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WellcommDC is the email newsletter bringing you the best of the DMV’s wellness community. Get On The List and get Wellcomm sent directly to your inbox. Have a friend who would love Wellcomm? Then please forward our email or tag them on our IG.

[High Five] We gave a High Five to Kseniya Bieliaieva, a Yoga Teacher at Lūneh Yoga and Guided Fitness in the Washington, DC area.

Wellcomm: Where do you work out?

Kseniya Bieliaieva: Yoga is naturally a big part of my wellness routine outside of teaching. I maintain a consistent personal practice and love exploring different styles, teachers, and studios, both here in DC and wherever I travel. My routine is a mix of yoga, strength training, meditating, and pranayama (breathwork). For yoga, I practice with Mimi Rieger, at Lūneh Yoga, and at home using the Alo Wellness Club app, along with my own self-guided practice. I also incorporate strength training with weights at home to complement my yoga practice. I enjoy physically challenging practices, particularly working with inversions and arm balances, but I equally value slower practices like Yin, meditation, and pranayama. That balance between strength and softness, challenge and stillness, has become an important part of both how I practice and how I teach.

WC: What does wellness mean to you?

KB: Wellness is about balance. It isn’t only about being physically strong, flexible, or fit. It is about feeling connected to your body and mind and understanding what you need at different moments in your life. Yoga has taught me that the physical practice can reveal a lot about what is happening internally. Sometimes we need strength and challenge; sometimes we need to slow down, soften, and be still. And for me, wellness extends far beyond the yoga mat. Moving, meditating, doing breathwork, eating nourishing food, spending time outdoors, having meaningful relationships, traveling, resting, and continuing to learn are all part of it. I don’t think wellness is a destination or something we eventually perfect. It is an ongoing practice of learning about ourselves and finding our way back to balance.

WC: What are your wellness goals over the next twelve months?

KB: My biggest goal is to continue learning, both as a teacher and as a student. One of the things I love most about yoga is that there is always another layer to explore. Over the next year, I want to deepen my understanding of anatomy, mobility, and how different bodies move so that I can become a more thoughtful and effective teacher, particularly in my one-on-one work with students. Beyond the physical practice, I’ve also developed a strong interest in yoga philosophy and the spiritual side of yoga. I regularly read books and explore different philosophical teachings, meditation, mindfulness, and the deeper principles behind the practice. Over the next year, I want to continue this study and deepen my understanding of how these teachings can be applied to everyday life. As I grow in this part of my own journey, I also want to bring more of it into my classes. I want my students to experience yoga not only as movement, strength, or flexibility, but also as an opportunity to connect with themselves, become more present, and perhaps take something meaningful from the practice into their lives off the mat. In my personal practice, I want to continue developing strength, mobility, inversions, and arm balances while giving equal attention to meditation, pranayama, self-study, and the quieter aspects of yoga. Most importantly, I want to remain curious and continue evolving. The more I learn about yoga, the more I realize how much there is still to discover, and I want that continued learning to enrich both my own life and what I’m able to share with my students.

WC: Who are some people who inspire you, motivate you, or keep you accountable when it comes to your wellness?

KB: Throughout my yoga journey, I’ve been fortunate to learn from teachers in very different traditions and in different parts of the world, from India and Thailand to across the United States. Each experience has shaped my practice in a different way, from discipline and strength to anatomy, philosophy, meditation, and a deeper understanding of yoga as a whole. I’m also inspired by the people I practice with and teach alongside. Being surrounded by people who continue showing up for themselves reminds me that wellness isn’t about perfection: it’s about consistency, curiosity, and continuing to grow.

WC: What advice would you share with someone looking to change their wellness routine?

KB: Start small and choose something you can realistically stay consistent with, and, most importantly, something you genuinely enjoy doing. I think we sometimes approach wellness believing that we need to completely change our lives, work out every day, follow the perfect routine, eat perfectly, or immediately become stronger or more flexible. That pressure can quickly turn wellness into another obligation. Instead, find a form of movement or practice that you genuinely enjoy and build from there. Ten minutes of movement, a short meditation, a walk outside, or one yoga class a week can be a meaningful beginning. I would also say: don’t compare your journey with someone else’s. Our bodies, lifestyles, histories, and needs are different. Learn to listen to your own body and give yourself space to explore what actually makes you feel better. Consistency doesn’t have to mean doing the same thing every day. Sometimes wellness is knowing when to challenge yourself, and sometimes it is knowing when to rest.

[WellcommDC Hit Event] Saturday, November 21st (HT Bailey Spates & Britt Dupree Daniels)

So how do we pick our Hit Events? They’re curated exclusively for our WellcommDC Community from former High Fives. Each week, we’ll highlight one standout fitness event in the WellcommDC email. This could be:

These events will be shared with all Wellcomm email subscribers, but submissions from former High Fives who are subscribers are prioritized, ideally for events they’re organizing, leading, or personally involved with.

We’ll feature one event per week, so spots are limited. We’re grateful for our High Fives and are excited to share these exclusive ongoing updates from the best of the DMV!

Have an event to submit? Just send us the link to the event’s Instagram Post. That’s all we need!

That’s this week’s edition of WellcommDC. Like what you read? Get On The List and get future editions sent directly to your inbox. Have a friend who needs to read Wellcomm? Forward our email to them or tag them on our IG. Until next time, take care of yourself, and take care of each other.

Go For It,

Your WellcommDC Team

Transform Your Self. Transform Your Community. Transform Your World.