Expression Through Dance with Akosua Akoto

(upbeat music) - Hello, hello, and welcome back to the Get Loved Up podcast. I am so happy to have you here. And today we have a special guest. Hello, Akosia. How are you? - Hi. I'm good, I'm good. How are you? - I am so good. And I am still high from the energy that you bought in the Get Loved Up retreat. Wow. - Whoa, I'm glad. - Where did you get out? You've been doing this. I was reading up on you. You've been doing this since you were three years old. - Three. It's everyone thinks it's so crazy, but I don't know anything else. So it's just like, it's just normal to me. And just to give everyone a little background, Akosia did the African dance/fitness at our Get Loved Up retreat and rocked us. I mean, our bodies were feeling it. We felt good, we felt invigorated. Can you tell us a little bit about your background? Because your background and your story is just phenomenal of how you've taken this thing. Like you said, you've just done it naturally since birth, but now you've created a massive community and a career from this passion. - Yeah, so since age three, well, I'm born into a contradiction. So my family is Ashanti from Ghana. So dance is just really life. So I've been on the stage since I was three, but it wouldn't be till I was maybe 12 that I realized it actually was a stage. So my life as a dancer is kind of a combination of ritual dance and performing arts from Ghana, Ivy Coast, Mali, Guinea, and Senegal. And then everybody thought I was gonna go to undergrad and get the degree in dance. And I just looked around me and so many of my friends, their careers were over by the time they were 30s, just the injuries and the lifestyles they were living and this dance industry just kills your body. So instead of going into dance, I went into sports in Madison and I did not intend to create any of this, but certain circumstances I was in undergrad and I was just like, okay, I need a job. And I didn't wanna work at a desk. I didn't wanna do things that made me unhappy because already in school, you need something to balance everything out. So at that time, you know, dance fitness was just starting to boom. So I went into a local gym and they were like, what can you do when off the spot? I just kind of put some things together. And then it just grew into this thing that I started pushing and no one knows this, but I didn't dance for an entire year just because the performance life was so frustrating. But the fitness aspect of it kind of helped me get back into it because it was like, oh, well, yes, you can approach this industry as yourself. So around right after undergrad was when I really started to perform again, started to teach again. It had been so long. And honestly thought everyone forgot that I was a dancer when I was just amazed by the support that came from it. And then, you know, it became less about paying bills and I just saw the impact it had. Like people needed to move, people needed to heal. And I said, okay, well, you know, I guess it's the calling out. I guess I'll keep going and keep building. But yeah, it's just a combination of, you know, dance is my life, but more so movement is my life. So the rehab and the dance is just one-in-one for me. - Well, wow. Thank goodness that you kept with that passion. You decided to share with others. And can you tell a little bit about kind of the struggle? 'Cause I know a lot of people, they're like, oh, I love to dance too and I want to get into it. But it's not that easy. Can you talk a little bit about some of the setbacks that you had when you decided like, all right, I want to take this thing and I want to make something of it? - Yeah, it's really not easy. And I'm almost disappointed at how the industry portrays this career because it's for me, I think it's just too image-based. And I think it really loses what it is that you're really doing. And for me, I came from the generation where it was more about the skill and the technique and how many hours you put into the studio. The performance aspect was something that came last for us. We had to go through a little rite of passage before we were even able to teach. And so the dance industry now, it's completely different and it's really hard. That has been one of my major setbacks is trying to adjust to the image-based promotion aspect of what the dance industry is now. But I think the most important thing to people who are trying to get into it is to figure out how you want to be a part of the industry. Everybody doesn't have to be a performer to be a dancer. Everybody doesn't have to be a dance instructor. Everybody doesn't have to be a choreographer. Understand what a choreographer is. There's just so many different ways to get into it. And I think if you don't really establish what that is, then it's so easy to get lost. It's so easy to get injured. It's so easy to just get pressured by content. You have to push content, push content. And then that becomes so much pressure that you lose the inspiration because life is so fast now. So for me, the setback has really been okay. What do I want to be inside of dance? And it took me a while to realize I don't want to be a dancer. I want to be an entrepreneur. And I want to be a cultural ambassador. And at the end of the day, dance is already in me. Like I said, I was dancing before I knew what it was. It's just, it's how I pray. It's how I communicate back home. So that has been the really the biggest setback for me is understanding what exactly it is. 