Rising Strong Wellness LLC

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Grand Rapids, MI
Rising Strong Wellness LLC

Embodiment and Somatic Healing Coach. Body image whisperer. Diet Culture REBEL. Energy dealer. Feeling feeler. Story holder.

11/01/2025

Trauma-Informed Yoga: Moving Slow, Moving Together

There’s no share circle. No need to retell your story.
This space isn’t about the words — it’s about listening to the body, with curiosity and compassion.
In this class, we move slowly and gently.

This is the work — giving your body the opportunity, again and again, to choose how it wants to experience movement, breath, and rest.
Slow is hard.
It took me years to learn how to feel more comfortable in my own body — because slowing down meant I had to acknowledge some hard things. But the more we practice, the more we build capacity to stay with ourselves, moment by moment.

From a polyvagal perspective, this practice supports what’s called our social engagement system — the part of our nervous system that helps us feel safe and connected. When we move in community, breathe together, and share space without pressure or performance, it sends a signal to the body: You are not alone.

This class is pay what you can, no questions asked.
Come as you are.
A place to land.
To ground.
To anchor yourself for the week ahead.

This class is 9-945am EVERY Sunday at Yogi Union
just bring you.

see you in class,
x Jen

10/30/2025

Repost from
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Did you know that living in a state of uncertainty and instability with food — even just *low grade* hunger — puts a person at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder?

Millions of children are about to lose access to reliable food. That kind of mental, emotional, and physical scarcity… it fundamentally changes how you relate to food and your body.

If you’ve ever experienced a disordered relationship with food, or felt the lasting effects of dieting on how you feel about / around food, you know this too.

Recovery isn’t possible without access.
“Food freedom” isn’t a thing when you don’t know when you’ll feel full next.
SNAP benefits being halted or reduced means millions will be forced back into survival mode — where food decisions aren’t about “listening to your body,” but about making it to the next meal.

Food insecurity doesn’t just affect physical health. It deepens shame, scarcity, and disconnection — the very things so many of us are trying to heal from.

This is why access is a body image issue.
A disordered eating issue.
A justice issue.

Feedingamerica.org has a tool for finding food banks in your community, as well as a place to donate. If you have suggestions or resources to share, please drop them in the comments ❤️

Sending compassion and support to you. Always.

10/29/2025

Repost from
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Federal food assistance known as SNAP benefits will run out on Saturday due to the government shutdown.

It will impact more than 40 million Americans, many of them working mothers.

Here are some of the stories they are sharing.

10/24/2025

Repost from
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Beauty standards are killing your creativity.
We are So afraid to explore different angles, styles of movement, and poses bc we might *gasp* have a tummy roll, a double chin, a big arm, or more texture.
God forbid we explore the entire range of what people are capable of looking like.

The audacity of us to hate on AI for repetitious bu****it when our posing has become the same:

Small waist
Perky t**s
Round ass
Sharp jaw

Copy
Paste
Repeat

I did the same until I realized it went against what I was trying to do with my work.

In a world that demands perfection it’s hard not to lean into what we see over and over as “good”, but Christ on a cracker is it ever boring.

We focus more on making parts of people align with beauty standards than using our gifts to celebrate and explore the wholeness of our clients.

People aren’t a series of flaws to be contorted, hidden or shaped to appeal to the masses.

Here’s a few Q’s I asked myself to start creating art & celebrating the person in front of my camera:

Is this a “good” pose or have I only seen it like this so I think it’s what it’s supposed to look like?

Have I been taught a pose is “flattering”? And if so, what does flattering mean?

(I hate that word.)

How can a pose be “bad” if it’s intentional? Or is it just “bad” BC it doesn’t line up with beauty standards?

And my fave:

How would my posing be different if I took away everything I know about bodies?

If you feel like creativity has been lacking, I want to encourage you to try shooting beyond beauty standards in your next session. If you don’t like the outcome get honest and curious about why that is!

When we start to care less about conformity, we make room for more creation which cracks open more possibility for more creativity & curiosity for bodies AND art.

