How This Inclusive Community Is
Helping Women Attain Mindfulness
(Psst...You’re Invited)
We’ve been talking about mindfulness for some time now. Since the 1970’s, more specifically, when Buddhist and other spiritual traditions were synthesized into a modern cultural movement we now call mindfulness. Contrary to our other forms of education, advancing in mindfulness isn’t quite linear. It’s not dependent on a number of years or books. It’s a moment-to-moment and lifelong practice that presents ongoing challenges as life throws its inevitable wrenches into our plans. It’s a practice that doesn’t just need devotion, but a world of support too.
It’s not unrealistic to think that most of our mindfulness journeys have unfolded in the solitude of books and meditations. Many of us have yet to realize what a community can do for our mindfulness goals. But the new AthletaWell community by Athleta is proving that everything is better together.
Dr. Valerie Cacho, MD
Click here to begin your free AthletaWell membership, and start connecting today!
Dr. Valerie Cacho, MD, an AthletaWell Sleep Guide with a world of wisdom, education, and experience on the topic. Her expertise on women and sleep was like a nightlight in corners I didn’t know existed. And I know that her advice will transform your take on sleep, as it did mine.
Join The AthletaWell
Community
AthletaWell is a goldmine of knowledge and connection—but even better, free membership makes it accessible to every woman. Everyone has questions about mindfulness and stress, and the AthletaWell Guides have answers. Nobody wants to feel like they’re alone in navigating a more mindful way of life, and the many members of this community are ready to support each other. As Dani put it, “Having a community is what keeps us all going. It’s what keeps us motivated and connected, not just to each other, but ourselves.”
Positivity
Dani’s 3 Tips For
More Mindfulness
Recognize that for as hard as we work, we need just as much self care
Sometimes we think about mindfulness as an accessory to our wellness. Dani sees it as a key ingredient for women to truly thrive. “There are so many more opportunities for women in the modern world. But the way that women were offered the space to take care of themselves has not evolved in the same way.”
Schedule regular me-time in your calendar
“Every single day I started scheduling a block in my calendar that is just me-time. Whether that is 10 minutes or an hour. I don't specify what I'm going to do at that time. In the practice of mindfulness, I step into that time and I’m like, in this moment, in this body, in this breath, what do I need right now?”
Don’t forget to ask for help
“It’s hard to ask for help when you want to feel strong, And it’s hard to be vulnerable when you want people to perceive you as having everything together. But this idea of community is this reminder that we’re powerful beings on our own, but have the capacity to change the world when we do it together.”
As humans, we learn best through other people’s stories. That’s why this platform is led and monitored by AthletaWell Guides, women who have turned their own personal experiences into expertise that the entire community benefits from. For example, meet Dani Parker. Dani is a Mindful Movement AthletaWell Guide who teaches mindful movement classes on AthletaWell and facilitates the kind of conversations that need to be had about mindfulness, like the importance of rest. And what’s her story?
Dani spent her life working toward a professional dance career, but eventually realized it was full of unhealthy pressures that left her feeling disconnected from her body. Leaving her dance career and the ups and downs of a spinal injury brought her to the doorstep of a beautiful yoga and mindfulness practice. Through these lessons, she was able to create her own form of mindful movement, Come Alive, and step into leadership as an AthletaWell Mindful Movement Guide.
Mindfulness was never a journey intended to be walked alone. When it comes to staying present throughout each moment of the day, we need all the help we can get. Here's how the one-of-a-kind AthletaWell community is helping women attain mindfulness.
As humans, we learn best through other people’s stories. That’s why this platform is led and monitored by AthletaWell Guides, women who have turned their own personal experiences into expertise that the entire community benefits from. For example, meet Dani Parker. Dani is a Mindful Movement AthletaWell Guide who teaches mindful movement classes on AthletaWell and facilitates the kind of conversations that need to be had about mindfulness, like the importance of rest. And what’s her story?
Dani spent her life working toward a professional dance career, but eventually realized it was full of unhealthy pressures that left her feeling disconnected from her body. Leaving her dance career and the ups and downs of a spinal injury brought her to the doorstep of a beautiful yoga and mindfulness practice. Through these lessons, she was able to create her own form of mindful movement, Come Alive, and step into leadership as an AthletaWell Mindful Movement Guide.
The first step toward mindfulness is finding a resource that can lead the way, and on AthletaWell, that resource is an inspiring Guide like Dani. The next step is learning as much as we can, and Dani has depths of knowledge to support that process.
“To me, mindfulness really distilled down is present awareness… being present and aware of this moment, this body, and this breath, with everything that comes with it, without judgement and attachment… For me, it’s a constant practice because this human experience is constantly giving us opportunities that challenge our presence.”
Dani’s spinal injury is a perfect example of that. But she has alchemized that hardship into wisdom that is readily available for the AthletaWell community looking to expand their mindfulness: “If we’re living in the past, constantly trying to repeat something that feels comfortable, or if we’re thinking out into the future—we’re very limited in our options of how to feel alive. When we’re able to show up present and aware in this moment, in this body and breath, there are infinite possibilities of how we can show up and what is possible.”
Just to have a place to go for inspiration from an AthletaWell Guide, or connect over why it’s so hard to sit and meditate for five minutes (but seriously, why.)… Community makes all the difference. “Women innately know how to be vulnerable,” Dani said. “And when we can use that power to unite and create connections and build each other up… I think that the potential to heal the world is limitless.”
What Is AthletaWell?
AthletaWell is an expert-led community dedicated to women’s well-being. With live virtual events and classes, articles, videos, podcasts, obé Fitness classes, and more, this collective of women provides a much-needed space to share experiences and receive advice on mindfulness, with a wide scope of other topics like mental health, sleep, recovery, and beyond.
We go farther when the
journey is shared
A community that inspires
women’s mindfulness
We learn best through
other people’s stories
The more you know,
the more you grow
A community that inspires women’s mindfulness
We learn best through other people’s stories
The more you know, the more you grow
We go farther when the journey is shared
Dani Parker is a Movement and Mindfulness coach and founder of Alive With Dani located in Encinitas, CA. Her favorite ways to move are her signature mindful fitness class, Come Alive (or any kind of cathartic mindful fitness), yoga, dancing, and surfing.
Dani Parker
AthletaWell Mindful Movement Guide
Don’t forget to ask for help
“It’s hard to ask for help when you want to feel strong, And it’s hard to be vulnerable when you want people to perceive you as having everything together. But this idea of community is this reminder that we’re powerful beings on our own, but have the capacity to change the world when we do it together.”