'Cause this industry makes it seem like if you're not a performer, you're not a dancer. And I think that that comes with so much baggage because as a performer, you have to step into something else. Like you have to step into a different persona. And if that's all you're doing, it's so easy to lose yourself. - I love that. - That has been the biggest setback for me. - I love that because it sounds like you're not just saying you have to find your purpose, but you actually have how to decide how you want to take your purpose and how you want to pursue that as your career. And it's totally up to you. - Exactly. And a lot of times we think that it's not up to us. We think that it's up to how much money comes in during this thing or doing this particular thing. And it becomes like you're just chasing money or you're chasing trends. And you don't realize that, you know, if you create this space for yourself, you know, the wealth will come to you. Like you can demand that what you want comes to you if you create that space. And it's really sad that, you know, the dance, even the fitness, especially the fitness industry is not pushing that. And I think that's where a lot of the mental illnesses in the dance and fitness industry, and of, you know, being a rehab specialist and a teacher in all these arenas and being in the community and the commercial industry part of it. I've seen the good and the bad of it. So I really think, yeah, decide what you want to do, not just what you want to be, but what exactly, what impact do you want to have? I mean, if you want to be a performer, cool. That's absolutely great. But even then, you know, like understand what that means. 'Cause it can be a little tricky, you know, especially the performing part. - Well, we're very passionate about mental health and get loved up. So can you share a little bit about what person is a lot of people listening who are performers, who are dancers, or went from dance to yoga, but still have that passion? Can you share a little bit about the mental health challenges? Maybe you personally went through and how you kind of like overcame that, or people that you know who have been through mental health. - Definitely challenges. I'll start with myself. My personal challenges started with being an African dancer, growing up as a traditional African dancer. Once I got out into the world, because I admit I was sheltered as a dancer, because I grew up, you know, back home, the ballet mentality is just like a village. You know, yeah, we still audition, we still have to do all of that, but it's just like, you're just putting your traditions on stage, right? And then when you come out of that, and you kind of go into the world, especially in the U.S., it's just like as a traditional African dancer, the stereotypes can almost be consuming. So you get these gigs where you're just like, I've gotten gigs where I've just been a background for disease, you know, an event of, you know, trying to, that pictures Africa as poor. And that's been my, you know, I'm just like, I'm this skilled dancer, and I'm just here as the background, or to make people feel, to make it feel more African, you know what I'm saying? So that's what pushed me over the edge, because for so long, you know, I was able to pay the bills, but it was just like, I'm not being acknowledged as a skilled dancer. And even worse, my culture is not being acknowledged as something that's a real human experience. So for me, that was that hit hard, because even now it's just like, how you picture African dance, it's just like, oh, it's just, it's just free up, it's just movement. But then you go into the ballet, or to the modern dance, or even hip hop with that attitude, and you are shunned, shunned. So that was my personal struggle in the beginning, because even being that young, it was just like, well, maybe I'm not a dancer, you know, and, you know, maybe my skill and even my culture isn't that serious, or isn't that important. That was my personal struggle in the beginning. And then going with that attitude into the commercial side of the industry, it was just like piling everything on, because you get there and it's just like, well, my hair is completely natural. You know, I had never straightened, or I'd never, like natural my whole life. So that was something different, you know. And then going into rehearsals was different. Like I was used to going into rehearsals, ready to sweat, not going into rehearsals made up, ready to audition. You know, so it was a, for me, it was a complete culture shock, and that really did something to my spirit as a dancer. And then going into the fitness industry now, that's when I took a break, and then went into the fitness industry, and I was introduced to fitness completely different than everyone I was working with. I came into it through kinesiology, through biomechanics and, you know, motor learning, that's like, I was on my way to med school. And then when I got to my first job as a personal trainer, it was like, I literally had my manager was like, your pants aren't tight enough, you can't wear track pants in the gym, you know. We need you to do more strength training because, you know, your stomach is flat, but we need a little bit more definition. And I'm just like, but, you know, I have, and I'm literally in the gym, looking at these trainers, killing bodies, just like killing joints and just doing the wrong things. And I'm like, but my resume. (laughing) But my resume. My resume. Right, like, I mean, they were hiring gymnasts who had no certification training, but they had the body. They were, I remember being next to a physical therapist, 'cause there was this new fancy gym. Like, I mean, rooftop pool and bar kind of gym. And I remember me and a physical therapist were there and the 40 year old physical therapist didn't get the job, 17 year old gymnast who had never