Community Highlights: Meet Ronda Thornton of True North Total Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronda Thornton.

Hi Ronda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi. My yoga practice began as a way to improve flexibility and hopefully balance the demands of my legal career. I realized that there were benefits beyond the physical practice as I began showing up and being more energetically present, whole, and accountable in my relationships and work. The practice was a springboard for creating more peace, balance, and purpose in my life and it helped me to realize that I was really searching for alignment. I believe that while my journey may be unique, my experience is not. Ultimately, we are all seeking to thrive and live as our most vibrant, authentic, and highest selves, and that path is unique for all of us. When we connect and align to our unique centering point, we also find our purpose and how we are meant to contribute to the greater good. As my practice continued to deepen, I eventually became a registered yoga teacher and I feel honored to now share yoga with others as a component of holistic wellness. I currently teach aerial, yin, restorative, and alignment-based yoga classes at Southwest Atlanta Yoga. My yoga teaching philosophy prioritizes making the practice safe, inclusive, approachable, and accessible to all practitioners, while encouraging bodily autonomy.

 I am also the founder of True North Total Wellness (TNTW), a wellness community that provides a breadth of holistic wellness programs, products, and services to support our customers in their alignment journey. In 2020, TNTW opened its first Wellness Lounge in Atlanta’s historic West End as a space that centers personal and communal well-being. It is important to have sacred spaces that fill us with light and help us on our healing and self-discovery path. The Wellness Lounge is designed as a safe and relaxing space that serves as a tea room, a meetup for wellness events and discussions, and features a curated collection of wellness resources. The space is a portal that offers light and reminds us what it means to care for ourselves and show up for those around us. So many of us are craving meaningful connections and I believe that sacred spaces like the TNTW Wellness Lounge are extremely potent and simple ways of connecting to ourselves, our community, and our environments.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t been smooth but it has definitely been worthwhile. Like many small businesses, the pandemic presented a number of obstacles and forced me to pivot in a number of ways. The opening of the Wellness Lounge was pushed back several times due to construction delays and uncertainty about the lockdown restrictions. Additionally, I struggled with sourcing materials for products from suppliers and vendors. However, the challenges did not come without opportunities in expanding our e-commerce store, social media engagement, and virtual yoga class offerings, which helped increase our engagement beyond customers in the brick-and-mortar space. Community is not just confined to a building or space. Since its inception, the TNTW Wellness Lounge has provided a space to support others, particularly wellness practitioners, in their efforts to serve the community’s needs. The business continues to evolve, grow, and transform to reflect those needs, however, the intentions and mission will always be to help others align to their most whole highest self. I continue to remain open and inspired by the vision of those around me. To date, the Wellness Lounge has held space for others by hosting guided meditations, training, video productions, book clubs, creative arts for kids, and even birthday parties.

 Thanks – so what else should our readers know about True North Total Wellness?
Most notably, TNTW is proud to found and manage the unique aerial yoga program at Southwest Atlanta Yoga. The support of the hammock allows spinal decompression, relief of joint pressure, deepened stretch and easier access to more challenging mat based-yoga postures. We continue to offer expanded classes including aerial restorative, aerial flow, and our upcoming aerial yoga teacher training. There are so many ways to be part of the community and we offer something for just about everyone by featuring a breadth of wellness programs, products, and services to provide a unique experience for our customers. We invite you to join us for yoga and meditation classes, attend a curated wellness event, shop online and explore wellness resources on our website and social media pages. Our bohemian-themed Wellness Lounge offers a serene environment to simply relax and enjoy a complimentary cup of tea.

 Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Talk to people. I’m introverted so networking events always feel forced and awkward to me. Also, as a person who is multi-passionate and multi-hyphenate, encapsulating my work into a LinkedIn profile or elevator pitch feels incredibly stifling. However, I love connecting with people who are passionate about their work and using their gifts and talents to uplift. I’ve met the most amazing people and found some great mentors in unlikely places by simply having natural conversations. Even if someone doesn’t work in your industry, listening to their stories can offer advice, inspiration, and value. People are more than their titles and have likely worked in multiple industries over the course of their lifetime. In fact, different perspectives, backgrounds, and nuances are actually things I’ve come to value in my mentorships. I’ve even had mentors suggest others within their network if they felt someone was better suited to address a particular need. Finally, be open to the advice and insight they provide and always thank them for their support, guidance, and time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tntwc.com
• Instagram: @truenorthtotalwellness
• Facebook: @truenorthtwc
• Address: 576 Lee St SW, Suite I, Atlanta GA 30310

Image Credits:
Darian “DC” Clark | Black Visionary Studio (all images)