10/22/2025

What helps me come back to myself…
(aka a few somatic practices I return to again and again 🧡)
In my last post, I shared how the body holds onto experiences that words can’t always reach — and how practices like breath, sound, movement, and touch can help us reconnect and release what’s stored.

Today, I wanted to share a few of the personal tools I use in my own life to support regulation, connection, and healing:
🌿 Walking in nature – No phone, no destination. Just noticing the colors, textures, and sounds around me. Letting my nervous system settle through movement and presence.
💃 Freeform dance – I put on a song that matches my mood and let my body move however it wants — especially when I feel stuck, anxious, or disconnected.
🧘‍♀️ Slow breath + self-touch – One hand on my chest, one on my belly. I breathe deeply and remind myself, “I’m here. I’m safe. I’m okay.” This one grounds me fast.
🎨 Art journaling – Not for the outcome, but for expression. I scribble, paint, or collage whatever I’m feeling — no pressure, just process.
🔊 Humming or toning – Especially when I feel tension in my throat or chest. The sound helps move stuck energy and reminds me that I have a voice.
These practices are small, but powerful. They help me return to my body with kindness, not force.

👉 Curious to explore what somatic healing could look like for you?
I’m currently welcoming new clients who are ready to connect more deeply with their bodies, release what’s stuck, and heal gently from the inside out.
DM me or follow the link in my bio to learn more or book a session.

10/20/2025

Some things can’t be talked through — they have to be felt.
When you go through something hard or overwhelming, your body remembers — even if your mind tries to move on.
That memory can show up as tension, tightness, shallow breathing, or feeling numb or stuck.
Talking can help you understand what happened.
But it doesn’t always help your body let go of what it’s still holding.
That’s where body-based healing comes in.

Here are 5 simple ways to start reconnecting with yourself and gently release what words can’t reach:
🌬️ Breath – Your breath is powerful. Shallow breathing often means stress. Slow, deep breaths tell your body it’s safe.
🔊 Sound – Humming, sighing, even gently singing helps move stuck energy through your body. Sound creates vibration — and vibration helps things shift.
🤲 Touch – Placing your hand on your heart, rubbing your arms, or grounding your feet can help you feel more present and safe in your body.
💃 Movement – Gentle stretching, dance, yoga, even a walk in nature — all help your body process emotions and stress it didn’t get to release at the time.
🌿 Feeling from the Inside – Slowing down and noticing how your body feels inside (warm, tight, fluttery, heavy…) helps you reconnect. This can be supported by art, nature, rest, or quiet time.
✨ You don’t need to force anything. Just start where you are.
Try one small thing today: take 5 deep breaths, hum your favorite song, step outside and move your body.
Your body knows the way back to balance — you just have to listen.

💛 I’m currently accepting new clients who are ready to explore healing through the body. If you feel called to this kind of work, I’d love to support you on your journey.
Reach out to book a session or ask any questions.

10/19/2025

Repost from
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Disembodiment is the most effective form of control ever sold to women. It looks like self-improvement. It feels like survival. But it’s strategic erasure.

Women learn from a young age that their body is something to be looked at, not lived in. Something to be managed, shaped, filtered and perfect for external consumption. We internalize the male gaze so completely that we become our own observers, our own controllers.
But here’s what the system didn’t count on: your body keeps trying to speak anyway.

Your nervous system lives in your chest, your belly, your breath—not your thoughts. It speaks in sensation: tension, softness, expansion, contraction. Somatic psychology research shows this intelligence is older and more reliable than thought.

A disembodied woman can’t hear it. She becomes a reactor instead of a creator—always solving problems that aren’t hers, because she can’t hear her body’s no.
But a woman who comes home to her body stops being manageable. She can feel what’s being done to her. She can say no. She can demand better. She becomes ungovernable.

The revolution doesn’t start in your mind. It starts in your chest, your belly, your hands. It starts with one woman who stops leaving. Who listens when her body says no.

Swipe to read more.

10/17/2025

Trauma means wound.
Originally a term for physical injury, trauma now describes the invisible wounds we carry—ones that don’t always leave a bruise but shape how we move through the world.
➡️ Some wounds come from what happened to us
➡️ Others from what didn’t happen but should have
As Dr. Gabor Maté says, trauma isn’t just about the bad things that happened—
It’s also about the good things that didn’t.

