We recently had the chance to connect with Dr. Kimberly Farris and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kimberly, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Beginning my journey as a Classical Pilates teacher in training has been a source of deep joy and renewal. Unlike my full-time role in public health, which is often data-driven and policy-focused, this training calls me back into my body and into direct connection with movement, breath, and presence. It’s grounding in a different way. It’s less about reports and outcomes, more about lived experience and embodiment.
Stepping into this practice as a student again has been both humbling and energizing. Pilates demands presence, and every hour I spend practicing, observing, or practice teaching feels like an investment not only in a skill, but in my own health and in the women I’ll one day guide through this work. Being trained in this lineage under the leadership of a Black woman studio owner also makes the experience even more meaningful. It affirms representation and legacy in a field where our presence has often been limited.
What excites me most is how this personal growth ties into the mission of my business, Kymistri Wellness LLC. My focus has always been on supporting the physical and mental health of Black women in midlife or entering midlife because it is a season that brings changes in the body, shifting roles, and the need for new rhythms of care. Pilates offers strength, grounding, and mental clarity, and learning this work now is preparing me to offer it to others. That bridge between my personal joy and the larger vision of Kymistri Wellness is what keeps me inspired.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dr. Kimberly Farris, a public health scientist, educator, and founder of Kymistri Wellness LLC. My professional background is in social work and public health research and program evaluation, but my true calling has expanded into creating healing spaces where Black women, especially those entering or navigating midlife, can prioritize their physical and mental health.
Kymistri Wellness LLC is my vision of a holistic home, rooted in culture and care, for Black women navigating the shifts of midlife. We center yoga, Pilates, sound healing, and other restorative practices, not just as fitness or self-care trends, but as tools for liberation, grounding, and joy. What makes Kymistri Wellness unique is the way it honors culture, lived experience, and the specific needs of Black women in this season of life.
Right now, I’m especially excited about my Classical Pilates teacher training, which I will be offering as part of Kymistri’s work. Pilates is precise, empowering, and deeply grounding, and pairing it with the yoga and healing practices I already share allows me to create something truly integrative. At its heart, my brand is about reminding women that rest, strength, and presence are not luxuries, they are our birthrights.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that I’m learning to release is the version of myself that equated worth with constant doing. For years in my public health career, I measured my value by how much I produced, from reports written, projects launched, to deadlines met. That drive served its purpose; it carried me through demanding spaces and opened doors. But it also left little room for rest, embodiment, or joy.
Now, as I move deeper into my work with Kymistri Wellness and my Classical Pilates training, I’m embracing a different rhythm. I’m letting go of the belief that I have to push endlessly to prove myself. In its place, I’m cultivating practices that honor presence, strength, and restoration, not only for me, but for the women I serve. Releasing that old part of me feels like clearing space for something truer: a life and a brand grounded in wholeness, not exhaustion.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be: you don’t have to shrink or overextend yourself to be worthy. The world will place heavy expectations on you as a Black woman, but rest, joy, and softness are not luxuries, they are your birthright. Hold on to that truth, because one day you’ll stand in midlife reminding other Black women of the same. The care you learn to give yourself will become the care you offer to others.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would probably say that what matters most to me is creating spaces where people feel seen, safe, and whole. They know I value integrity, community, and care, not just in words, but in how I show up. Whether it’s through my public health work or Kymistri Wellness, I’m always thinking about how to center Black women’s health and well-being, especially in midlife. At the end of the day, what matters to me is helping women reclaim strength, joy, and rest in a world that so often denies them those very things.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, my titles, my possessions, what would remain is the echo of how I loved. The way I held space, the way I reminded Black women they were worthy of rest, joy, and strength. What endures is not what I carried, but what I helped others set down
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kymistriwellness.com
- Instagram: kymistri_wellness
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/kymistri-wellness-llc
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/KymistriWellness
- Other: Threads: @kymistri_wellness
Image Credits
Natosha McCrary
Alexa Idama
