My Why
My love affair with health and wellness began when I was fourteen. I didn’t know much about fitness beyond gym class, but I saw an ad for an evening aerobics class at the local elementary school and signed up. I had no idea that walking into that first class would start a lifelong journey that still shapes who I am today. As I followed the teacher’s cues, moved with the music, and tried to keep up with the choreography, I felt something awake inside me.
I noticed my muscles were working, shortening and lengthening with each move. I started to understand resistance, repetition, and what it meant to feel strong in my own body. I felt more alive. Yes, I was tired at the end, but it was that good tired—the kind where you know you’ve given it your all. So, I kept going back. I was hooked.
Soon I was devouring anything I could find about the human body and movement. I went to the library and checked out books on exercise and wellness. I bought workout tapes (yes, the old-school kind), took up running, and eventually joined my first gym. When I was old enough, I registered for my first aerobics instructor certification and began teaching multiple classes a week. I was, and still am, amazed by what the human body can do and how we can support and shape it with intention. This love affair has stayed with me my entire life.
Since then, my path has included twists and turns, both personally and professionally, but one constant has always been my commitment to health and wellness. I’ve always understood, deep down, that our choices matter—that we have power in how we care for ourselves. That realization is both grounding and freeing. Wellness has shown up differently in different seasons of my life. There have been times when I had hours to devote to it, and other seasons when finding ten minutes felt like a victory.
My own wellness has included strength training, movement, and mindful nutrition, as well as spiritual practices like meditation and prayer. It has also meant seeking support from others through chiropractic care, massage therapy, energy work, acupuncture, and homeopathic care. Many of these practices remain part of my life today, evolving as I do.
Health and wellness have become my passport—carrying me into versions of myself I once only imagined and helping me build the resilience to meet life as it comes. They have supported my growth physically, mentally, and spiritually. Through this journey, I’ve gotten to know the “best version” of me many times over, and that version keeps changing as my body, my life, and my priorities change. Wellness, for me, is no longer just about discipline and drive; it’s also deeply about self-compassion and care. We need both at every age and stage.
I’m profoundly grateful that I discovered this love so early. It has given me endless opportunities to learn, to nurture my own health, and to walk alongside others as they explore theirs. There is nothing quite like watching someone remember their own power—to see them claim, and reclaim, their health and wellness in ways that feel true to their life.
That brings us to today. Welcome to Rising Tides Wellness by Leslie—a space where you can exhale, get curious, and reconnect with yourself. Here, we dig deep, dream boldly, and design health and wellness practices that fit our real life. This is where we begin to explore your “why,” together.