Trauma often looks like:
Too much, too soon
Too much, for too long
Not enough, for too long
When we lose our agency (aka power of choice)
When stress outweighs support
When we don’t have space, time, or permission to heal
But healing is possible.
And it doesn’t have to start in your mind.
It can begin in your body.

🌿 Somatic healing can help you:
Restore your body as a place of safety
Process nonverbal and preverbal memory
Complete stress responses that were never finished
Reconnect to yourself and the world around you
✨ Your body remembers—
but it also knows how to heal.
—
🌀 Want to work together?
I support clients in safely reconnecting to their body, their boundaries, and their sense of agency.
📩 DM me “HEAL” or tap the link in bio to book a free 15-minute consult.
You're not broken. You're healing.

10/16/2025

I remember when I first started teaching yoga.
I’d notice certain bodies quietly slipping to the back of the room—trying not to be seen, trying not to stand out.
And it sparked something in me.
Why?
Why are some bodies still made to feel like they don’t belong in fitness or wellness spaces?
Why are strength and self-care only celebrated when they come in certain shapes or sizes?
This is exactly why I do what I do.
I teach movement for the people who have felt unseen, unwelcome, or intimidated in traditional fitness settings.
I teach for the folks who have never had the so-called “ideal” body, and for those who are done chasing it.
Yes, we move. Yes, we build strength. And sure, your body might even change.
But what really matters to me?
That you build a new relationship with your body—from the inside out.
We move with intention.
With curiosity.
With compassion.
And with heart.
My classes are rooted in yoga, but they’re not just yoga.
I weave in elements from multiple movement modalities to help you explore, challenge, and reconnect with your body in ways that feel empowering—not punishing.
If you’ve ever felt like movement spaces weren’t made for you—
Know that this one is.

✨ Ready to move differently? To take up space with zero apology?
Come as you are. Stay as long as you like.
Let’s rewrite the story of what strength looks and feels like—together.

10/14/2025

✨Your body isn’t a problem to fix. It’s a system to understand.✨

In Western culture, we’re conditioned to constantly try to change our bodies—shrink them, sculpt them, force them into a mold we were never meant to fit. But what if your body isn’t failing you… what if it’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to?

💡 Your body fat or weight is not a mistake—it’s a physiologically correct response to your environment, nourishment, and stress.
We forget:
We don’t actually know what our healthiest weight looks like.
We don’t know our body’s potential because we rarely get curious, only critical.
We haven’t been taught how deeply our mind and body are connected.
👉 We metabolize more than food. We metabolize stress, sleep, trauma, joy, connection.
Instead of punishing your body, try regulating it.
Body-friendly energy feels good. It’s gentle. It’s aligned with your needs and desires—not shame or comparison.

Ask yourself:
💧 Are you hydrated?
😴 Are you getting real rest?
🌈 Are you eating bright, colorful, nutrient-rich foods?
🥬 Are you giving your body fiber, protein, spice, and satisfaction?

This is about balance, not control. Curiosity, not criticism.
Because your body was never broken—it’s been responding to a world that often forgets how to nourish.

10/12/2025

Repost from .in.nature
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Rivers curve, branches split, roots twist, and galaxies spiral. Growth flows in waves, circles, and cycles, never in straight lines.

Detours are part of the design. 🌎

🎥 Unknown author, comment for credit!

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Grand Rapids, MI

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https://linktr.ee/Jen.risingstrongwellness

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Meet Jen

I’m Jen. I help other’s connect to the deepest version of themselves and move from survive to thrive. My deepest commitment is to empower, inspire and allow you a brave space for healing. I help other’s deal with the imprints of trauma on the body, mind and soul.

My goal is to guide others to live an empowered and inspired life. I believe that yoga goes far beyond the mat and into your entire life. Yoga can be used as a form of movement and exercise, but also as a way to look inward.

My teaching style brings a balance of strength and softness. Each time we work together my hope is that you’ll find a balance of rest and power. I’m committed to personal growth. I’m passionate about helping others explore where yoga and can take them while reclaiming power and self worth. My special interests include trauma, grief, body image and addiction.