worked out anybody else in her life, got the job, got the posters. And then it's like the competition of, they would literally post our paychecks every week. I'm just like, this is insane. So for me, it was just between the dance and the fitness, the culture shock of it being more about image and less about skill was something that broke me down, but also made me want to work harder with what exactly it is that I do. And so I think if we could, phew, with Instagram now and Facebook and no one knows how to post a picture without a filter and we got to get surgery before we become fitness models. And I'm like, oh, so my clients are coming to me, completely confused and discouraged. So it has, I think that is probably the biggest struggle for dancers from my generation, because we're like, we're used to looking bad and killing the movement, not looking good and going lax on the movement. Like, so not to put anybody on the spot, but that has been my biggest challenge, just it's almost like the world kind of flipped when I went public with what it is that I do. - Yeah. - 'Cause everybody I'm speaking, my peers, that it's been pretty much the same thing. So we're in this, we're trying, trying. - And I think you're not alone. And I think we're trying to speak more about that. And I'm glad you brought it up because I feel like it's bringing more awareness to like, where are we losing the quality? You know, it's just about, you know, appearances, but the quality, and I see that in yoga too. It's just about-- - Oh, I can imagine. - Breathwork, it's not about breathwork and going deeper. It's about handstand and about like how twisted can you get your body and it's not about the lifestyle. It's about how you can say a Sanskrit word and it's like, wait a minute. So-- - Completely lost, and I've seen it with yoga. I'm like, you guys know this was a religion in certain parts of the world, but where is the meditative aspect of what you're doing? It's just for like, are you a contortionist or a yogi? So I definitely, I get it. I definitely get it. - So what message do you wanna send out to the people that are listening to this podcast, who are seeing the same things? Like, how do we stay focused on keeping the quality in and staying focused on our purpose without getting overly discouraged with all of the other that's out there and it's not going deeper? - So be perfect. I don't have an answer, but I can tell you what has helped me. I'm still searching for that answer, but I realized that connecting with like minds is extremely important, 'cause I think part of the discouraging aspect is the fact that you think you're alone in this. And if you have that disposition, you start to question your skills and your student loans. And all the time that you put, I mean, because it's a real thing, it's just like, well, I put all in this hard work, all I have to do is get followers, right? So I think it's really important to connect with like minds and have the conversation with like minds. And I'm always amazed at how much more I learned just in conversations like this with people with like minds. And I think even with the pressure to push content, I think we have to still believe that people really want quality. They just don't know what it is anymore, exactly. And I think that's probably just, I think just to keep going, just keep going. And I think we have to get more creative. I've realized that I'm a bit stubborn. I'm a lot stubborn. So I don't really, I haven't really changed how I push my content. So I realized that, you know, I'm known for not talking. And so this year I've tried to, you know, open my mouth a little bit more about the information that I do have. And then I realized, you know, people really are looking for the quality. So I think the message is just to keep going because people who are not pushing quality are definitely still going. So just keep going. - I love that message because you're right. The people that's not quite, they're gonna go and be consistent. So those who get discouraged is like, what encourages me is that if you don't, then it won't be there. There will be a way. But the more I love that you said, just connect with like-minded people because that's what community is all about. And that's why we created the Get Loved Up community. 'Cause like, you know, this is a safe space for everyone to just be who they are. You don't have to be perfect. You can, we can talk about the flaws. We can talk about the challenges. We can talk about ways we feel guilt and shame and disrespected and neglected. And I feel like that does help, just to know like you said, that you are not alone. We're all feeling the frustration and the disgust. Yeah, we're all feeling it. - It's your time to step into your full power and potential. Are you tired of playing small and ready to make a big difference in the world? If your answer is yes, then the wellness entrepreneur mastermind is for you. This mastermind will give you all the tools you need to turn your passion into purpose and live from a space of abundance as you let go of your limiting beliefs and negative self-talk. We coach you to thrive one week at a time, one goal at a time. We teach you what's working right now and what's not. So you can position yourself as a community leader and create real change in the world. If you're ready to level up and standing your power, then go to coyoweb.com/mastermind to join our next group of wellness entrepreneurs. Space is limited and your time is now. So don't delay, make a difference today. - I wanna get a little bit into your exercise physiology and the biomechanics background and really talk a little bit about how important that is because I know that