Meet The Face Behind BTS & Your #1 Supporter
Welcome to BEYOND THE SURFACE, I’m so glad you’re here! My name is Chelsea and I am a fitness instructor in Los Angeles. I have always been an active person, but for all the wrong reasons. I would use exercise as a way to punish my body and my only focus was to burn as many calories as possible and be a smaller size.
Six years ago, I quit my corporate job and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was really struggling with my mental health and decided to go back to something I loved when I was younger, yoga. Through the yoga practice, I was able to discover a new found love for movement and appreciation for my body. I found the practice to be so liberating and it helped me work through a lot of what I was going to at the time.
My life drastically changed when I started moving my body in order to feel good, rather than look good. I wanted to spread this feeling to others, helping people gain strength, clarity and resilience from the inside out. I enrolled in my 200 hour teaching training and been in the fitness industry ever since. Along the way I found a love for pilates, strength training and HIIT style workouts getting my certifications in mat pilates, reformer pilates and a NASM CPT certification. My goal is to help you find love for movement the way I have and physical and mental strength on and off the mat.
The BTS Story
I started BTS as a way to share my struggles with mental health along with the tools, habits and lifestyle changes I’ve made over the years to get to where I am today. My struggles with anxiety, depression, an eating disorder and past trauma had me stuck in limiting beliefs, unhealthy habits, a negative mindset and held me back in so many aspects of my life. At the time when I was at my lowest, I was working as a buyer for a big name fashion company. I had put my mental and physical health on the back burner, began to lose sight of who I was and living in a state of fear, doubt and negativity.
I knew at that point needed to make REAL change and make my mental and physical health a priority. I took a huge leap of faith, quit my corporate job and enrolled in yoga teacher training. As someone who has followed the rules and was set on climbing the corporate ladder, it extremely terrifying but ended up being the most amazing decision I’ve ever made. Becoming an instructor gave me a whole new perspective on movement and I was now using it to heal. I found a deep connection to my thoughts, feelings and emotions, became aware of my strength and resilience and was not only getting physically stronger but mentally stronger.
When I began to focus on my mental health, I started to gain the tools to working through limiting beliefs, change my mindset and incorporate habits to help deal with life’s challenges. I realized how much of the work I was doing on my mental health carried over into taking care of my physical health. They truly go hand in hand. They both take work, dedication and consistency and you can’t solely focus on one and neglect the other.
These changes have all made an everlasting impact on how I live my life today and ignited a new passion. I’m bridging the gap between mental and physical health, bringing you the tools to work on your mindset, reframing your thoughts and building habits that support your mental health, while providing you with challenging, energetic and intelligent workouts for your physical health.
I am now turning my pain into purpose and I’m on a mission help anyone struggling not only feel seen and understood, but also transform your mind and body to become the best version of who you already are. I’m here to remind you that you don’t have to go through the journey alone and I want to help you start to let go of the things that are holding you back by connecting to yourself on a deeper level. It won’t happen overnight but if you stay patient, are open and willing to get uncomfortable, you’ll discover a whole new version of you.