Monica Parkin
Monica DeChaine (she/her) is a compassionate licensed massage therapist and certified yoga instructor with a heartfelt mission of accessibility and inclusivity in the realm of healing. She creates a welcoming space for individuals of all backgrounds, races, genders, ages, and abilities. Her classes and sessions are thoughtfully designed to cater to diverse needs, fostering a sense of unity and self-empowerment among participants.
Monica’s signature self-love yoga workshop, Love My Fat Asana, is designed to help plus-size folx find accessibility to yoga postures by offering variations that better suit their bodies, while building community in a safe affinity space.
Since January 2018, Monica has been working with Urban Yoga Foundation and Mindful Movement Florida to offer yoga to children and adults in underserved communities. Access and social justice are key components in her work. Through the Covid wave, Monica and her life partner put forth a series of Community Movement gatherings, mixing slow intentional stretches with civic engagement, as an effort to bring healing during a time of unrest.
In 2023, Monica co-founded The Brown Care Collective, alongside three of the Mindful Movement Instructors. Our mission is to assist black and brown bodies in their healing journey with cultural specific and collaborative events.
She believes in the inherent connection between the body and mind, and through a trauma-informed lens, she helps clients and students navigate their journey of self-discovery, comfort, and ease, where healing knows no bounds.
Monica holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of South Florida. She is an alum of Leadership St. Pete, the Entrepreneurial Academy, the School of Radical Healing, the Courageous Conversations About Race Protocol, and Cortiva Institute. Her 200 hour yoga teacher training was completed in Rishikesh, India. She has been featured in Om Yoga Magazine, CanvasRebel Magazine, and Forbes.com. Monica lives with her family in sunny St. Pete, Florida. You can connect with her via instagram at @strength_and_shanti.