Kupanda Wellness

Written by: LaTecia Yarbrough

Kupanda, which is Swahili for "rise," is the name of the exercise challenge iRise Wellness is coordinating throughout July. By accepting the challenge, I hope to hone in on my fitness goals for the month. I distinctly recall being able to eat anything I wanted and still sporting a great shape in high school and college. I now have to be mindful of when I exercise, what I consume, and how I treat my body. As I got older, I tried numerous strategies to stay healthy, and I discovered that community support was one of the best accountability tools for me.  

By concentrating on my health, I have time to rebalance my mind, body, and spirit. I'm looking forward to some of the non-fitness-related exercises, including practicing mindfulness, keeping a journal, organizing my workspace, and more. I'm going to set a goal for myself to perform at least one activity each day in July without multitasking, as it is something I love to do. To avoid feeling lonely, I wish to recruit more individuals to participate with me.

I'm hoping that this month will teach me something about who I am, how to take care of my body, and how to anticipate my curves as they change. When I am unable to achieve something, I will extend myself grace and refocus on my current goals. This month, I want to balance being active and still both physically and mentally. Recent events have caused my thoughts to race and my body to become restless. I therefore wish to engage in more activities that will help me to focus and achieve mental stillness. I sincerely hope you will join us this month as we raise money during Kupanda Wellness Month. All proceeds will support students who might not otherwise consider attending college due to financial constraints.