Meet Robyn Childers of Welcome Home Yoga & Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robyn Childers. 

Hi Robyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today? 
Over a decade ago, I found a powerful healing pathway of yoga and meditation, following a serious auto accident. With extensive injuries and very little hope left, I sought out a program of holistic wellness and began practicing yoga and meditation.  Physically and spiritually, I underwent a profound transformation, experienced recovery, self-integration and discovered my life’s purpose; or dharma, as the yogis call it. In 2014, I became a yoga teacher and haven’t looked back. Over the years, while teaching at yoga studios throughout Metro Detroit, I completed additional teacher trainings, specializing in trauma-informed and recovery-based modalities with underrepresented groups. I also finished an E-RYT 500 certification. With an ever-evolving passion for expanding access to yoga and recovery, in 2018, I co-founded Welcome Home Yoga & Wellness, with my wife, Melissa. With her background in massage and mine in yoga, we dreamed of creating a welcoming, inclusive space in Detroit, that would uplift the community in health and wellness. Our studio’s name is an homage to my yoga teacher, who, when many years earlier, was approached by an unwell person, drowning in pain, in search of healing and hope, listened with great equanimity and then quietly said to me, “Welcome Home.”  

When I’m not teaching yoga or leading yoga teacher trainings, I am training for marathons, volunteering within the LGBTQIA+ and recovery communities, and enjoying life’s adventures with my wife and our adorable dogs. I currently serve as an ambassador for lululemon, the Detroit Free Press Marathon, Fierce Calm, and Nuun  Hydration.  

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Within one year of opening Welcome Home Yoga & Wellness in Southeast Ferndale, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, forcing us to face a constellation of obstacles and challenges. Our commitment to this pathway was tested in every way. In an effort to conserve resources, during the mandatory government shutdown orders, we moved out of our space and pivoted to a new platform, offering all levels classes, online & outdoors. We worked harder than we ever knew possible to secure funding for building out a new and much larger space in the historic B Siegel building. We spent all of 2021 in the construction phase, negotiating a number of unexpected budget increases and nearly impossible supply chain issues. There were many times when we thought our project would be derailed. However, we understood that moving forward with plans for expansion during the pandemic was a brave, but really intentional decision. We managed to overcome each hurdle, one breath at a time. Now, nearing the finish line, we are so excited to be a part of the revitalization happening along the Avenue of Fashion. The journey to get here has been a dream come true. The need for yoga to be visible, accessible, and become an essential part of the cultural landscape here is strong. Newly located at 7 Mile and Livernois, in Detroit, Michigan, we are set to open this winter, with a mission deeply tied to our life’s work: making yoga and wellness practices accessible to all.  

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know? 
Welcome Home Yoga & Wellness is a local, LGBTQIA+ owned and operated business. Representation, equity, and equality matter to us. One hundred percent of our team is #NewMajority – including women, people of color, military-affiliated, persons with disabilities, and/or LGBTQIA+ identifying folk. From the start, as a person in recovery, who identifies as non-binary and hasn’t always felt “seen” in wellness spaces, I knew my life’s purpose was to help others experience the incredible, life-changing benefits of yoga in a supportive, inclusive space. Our space will serve as a heart-centered community space. This winter, we will be opening up the only LGBTQIA+ owned and operated studio and wellness center in Detroit. We will offer yoga classes, meditation, massage, reiki, educational workshops, and trainings, both online and in-person. We have a cozy lobby, 2 retail areas, 2 treatment rooms, and a spacious yoga practice room. Our studio will be broadcasting all of our classes via live streaming and we will be developing a library of content, so anyone, from anywhere, can enjoy the hybrid model. The accessibility of taking a class with one of our amazing teachers in person or at home, via live-streaming or a pre-recorded selection from our library, will soon be available for all.  

We serve our mission by bringing programming into the community, regularly hosting charity yoga events to raise funds for the underserved, and engage daily with the community around us to identify new ways to make an impact. We look forward to continuing partnership work with Ruth Ellis Center, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, and Freedom House Detroit, local organizations that help provide resources for underserved members of our community. In partnership with local like-minded businesses, we offer a scholarship program that supports LGBTQIA+ individuals, BIPOCs, LGBTGQ+, Veterans, persons with disabilities, persons with financial challenges, persons seeking recovery from addiction and/or trauma affliction. We recently launched an inclusive runners/walkers club and host an annual 5k event to help increase community participation in mindful movement. We have co-branded with lululemon, to offer gear, as we believe part of making yoga and wellness accessible, is educating the community on products that support an active lifestyle.  

Our mantra is: Come Home to Yourself. Our primary motivation is to witness the journey of self-transformation taking place in as many lives as possible. Welcome Home Yoga & Wellness is an offering to our community for connection, integration, and growth. Accessible to all. Welcome Home, Everyone.  

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us? 
The COVID-19 crisis has shown me that staying vigilant about self-care practices is more important than ever. We need our yoga practice, our teachers’ guidance, we need one another and we need to stay committed to the total journey. As challenging as it may feel at times, to keep practicing, to keep dialed into your community, to keep listening to subtler and subtler cues that will open your mind, spirit, heart, and body, and to keep your equanimity strong, makes all the difference in your overall health and perspective. After experiencing the harsh conditions of isolation, uncertainty, and disconnection, I have learned a deeper, more meaningful appreciation for being in community with others. 

Contact Info:

• Email: info@welcomehomeyoga.com
• Website: https://www.welcomehomeyoga.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/welcomehomeyoga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Welcome-Home-Yoga-Wellness-251745775699065
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WelcomeHomeYoga

Image Credits
Candice Lamarand Photography
Scott Sprague Photography