that is important to you, like the biomechanics and the movements and what's really happening with your body. So how do you incorporate that into your offerings? - I like to tell people to start with their bodies first. Like that has to be, my mother has a saying, she's always saying to me, I didn't realize it until like in my 30s. But she always used to say, you know, where we're from, spirit comes first and circumstances come after. But when we grow up in this place, circumstances come first and spirit comes after. So we always feel like we have to adjust our spirits to our circumstances. It's supposed to, you know, using spirit to deal with the circumstances. And I apply that to my fitness and even to dance. Start with your body. Everybody wants to start with a goal that has nothing to do with themselves. Everybody wants to say, have so many clients come to me, I wanna lose 30 pounds. Why? Why do you want to start? Like, do you know what that looks like? And oh, I wanna look like I did when I was 21. You're never gonna do that again. You're never gonna be 21 again. You know, improve upon where you are now. So for me, it's start with your body first. So I have people who say, you know, I want this. I'm like, okay, well, where are you now? What injuries do you have now? What discomfort do you have now? I can tone you up, but there's no point in me getting you toned if you can't walk in five years. So let's start with healing first, as opposed to changing how your body looks. So for me, I'm really big on joint stability and core stability because it applies to dance in the way where when we get more, especially with African dance, when we get more into the commercial aspect of it, everybody's dancing with their limbs. They're dancing with their arms and their legs. And I know that sounds weird, but you're actually supposed to do it the other way around. You're supposed to dance from your center and then expand the energy out so that your joints are safe, but also so that the energy keeps traveling. You know, if you're just dancing with your arms and your legs, it's just, it's completely tiring. All of your force, all of your life is in your center. It's in your heart, it's in your core, it's in your womb. So for me, dance and fitness is the same. Let's start with core strength and you know, pull that idea outward. So what's the core of your joints? Let's start with the muscles around the joints that hold it in place so that we're not just dropping our weight and just wasting away at the cushion in between the joints. So if we strengthen the joints around it, maybe you won't need surgery because you can hold your body up in place, you know? And everything, you know, the other thing with fitness, it's like we judge it based on how much it hurts. And that's so dangerous because I had one of my mentors tell me a good trainer doesn't make you exhausted, a good trainer makes you better. So, you know, you can get through, anybody can get through a workout, but can you progress to the next workout? You know, if you finish this workout and it's just, it's not for your body, everybody's not supposed to do plyometrics, you know? Everybody's not supposed to do absolute strength. You have to see where your body is first, deal with your injuries first so that all you, the only way you can go from there is up as opposed to starting at a level that might get you toned and then you have to drop back down to rehab and lose all of your progress, right? So this industry has made it seem like if it's not an instant result, it's not going to happen. But if you take your time to that result, it might last. So much of what we do with fitness now is making the body react to certain stimuli as opposed to adapting to it. So with all of these crazy diets, okay, you're gonna drop 20 pounds, okay? I guess that's safe, you're gonna drop 20 pounds. But once you finish the crazy diet, it's gonna come right back 'cause your body's reacting to something. It's not adapting to something which is what it should be doing, right? And I think a lot of that comes from the idea that it does not have to be instant gratification. It doesn't have to be instant satisfaction or instant replica of someone else's body. So for me, it's start with yourself. It didn't take you five days to get to where you are. It's not gonna take you five days to get to where you wanna be, but if you're okay with where you are now, you won't even need to worry about that timeline that you're creating. - I love that. - So start with yourself. - Absolutely, I love that. And I also love that you really broke down what happens in the body because I completely ruptured my ACL and I didn't get surgery. So I love that you call that out because what I did is I just strengthened my hamstring and my quadriceps. - Exactly. - Right in the side. So now I can do all the yoga moves. I can run. - I can do all the things, but I don't have an ACL and a lot of people are like, you will never, like I was told by the doctor, you will never be able to do dynamic sports. You'll never be able to do this. You'll never, and I can do all of those things because our bodies are so miraculous. - Right, exactly. And the other, the people have to realize that it's okay to do your own research on your rehab. You know, you don't automatically, orthopedist are trained to do like snap fixes. They're trained, they're not trained to heal. They're trained to just fix, fix, fix, right? Try to heal first, you know? That's what the body does naturally. Sometimes it does it blindly, you know, when you're healing in certain ways and the fashion lays wrong, the tissues lays wrong. But just like you heal first, work on your alignment, make sure