Meet KJ Landers: Certified Yoga Instructor, Meditation and Breathwork Teacher.

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

Hi KJ, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I did not see many individuals that looked like me in the yoga and meditation spaces that I frequented. Most yoga and meditation spaces that I participated in were white spaces and often times I felt pretty invisible. I also did not feel like my body type fit that of the average yogi. I wanted to create a space that was more inclusive of different ethnicities, body types, sexual orientations etc. So the vision for WildOnes Yoga Studio was created.

I wanted the studio to launch in 2020, but the pandemic pretty much changed everything, and I was forced to focus on one on one practice with individual clients. Now in 2021, my vision is pretty much the same. I have a passion and purpose to share the transformational benefits of yoga and meditation (specifically meditation) with the world. I am working towards that with offering meditation on various online platforms which include clubhouse, instagram, youtube and soon the phone app Insight Timer.

Please tell us more about your career. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I think what sets me apart is I am creating a space that focuses on meditation and breathwork. I love yoga, but what I am most passionate about is meditation along with the use of breathwork. I believe meditation can have a very deep impact on our mental health. I think 2020 hit most of us very hard, and for many of us our mental health was impacted the most. Meditation and breathwork has the power to completely transform our lives. We can heal ourselves from emotional trauma, stress, anxiety, fear, depression, panic and countless other mental health problems through practicing meditation and breathwork.

I am most excited about introducing people to breathwork. Who would think that conscious breathing would have the power to heal. Right now, I am using what I call R&B with my clients which is Rhythm and Breathwork. I basically play music and allow my client to find a beat within the music that they can follow and breathe deeply and exhale deeply to the beat of the music. I find that it can help those suffering from anxiety find relief and can even offer an alternative to meditation for those that find it difficult to meditate.

Professionally, I am finding my way. I think what is getting me notoriety is word of mouth. People are talking about breathwork. I think the idea of breathing to heal yourself is something that people are interested in knowing more about. I am excited with the traction that this phenomenon is getting.

Starting my brand has not been easy. One main challenge has been getting into a space so I can teach this in group format rather than private one on one sessions. Most yoga studios are still operating online and many people are not willing to come into such intimate spaces at the moment, so this makes it a little hard to move my practice into an actual space right now. So hopefully in the next few months things will change.

One of the important lessons I have learned from starting my own business and brand is to start where you are. Many people will wait until they feel they are ready or have everything together before they pursue their dreams. Don’t wait, time is wasting the more you wait to be prepared. I waited years and it cost me so much. Also, don’t base your success on others! Figure out what success looks like for you and do your best until you reach that. Don’t allow other people’s version of success to be your version. Allow your goals and successes to be based solely on what it is that you want out of life.

I want the world to know that you don’t have to suffer in silence. Mental health issues are something we do not spend a lot of time talking about. Though we are getting better about discussing mental health, there is still so far to go. I want people to know if you are dealing with anxiety, depression, fear, or any other mental health problems there are alternatives to dealing with those issues. If anyone wants more information on how to do that then I am always available online or via email. It would be my honor to teach anyone breathwork and meditation.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I don’t think you can have the full experience of visiting Atlanta without going to Busy Bees. It is an Atlanta staple and a must have for soul food lovers. Located conveniently in downtown Atlanta, you can not visit Atlanta and not have some Busy Bees. From the smothered chicken, fried pork chops to the banana pudding, Busy Bees is going to be some of the best eating that Atlanta has to offer.

I also love sushi, therefore I cannot have friends visit me in Atlanta and not take them to MF Sushi which is located in Highland Village. MF Sushi is nestled in between a large network of restaurants that surround it, which makes choosing a restaurant pretty difficult depending on what you are in the mood for. But luckily it stands out as being one of the best sushi restaurants in the city.

There is no way you can come to Atlanta and not visit Ponce City Market! You can literally stop for some amazing ramen at Ton Ton Ramen, some shopping at one of my favorite stores Anthropologie, then head down to the Beltline and take a walk around the city of Atlanta while stopping at some dope bars for drinks along the way. 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?
In the past, I have been a person that has suffered from Imposter Syndrome. This is when a person doubts their abilities and feels like they are inadequate, even though they may be accomplished in an area. A lot of the time this can cause the person to self sabotage. I would self sabotage a lot, because I did not believe that I was knowledgeable enough, even though I had training in the area of yoga and meditation, even though I was a practitioner of meditation for more than 10 years.

I had a very hard time believing in myself no matter how much I talked to friends, family, and people that I considered experts on the matter. There was only one person that dedicated countless hours of helping me believe in my craft and believe in myself and that is my wife Laniesha Landers. Her encouragement runs deep in my veins, it is part of who I am. I do not think I would have been able to be who I am at this very moment if it were not for her.

It is only right that I give this shoutout to Laniesha because she has been my biggest support. She believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. Thank you my love…

Instagram: www.instagram.com/_yogarealist

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW1ALxTuE-NXKhFqVmfq95g

Image Credits
Photographs in color are by LoveByrdPhoto Black and White Photo is by Angela Hill Photography