Hidden Gems: Meet Sunja Harris of SunjaYogaDanceFitness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunja Harris.

Hi Sunja, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory. 
I have always been a creative, and I have always tried to incorporate health and wellness into my lifestyle. I love dancing, stretching, and meditation. During the quarantine, my friend asked me to get a yoga teacher certification with her and I agreed. I did the course, put in my hours, and completed everything. But, for some reason, I didn’t turn in my final assignment, and I left it there. Fast forward 2 years later, I saw the certification course at an unbelievable price, and I took the course again, turned in everything, and got my certification through Yoga Alliance via Udemy in November of last year. I continued to practice and started teaching classes. 

Now, let’s rewind to the end of the summer of last year. While scrolling FB, 

I see Zumba Instructor Training is on sale, and I literally decided to do it at that moment. I love Zumba, so it was a no-brainer for me. The cost of training was something that prevented me from doing it earlier. I got my Zumba license to teach, and I’ve been teaching every chance I get lol. 

Fast forward to today, I have another add on to my business @SunjaYogaDanceFitness, where people are able to book me for private and group classes. I also teach at gyms in the Atlanta area; one of them is Clayton County Parks and Recreation. I have my Yoga Teacher Certification, am a licensed Zumba Instructor, and I also have my NASM-CPT, and I’m completing my Nutrition Coach certs as you read this article. 

My motivation and what really triggered me to move in the area of health and wellness was the passing of my sister, Shon Wimbish April 24th, 2023. I am pretty adamant about not stressing out in my daily life. However, this event made me become even more so. Even today, the stats of women not putting their health and wellness first is staggering. I decided to embark on this health and wellness journey while helping others do the same. My focus is mainly women who are sooo busy taking care of others and don’t truly understand this aspect of self-love. Taking care of yourself is not selfish. Creating boundaries for yourself is not a bad thing. Saying yes to health and saying yes to wellness will require sacrifice of some sort. 

My sister poured into everyone around her, and we had a lot of conversations about her need to pour into herself. We discussed progress and the need to just make any movement in the direction of goals and dreams. That’s why my tagline is” I just wanna see you move!” Taking even the smallest step on a consistent basis can change your life, adding quality and time to your life. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This journey has definitely not been easy. Especially bringing Yoga to a different demographic. I am a Christian, and there are a lot of misconceptions concerning Yoga practices. For me, it is exercise, stretching, strengthening, and relaxation techniques. I am fully aware of the basic practices and teachings, and I agree with most of them. I tell my clients to set their intentions in the beginning of each session and let them know that this is a time to breathe, stretch, strengthen, and relax. (Mind/body connection). 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about SunjaYogaDanceFitness?
SunjaYogaDanceFitness was started in order to help others on their health and wellness journey through various exercises, nutrition information, and relaxation techniques. Current offerings:

-Zumba 

-Yoga 

-Stretching/strengthening 

-Relaxation techniques 

-NASM-CPT 

-Meditation/affirmations 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I had a great mix of nerd, tomboy, and girlie girl growing up. I remember climbing trees, fighting boys, and choosing to stay in the house to read instead of going outside to play. I think I still embody much of that lol. I’ve always loved to sing, dance, act, and write. I started singing in church at like 5 years old. Me and my sister had to be in the choir lol. Dancing with my cousin was the best thing ever! Making up commercials with my amazing British accent was something I did as a kid. Today, I still do all of those things in some shape or form. 

Contact Info:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunjaYogaDanceFitness
• Other: www.facebook.com/SunjaDannette

Image Credits
Muhammad White