all the length tension relationships around the joint are at the right place. Like, you know, the body is meant to recover. So try and recover first. And a lot of times it's your lifestyle as well. What's your diet look like? Sleep, what are your sleep patterns? Like, that has a lot to do with pain management if you actually rest, you know? So yeah, definitely. I have so many of my clients, and I was known for that when I finally found a gym that I liked. And I'm going in there thinking I'm gonna train athletes and they're sending me all the injured and elderly people. But it's like, so many of them came to me and said, my doctor said, I can't squat. I'm gonna say this now. I think that is the worst advice you can ever get because that is the most fundamental movement of life. How are you gonna use the bathroom? How are you gonna sit on the couch to be lazy? How are you gonna get in the car? How are you gonna get out of the car? Walk up steps, you know what I'm saying? The squat is in everything. So it's also fundamental because it's healing, right? It's no deep impact into the joints, you know? It's isometric contraction. It's the right kind of stability around the joint. So instead of saying I can never squat again, learn to squat right, you know what I'm saying? Learn to push the weight back away from the joints and into the muscles that are gonna carry it. So for me, it's just like, okay, heal. Don't just be quick to fix. Like you can, the body is okay. Obviously, if you need to go to that measure, fine. But try and heal first. Research that. - I love that, heal versus fix. Because it also goes back to what you said earlier about the spirituality and going back to spirit. And that's a philosophy that we definitely embrace with Gila. Going back to spirit and starting with that spiritual connection with yourself and then moving out to circumstance. Because when you make that connection, you, I truly believe would be divinely guided to the path that is right for you. I know me, like when I did my healing for my back, I had a stress factor in my back, completely rupture my ACL. You know, I had to pull a hamstring, you know, being an athlete, it happens. - Yes, you're an athlete. And the other thing is people need to realize athletes are not normal. As an athlete, your body is designed to do things that normally you wouldn't be able to do. But the other thing is at the end of the day, we do have to acknowledge that everybody's not training athletes properly. Like if you look at Lebron James spins millions of dollars on his training, he has never had a major injury. Like some of these other athletes who just hit the weights. Right? So if you're actually training properly as an athlete who just really is always beating on the body, it is possible to go without these crazy injuries. But I think because it's just such an established industry, no one ever questioned what it is. There's one football team, I had to study it in grad school. And the coach was, I forget where it was, but the coach got so much backlash because he mandated that every player had to take yoga. All of them had to do yoga. And then they all had to do Pilates. Like he made them go through the entire fitness, the entire span of fitness as opposed to just hitting weights and just doing drills. So he understood that the body is supposed to train in different modalities. And I think especially as athletes, especially as teachers really have to pay attention to that. Absolutely. Because my degree is in extra science too. So the fascia, the health of the joints, the ligaments, everything that you said, like all of that is so important to the whole health. And not just athletes. I feel like athletes are a good extreme example. Exactly. And how when you get injury, you can heal from it. And then how you see you heal. And then next year back out there, whereas sometimes as a person who's not an athlete, you get healed and it's over for you. And if you look at athletes, they know, like they beat up their bodies all the time. And then next year, they heal. Not always healed though, but I just-- Exactly. Yeah, I just say that to give people hope that it's possible to heal. But as you said, it takes so much time. I don't think people also don't get to see that side of it. Like they don't get to see-- they only see athletes in their best form. Even with singers and pop stars, they only see them when they look the way that they're supposed to look, I don't know. I'm saying like they don't see the training that happens. They don't see the fact that dieting is hard. These people have private chefs. So it's going to be a different journey for everybody. And I think it's really important. I wish that the industry would do more of showing the entire process to people so that they aren't so discouraged when they're like, well, this singer popped up with a six pack. I'm like, well, yeah, it's time. You just-- time, take your time. So yeah, you're absolutely right. And I think people are some people that are conscious, like you said, like you are showing more of the process. OK, this is me in the gym. This is what I'm eating and showing the different steps that it takes. So can you talk a little bit-- because I know you have a certification. So can you talk a little bit about your offerings and how you're creating a healthier space for people? Yeah, sure. So I created Outside Enterprises. It started with the Outside Dance Fitness Program. And that's like a combination of-- we only play african music. So it's Afro beat, Sukusin doing Bulo Makosa, maybe a little bit of Soka. And South African music, East African music. And it's based-- it's actually based on the endombolo movement, which is from