to gun violence, so abruptly and at such a young age. I lost my close friend, who was also my college roommate,” Jackson-Roberts shares. “So I found yoga to be a way to help and support me through that time in my life.”
After graduating from Spelman College and then Columbia University, Jackson-Roberts transitioned into education as an elementary school teacher. It was also during this period in her life that she found a local center to help her unwind after demanding workdays. Leaning more into Ashram practice—a more spiritual based yoga—she decided that integrating similar activities could also be beneficial to her third grade students.
“We didn’t have to call it yoga, it may have been just 5 minutes of quiet time, breathing or stretching. I started to notice how it was impacting them, not only as students, but also how they began showing up for their friends in the community,” she shares. “That was really my beginning and what led me to go for my certification as a yoga teacher, too.”
I love that wellness is normalized now. It’s so beautiful.
Dr. Chelsea Jackson-Roberts
Delving even deeper, the popular Peloton coach went on to obtain her PhD from Emory University, where she studied yoga and its impact on how we lean and process information. In an effort to make the practice more accessible to local communities, Jackson-Roberts founded her Yoga, Literature, Arts Camp for young girls on Spelman’s campus in 2013.
“We went digital during the pandemic, and now we are transitioning back into physical spaces in New York and Atlanta. I love that wellness is normalized now. It’s so beautiful,” she continues. “With this camp, it’s also intergenerational. Not only are we serving these young girls, but the grown women coming in to facilitate and teach are also being inspired by this next generation to take better care of themselves.”
Fast-forward to present day, and the New York-based instructor is crushing it in her role not only as one of Peloton’s leading meditation and meditation coaches, but also as a new mom. She says that living by the saying, “never be unapologetic about seeking the help you need”, has been essential for her to expand her capacity as a mom and leader.
“I can’t do this alone. Postpartum was really hard for me at first because I essentially thought I had to do it all. I had to learn to trust those around me, even my partner. If I didn’t have these opportunities to call on support while on my mat, such as using a yoga block if my body won’t bend like I see on a magazine. If I can’t call on support in my own body, then it’s going to be that much harder to ask for help when I’m out in the world. I have to practice what I’m teaching. The more I lean into trusting others and myself, the more things become easier for me to navigate.”
“If I can’t call on support in my own body, then it’s going to be that much harder to ask for help when I’m out in the world.”
Dr. Chelsea Jackson-Roberts
For those who are hesitant to try meditation or yoga, she says that feeling is very valid. Both require you to take your focus and place it somewhere else deliberately. But, you also allow yourself to bring awareness to your thoughts, actions and breath in an aim to align so that we can be the person we want to be in this world.
“Yoga literally means to unite to yolk; to join,” Jackson-Roberts explains. “I always want people to know, yes, you can have questions; but understand the most discomfort you will have is being silent and listening to what has been lying dormant within you. That’s why people cry sometimes at the end. Everything that we have been trying to suppress becomes amplified. But the beauty is, you have your breath to accompany you.”
For beginners, she advises starting small, even if that means a 5-minute practice. Don’t take yourself so seriously, and make it something that is uplifting that you aren’t so critical of. Even if you’re just closing your eyes to take a deep breath, that’s a form of meditation. At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way. Much like the Dayton, Ohio native, you can also incorporate and honor your own life path and culture within your practices—with things like the types of music you choose.
“I want people who take my classes to know that all are welcomed here, and I do that through music. Whether it’s my Sunday gospel class or trap; I’ve even done metal. My hope is that people open their hearts and minds in a way to experience it like that, too.”
Below, Jackson-Roberts offers 5 simple and beginner-friendly meditation tips for us to try, anywhere and time of day.
- Pause wherever you are.
- Plant yourself. Whether on your feet, on a mat or blanket, or in a chair or bed.
- Close your eyes, if you’re able to do so safely.
- Take in a deep breath. Exhale it out while noticing the sensations.
- Repeat as needed to reconnect or when you need to get anchored.