We had the good fortune of connecting with Shelby Adina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shelby, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My mother is a Georgia peach, straight from Atlanta, but I never truly knew the magic of the city until it became my home, 8 years ago. At this point, the culture and the carbs, all part of my daily life, truly inspired my fitness career and the ways that I enjoyed movement. I started her fitness journey at a time when she was searching for so many things – love, acceptance, community. Fitness seemed to be the guide to lead me to discover those things were already present in my own life. I began bouncing around the city, instructing cycling and yoga at boutique studios, incorporating the music that excited me, including anything from trap to afrobeat, and building my tribe. Atlanta, the music, the community, even the traffic, and surprising nature parks surrounding the city that had become a place of refuge and rehabilitation, literally set the scene for the idea of KHōNA Fitness & Wellness. KHōNA makes inspiring movement accessible to everyone. It became a solution to trudging through gridlocked traffic to get to a congested corporate gym and a boring routine. It is there for the person for the person just starting their fitness journey, and looking for organic ways to move and feel good in their own skin. It is for the creative that thrives on inspiration in all that she does. KHōNA is me, and I wanted to share with people a combination of all that makes me feel alive and present on the this journey to self-love and exploration through movement, music, nature, and wellness practices!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
At this point in my career, I consider myself a fitness curator. I curate on a daily basis, from groovy playlists to digital content and inspiring places to move and meditate. Nature, community, and culture are always the foundation of my creations. Though, at the heart of it all, I have a story to tell and I’m looking to connect with my people. I don’t just instruct fitness classes anymore, I create an experience. Themes are reflective in my cues, meditation, art and music choices. My objective is to transform the space and take you somewhere else, for a challenging but rewarding experience. I am most proud of the inclusivity of the environments I create. They are made for everyone, they are made to bring people together. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve started with very little, no studio, no resources. I began with personal training, brought my ideas to my clients homes and public parks, and was most thoughtful with the details. I worked with what I had. Eventually, that grew to pop-up events in different cities and growing community beyond Atlanta! I have been having fun with the challenge of hosting virtual classes and meditations, creating atmospheres that inspire on a live screen and create connection. We are currently offering on-line experiences to expand on our community. I look forward to continued growth this year! KHōNA is authentically me. A nod to my ancestors past, a solution to my present obstacles, and a vision of my ideal future. Khona in the African Zulu language translates to “there” or “at that place.” It is a refreshing take on how to view yourself on your own fitness journey. You see, you already your most ideal self in the ability to move freely, you are empowered by the capability to become better. The beauty is in the process, and the process starts wherever you are. In a more literal take, I aspire to create destinations in which to move and connect with our bodies. Movement can be creative, inspiring, and explorative. I welcome you to join me on this journey.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
My favorite spots in Atlanta include creative hubs and hikes all around the city. But before I do anything else, I must eat! I frequent some of my favorite restaurants in East Atlanta Village, like Gaja Korean Bar, or So Ba for Vietnamese food. I love Herban Fix in Midtown for a good vegan meal, or Storico Fresco in Buckhead for hearty Pasta. After an art stroll on the beltline, my guilty pleasure is to stop at Fred’s for a bacon cheeseburger or cauliflower bahn mí sandwich. Neither ever disappoints! You may find me at art museums and galleries around town. The High Museum never gets old. Facet Gallery and SCAD Fashion Museum have also been constant places of inspiration. I currently live in a highrise condo, without a backyard, so my place is filled with plants. Coincidentally enough, I find refuge in plant nurseries and flower boutiques! Garden*Hood, The Victorian Atlanta, and Young Blood are among my absolute favorites. There are surprising landscapes on the outskirts of this bustling city. Obviously, I love to work out! If music is your motivation, Vibe Ride is the only studio in the city to get an amazing indoor-cycling experience! I also love Seviin Yoga for a good vinyasa flow to compliment my cardio. Getting outside is an important part of my regimen as well. I always enjoy an aimless hike through Sweetwater Creek park or Arabia Mountain. Among all that amazing music festivals in Atlanta, my most endeared is House in the Park, hosted in Grant Park, a place to gather, eat, talk shit, and dance your heart out in the sun with your people! I’ve been going since it was a free, sweaty, unorganized mess! It will forever represent some of my most cherished and special memories.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe so much of my success to my family. They are beyond supportive in my business endeavors and the reason I continue to work to bring my dreams to fruition. Last time I sat down with VoyageATL, I shared my obstacles with battling social anxiety while learning to instruct and lead a room. It was a difficult road, that caused me to doubt myself many times. In all of those moments that I struggled, there was someone that I loved coaching me through. The closer I get to my dreams, the more they continue to show up. My sister may as well be head of my marketing team, my partner shows up for all of my classes, my cousin hosted my first wellness event in her beauty studio, and my mother finally stopped notifying me of local job openings! I joke – But, I never would have imagined I could be pursuing fitness full-time. Now I am building my own world in this fitness community, with the helping hands of my family. I am very blessed to have them with me.

Website: www.khonafitness.com
Instagram: @khonafit @shelbyadina
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khonafit/
Youtube: @khonafit

Image Credits
KHōNA event photos provided by Marcia @marciamadethis