the Congo. So way back when they have something they call in Congo, call in Kumba. And that is your womb. So I know you guys have seen the whining. You saw it in the class, right? Yes, those were-- The whining motion. I mean, you whined at us for a long time. You've got to do it. You've got to do it. So that movement was created centuries ago to strengthen the womb so that women would be able to give birth safely, women would be able to recover from birth a little better. And then the men started doing it as a tribute to women. And then over the centuries, it made with different migrations. It made its way through East Africa, East Africa, and then over into the Caribbean. So that's where that whine comes from. And then I realized that in the beginning, it is a crazy core workout if you do it right. And then if you add the squat position, because traditionally when you do it at the performance, your heels are kind of up. But when you start adding fitness and stuff, you've got to switch the form a little bit. So outside is kind of based on that. And it's really fun. It's more muscle targeting than a cardio workout. So that, for me, creating that space and certifying instructors, it also created a community. I didn't realize that was happening. But it created a community of people who started to take their health a little bit more seriously. So from there, I started offering personal training and rehabilitation services. I had to close the studio with the pandemic, but I'm still doing it virtually. And then from there, I created my performing company because people like to dance. People like to see what it looks like on stage with all the costumes and the glamour and everything. And then we came up with the apparel line. So people can get into this whole culture of it. And it just created this whole world of things. So yeah, we offer tons of classes. My favorite part is certifying other people. They are not just equipped in choreography, but my sister is a hospitalist. She's an internal medicine physician. And she helps me with the coaching. I bring in different people. So the certified instructors are studying and training for four months before they're done certifying after they audition. So when they teach you, they're not just dancing and moving in front of you, but they're actually helping you to progress. So yeah, between the classes and the one-on-one sessions, you know, and then the dancing, the choreo classes. Because sometimes, you know, you don't want to think too much. You just want to move. So just trying to create this whole world of health and culture. I love that. And thank you so much for breaking it down for us because I think it's so important for you to create your own spaces. Like you said, if you see people out, you're going to see people out there doing it differently. But you have to decide how you want to do it. And I love that not only have you decided how you want to do it, but you're creating a space for people to join you in your style and your vision and your way. And I feel like, especially when you are a leader like you are, you kind of have to step into your power and be willing to do that. And it's not easy, but if you-- That was a challenge. Yeah, look how-- And I'm glad just because that is still something I'm challenged with. I'm one of the younger siblings, you know? So I've never had-- I think the leadership is just-- it's in me based on who and where I come from. But to step into the spotlight is something I never wanted to do. Even with the commercial work, I never wanted to be on stage. I never wanted to be in these videos. I always got-- it's funny. I always contracted as a choreographer behind the scenes. I don't want to be in front of the camera. I don't like to speak, but you're absolutely right. When you create this world, you have to step into that light. And I'm working on it. I'm working on it. Well, you're doing it beautifully. So what is helping you really step into? Because being part of the Love Dog community, you know I'm definitely going to encourage you to step out more and teach more. So what do you feel like is the most helpful for you in stepping fully into your power and allowing yourself to be seen as that leader, as that trendsetter? I would have to say the people and family, and it's a combination of not having a choice. When, you know, in different ways, my family is just like, no, you have this. So if you're going to do it, you're going to do it. You need to do it. And my family is big on supporting me 100% and also leaving me alone to figure it out. And then it's also the people. It's like, you know, when you have a gift and you have something to offer, it goes to waste if you can't actually help people. So people come to me saying, you know, I need something. I'm like, I can't send you off to someone who's not going to do it in a way where I know will help you. So it's a combination of, I think, the world needing-- without sounding arrogant, the world needing something that I can offer. And then also just not wasting what I've been blessed with. So it's-- and it's still, I'm an introvert. I love being quiet. I don't like what the pandemic has put us in this lockdown. But, you know, I like to-- I'm a homebody. You know, I don't need the spotlight. But it is, you know, we can't waste ourselves when we are a gift to everyone else. And that goes for everybody. Everybody's a leader in some way, shape, or form. So, you know, if you have something to offer that is going to make the world better or make the next person better, I genuinely don't think you have a choice but to step in that light. I love that. And I know you are inspiration to all the introverts. I consider myself