I recently attended a community run to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NY. Our guide, Nicole Espinosa, took us through several iconic Hispanic/Latinx landmarks to share the history behind each one. She made a remark que me impacto (made an impact) and inspired this piece.

“There’s a space for everybody, and if it doesn’t exist, create it”. 

It is important to share the stories of Latinx individuals beyond Hispanic Heritage Month, as it inspires others to create their own narratives. This series consists of real stories of inspirational Latinx individuals creating safe spaces for connection, community, and self-care through the power of wellness. Before we kick this off, let’s start with some self-reflection.

How does wellness show up in your life? 
How are you creating spaces of wellbeing for others? 
What does the future of wellness look like? 

Creating Safe Spaces for Connection, Community, and Wellbeing:
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY THROUGH RUNNING

Spotlight: Julia Azcona

COMMUNITY ROLE:
I lead a community-based running group in Ridgewood, Queens where we welcome all pace levels.

WELLNESS JOURNEY:
I did not fully understand how impactful wellness was until experiencing two traumatic events in my life: my father passed away due to a brain tumor and two years later I miscarried twins at six months.  When a woman goes through a miscarriage, one often carries a profound sense of guilt and an overwhelming grief that is not only beyond comparison but also truly impossible to put into words.

Running became my outlet. Eventually, I started to educate myself about proper training and was introduced to running groups. I joined Adidas Runners NYC and my life changed for the better. I found a community of beautiful humans inside and out, that because of their energy, my wellbeing improved. It was a heartwarming return to a place of pure joy. I loved it.

In December 2022, I felt inspired to create a running community within my neighborhood. By April of this year, Ridgewood Runners came to life.

THE FUTURE OF WELLNESS

In our culture, when it comes to wellness, we still have some work to do and undo. Hay cosas que no se hablan, there are things we’ve yet to learn how to communicate and process. For example, while pregnancy loss is common it’s not often discussed openly or publicly. As a Latina woman I was taught to “stay strong” and move on. Instead in my experience, I was ashamed and kept so much inside for so long which affected my life in so many ways. It breaks my heart to think of women who suffer in silence.

How does the running community come to play? I found a purpose to create a space for people to just be, for women to feel safe, for a community that can come together and support one another. That is a start. I showed up that one day and it changed my life and I hope to inspire others to show up.

About Ingrid Baquero: Ingrid envisions an inclusive, joyful world, inspiring her community through the power of well-being.As a Colombian-American, and Queens, New York native it is an honor to serve the people of Queens through yoga, running and mindfulness. She is a dedicated runner, wellness program curator, community leader and dance and music aficionada.Outside, catch Ingrid on the run. She co-leads a 5k community social run within the Astoria/LIC area. All bodies and paces welcomed. Right now, Ingrid is dedicated to her wellness work, passion project: SOL YOGA PROJECT, and volunteer work with Yoga Love Magazine. 

If you have a story to share or know someone you’d like to celebrate reach out to us for a Latinx in Wellness: solyogaproject@gmail.com