With the increase in Black Woman Owned Businesses for us has meant increased attention to Black Woman’s Health. According to Boston University Slone Epidemiology Center, Black women have higher rates of many illnesses, such as hypertension, breast cancer at young ages, diabetes, stroke, and lupus. Furthermore a 2021 Essence Magazine article reported that Black women have unique, continuous stressors that increase their risk for a host of chronic health issues, including high rates of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, lupus, preterm birth and maternal morbidity. They are also often a population guilty of prioritizing the needs of the others head of theirs which may present in the body via symptoms such as irritability, fatigue, headaches, difficulty sleeping etc. With our CEO practicing yoga regularly and July being a month where minority mental health is highlighted, we decided to interview a Black Woman Yoga & Meditation Practitioner Dianne Pamphile. Dianne is a mindful, balanced, energy sensitive Yogi currently residing in Queens and providing mobile and virtual yoga services to Black Women and kids among other things. Her business was born through her own self exploration during her last year of undergraduate school at Fashion Institute of Technology when she felt lost and confused about her post college career. Read on to learn more about Dianne and the creation of Yoga With Dianne.
1. What inspired you to start your business? I randomly discovered a hot yoga studio up the block from FIT, decided to try it one day after class and I fell in love. I challenged myself for 30 days. While doing this I also signed up for NY cares because I wanted to volunteer. While doing them both I came across a project site to sign up for Kids yoga. Omg, I was shocked to even discover that this was a thing. I signed up for them all. I fell in love all over again. At that point as I approached graduation I started to pray about my purpose. My degree from FIT is in marketing and advertising and I didn’t just want to work for a marketing or advertising firm. I wanted to be a vessel to my surrounding community. So I looked into getting certified and my journey began. I am certified in babies, kids, prenatal, adults, and chair yoga.
2. What got you interested in yoga & meditation? My interest in yoga and meditation came from trying to seek balance in my own life. Learning how to navigate and work through my anxiety and just life’s ups, downs, and curve balls. I realized through meditation I was more capable of pacing my emotions and being a lot more patient with my feelings and what those feelings brought up.
3. What is a mantra/quote you live by? Control the Controllables. What’s in the past is gone. What lies ahead is unknown. My power is in the NOW.
4. What is your favorite part of practicing yoga? My favorite part of practicing yoga is the cool down meditation. Because in that moment of relaxation the whole practice comes into full circle from my mind, body, and spirit with a final completion. A thought of… “I did it. Wow, I feel amazing.” In that moment you realize you defeated everything that may have tried to stop or interfere with the practice in that final resting pose.
5. Where do you see your business 3 years from now? I see my business traveling all over the world holding retreats. I see my business in schools grounding and centering students, parents, and faculty. I see my business becoming an online platform for people to connect via yoga, meditation, and sacred healing groups. I see my business helping athletes and overall helping my community.
6. If you could share space and conversation with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be and why? If I could share space with someone it would be my dad. Why? Because he is a major part of why I care so much to learn and help people that may struggle with mental and physical health. Before he passed away my dad suffered severe depression and in his last days he was able to release that to me. Those conversations and last moments with him engraved and reinforced in my heart why I do this work. He is my driving force.