an introverted extrovert. And I have to, you know, even though I like being around people, there are sometimes when I just prefer, like, I've enjoyed the increased time at home, grounding, going within this spiritual time. And I love that you bring that out because it's a lot of people who are like, well, who am I to be in the spotlight? Who am I to lead? But I love that you can. We all can be leaders because just like nature, we're all meant to shine. The capacity of that shine is totally up to us. And so I'm glad you're stepping into your power. I love your-- Ooh, I'm trying. I want to take more. I want more classes. Like, I want to have you at Get Loved Up Studios. Oh, I'm here. I am here. Anytime. I am here. Like I said, once spirit connects, like once I connect with a certain energy, just call me anytime I'm here. I love that. And I'm definitely going to be calling you because we want to wind it in the Get Loved Up Studios. Listen, it's so liberating. Just let go. And I feel like it's so important. That's a huge way that I release. Like we have a hashtag dance daily. And just, you know, when things get heavy and you get stressed, like just dance it. And, you know, we teach structure and choreography, but just like free exercise dancing. And I try to do that. And I think that's what I'm trying to do. But I don't know if you saw that 10-minute challenge that I've been doing. It's like, you don't have time to perfect it. Like, and I think that's so much-- that's the problem nowadays. People think if it's not perfect choreo, then it's not dance. No, look at the babies. They move with no kind of anything. They don't need anybody. They don't need any music. And we have to get back to that. When you meet, like, when you don't know what else to do, you can't figure out what's going on with you, why you're feeling weird. Just move, you know, whatever that means. I know so many dancers who have gone through so many stages of depression and they can't figure out why. I'm like, when was the last time you got in the studio or in your living room and just moved? And I think it's hard to figure out because when you're in that state, you don't want to move, right? But you have to push yourself out of that. And just like you said, just dance daily. Just move on the way to the bathroom, in the kitchen. Like, do what you have to do. Just keep, keep moving. I try to tell that that's what I'm saying. I find myself saying that over and over again. Like, keep going. - Yeah. - Keep going. If you don't know, even if you don't know what direction, just keep going. The only real hard part is staying still. But just, you know, move. You're absolutely right. Dance daily. - I love that. And that's what I love about your teaching is you do give instruction and then you're like, just let it go. Just like so that you love your style. And the way you teach some things that are a lot of fun and in the movement. And then you allow people that freedom and your encouragement and the way that you smile and just your energy. Everything you do, you encourage a lot of people who aren't even going to do that portion. Like, I would-- - Oh, God. - And they're like, but she's having so much fun and she's so excited to try this. So I'm going to try. So it's like your energy alone really does touch people. And I think that's something to be said. Like, even like you were speaking before, like someone can look a certain way, but they might be like, oh, if someone doesn't get it, like, okay, I'm not a good teacher or whatever. But I think your authentic spirit of doing it for the community and wanting people really to just move, it comes off in your teaching. It comes off in your smile. It comes off in your energy. Yeah, they're really good. - Thank you. I feel so useful. - You are, you are. You are such a blessing. You're such an inspiration. And I know it's going to be thousands and thousands of more people who you touch by just saying yes and just by being you. Because sometimes that's what people are looking for. They want to feel loved. They want to feel accepted. They want to feel like they can mess up and not be judged. And if they do stuff that they're still okay and the world's not going to end. - The world's not going to end. (laughing) Thank you. Thank you for seeing that. Thank you. Wow. - Beautiful thing is that you also know how to, when you have an audience, well even when you don't have an audience, you still know how to speak to the audience. And I think that's important when you're doing like recordings or when you're doing classes. Because a lot of times in the virtual world, things are prerecorded and there's like disconnection. But I feel like you have a good way, whether it's live or whether it's recorded to really connect and know what the person is going through. And I think you have that because you've been there and you've done it. - That's what they did. - Yeah. (laughing) It has been hard, but it's just like, you kind of have to take yourself out of where you are. - Yeah. - And all honesty, I think that's what's gotten me through this pandemic is just putting myself back in that studio. And I kind of want people to do that themselves. I have so many of my old class participants who are like, I can't take your class virtually. I need your energy and stuff. I'm like, then you know, at the end of the day, we gotta adjust. We have to find a way to get that energy. And I think if you just place yourself back in that time and space, then you can do it. And I think that is really the job of an instructor. And I think instructors get so lost in the choreo or get so lost in the workout or the set or the position. But what is your student gonna walk away with? - I