Cultivating Diversity in Wellness with Maryam Ajayi Founder of Dive in Well

Author: Marc Weinstein
Published: Wed 06 May 2020
Episode Link: http://www.thelookuppodcast.com/episodes/diversityinwellnesswithmaryamajayi

The Most Important Thing

Follow Maryam on Instagram and check out Dive in Well to learn more about how you can help make the wellness industry more inclusive.

About Maryam Ajayi

Maryam Ajayi is an energy healer and entrepreneur with 10+ years experience in business growth strategy and strategic partnerships across a multitude of industries ranging from politics to tech. Her passions include de-stigmatizing the wellness industry, advocating for inclusive spaces for marginalized communities, and using her voice to empower and uplift others around the world.

Maryam and her work have been featured in Goop, The Sunday Times, The Cut, Holisticism, Thirlby, and The Nod. She has worked with countless brands including Nike Women, The Wing, General Assembly, Lululemon, The Girlmob, and Sad Girls Club.

About Dive in Well

In 2019, Dive in Well gathered over 100 leaders and influencers in the wellness space for intimate salon dinners across NYC and LA entitled "Diversity in Wellness," with the mission of working towards a more inclusive industry.

These events reached an audience of over 1.3 million and partnered with leading brands in the $4.75 Trillion wellness industry.

The Dive in Well team is now growing its dinner series into a global movement, and has expanded its offerings to both offline and online experiences, resources and tools to empower both consumers and participants who believe in soul-centered wellness so we may all be well.

Episode Overview

Maryam and I sat down to discuss diversity in wellness, but we really dug into the current COVID-19 / Corona Virus. We explored the benefits of breathwork and Maryam shared some practices she’s been using to thrive during the quarantine. We also asked, “What is the patriarchy?” and tried to identify cultural shifts that could help us break old patterns.

Some Favorite Quotes

“I’d describe Reiki as a nice hug from the universe”

“When I say patriarchy, it’s not describing men or the masculine necessarily, but the system of oppression itself”

“Radical rest is something you could be doing to break the patriarchy and systems of oppression”

“Over-productivity is a response to trauma”

“I don’t want us to go back to normal, normal wasn’t working.”

“Though we come from different backgrounds, we are all connected by one universal power, which is love”

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 – Surviving Quarantine

04:00 – Maryam’s Journey to Holotropic Breathwork

13:30 – Reiki

18:00 – Cultural shifts during Corona