think that that's what's really important. So I try to, you know, even if I have to act a little crazy, if I have to scream at you with threats and love, just to get you in that squad, I'll do it. I'll do it, no problem. - I love that. And you did a lot of that loving, that loving energy and that loving, they call it tough love. - It's tough love. It is. - All on your face. - I said all the time, you'll love me later, it's okay. - I love it. I love it, I love it. So as we start to come to the end of our session, I love to do a rapid fire so our community can get to know you a little bit better. So what is the best book you've read during this last year? - The Alchemist. I keep reading that over and over again. It's like when I need to find myself, I just go, I don't even need to read the whole book. I just skip any quote in that book. It's just like, for some reason, it applies to everything in my life. So it would definitely be the Alchemist. - I love that. I love that book. So good. And what about your favorite show? I know we've been on the TV a lot. Do you have a favorite show? - Seinfeld is my favorite. Nobody, I know no one would think that, but Seinfeld is my all time favorite show. I just watch reruns all day. - I love that. I have not seen that show in forever. You make me want to. And it's older, do they have new? - Oh no, they've been off since the 90s. But for some reason, it's just like my, me and my sister's talking about, you know how you can, people say the Godfather can apply to any situation? It's Seinfeld. Seinfeld, we just, Seinfeld lines, we apply to any situation. It's, I don't know, it's just like, weird sarcastic humor is my thing. So I watch Seinfeld all day. - I love that. - I also do, people don't know, but I have an addiction to Chinese martial arts movies in series. So yeah, that's between those two. I have absolutely no idea what's going on on Netflix, like everybody else, 'cause I'm just watching Seinfeld and Chinese movies. - I love that. I love that you have what gets it for you and what makes you feel good. And you're like, this is me. This is who I am. This is what it is. - I love that. I love that. 'Cause you know, it's not always about keeping up with the latest trends. Sometimes it's just doing what it makes you feel good. - You gotta do it. I used to do it. I used to try and, you know, even with dance, I used to be like, I have to follow the latest Afro beats account and I have to, and then you know what it did is it really stifled my style. 'Cause I was just so heavy on trying to keep up with the trends, especially with the pandemic. And I'm just like, okay, no. Let's center and just do what works for you. Do what works for you. - I love that. I love that. And last question. If we could wake up and it was Acacia's world, what would it look like? - Ooh. You know what? That's a really good question. And my answer will probably be really weird, but I don't think I would, it would probably just look like today. You know, for, I've had, especially in the last couple of years with all the loss in my family, I've always wanted to be like, you know, that they have to be different. Something has to be different. I wish it was different. I wish it was different. But I think we can't really try and question why things happen or try and change things. It, as much as I would like things to be different, the second I think that way, I'm reminded of why it happened and what came from why these things happened. So if it was my world, everyone woke up in my world, I think you just be living your own life with more understanding of why things happen. But I definitely, I've gotten to a point in my life where I don't want any fantasy. I don't want anything to change because your perspective would just be completely off and you don't know what blessings would block. - I love that. That is so deep. I've never heard that perspective before. And I love it because it brings it back to the presence and realizing that in every moment, you can choose to step back into spirit. And when you step back into that divine alignment with love, that's what it is. - And I think nothing teaches you that more than hard times, so as you say, damn, Stanley, keep going. - I love that. I love that. And where can everyone find you if they wanna come and hang out and dance? - Yeah. Go to my Instagram, acosia_asa, or you can go to asafitness, asafitness.com. All of my stuff is connected. So if you wanna just one place to go, everybody's on Instagram, just go to acosia_asa, and then everything you need is there. And then if you want the website, just asafitness.com. - I love that. Well, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate you, and I cannot wait. I definitely will be reaching out to you about getting love to the speakers. - I look forward to it, definitely. - Awesome, and thank you all so much for listening. If you haven't already, please leave a review. If you're watching this on YouTube, make sure you leave a comment. Let us know your biggest takeaway from today's show. And also let us know what you wanna see more of. And until the next time, get loved up. Love yourself, love others, and love the world. One day at a time, one breath at a time. Peace and love. - I just wanna take a moment to say thank you for being part of the Get Loved Up community. I like to share topics and people making a positive impact in the world, and your feedback means the world to me. If you haven't already left a review, please leave a five-star review and let me know what you want to hear more of on the show. I'm here for you, and together, we're making the world a better place. One day at a time, one show at a time. Thank you for listening.