Brain Power Wellness, a holistic, school-based wellness organization, works hard every day to support healthy, happy, and focused school environments. The organization owes its success to its dedicated and passionate staff, who prioritize not only the well-being of its partner schools’ members, but also its own staff members. The organization has a culture and commitment to helping its staff be the best version of themselves they can possibly be, so they can then bring that same vision to all of their program participants.
Below, Brain Power Wellness reviews three staff members who are passionate about the mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and other forms of self-healing they and their colleagues practice and incorporate into their work and personal lives, which they then strive to make more accessible to the myriad communities within, and beyond, their reach.
Imani Nalasha Burnett is Dedicated to Holistic Wellness
Imani Nalasha Burnett first began her journey with meditative practices during her undergraduate studies at SUNY New Paltz, where she received her bachelor’s degree in black studies and sociology with a concentration in human services. Her life is guided by a strong conviction about sharing holistic wellness techniques with the world, thanks in large part to her experience working with Brain Power Wellness.
Imani, 24, was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx by her grandmother, along with her five sisters. She was first exposed to wellness at a young age, as her grandmother surrounded herself with books about self-help, self-care, and nutrition.
“Looking back, I realized that she desired to be in good health, not only for herself but for us, too,” Imani said. After she graduated from college, Imani knew she wanted to share mindfulness tools with those in the public school system, and that’s when she found out about Brain Power Wellness. Imani, in her role as a Bronx Field Coordinator (which she was promoted to within one year of being hired as an Instructor), isn’t shy about sharing her glowing thoughts about Brain Power Wellness retreats.
“Our training has prepared me to share mind-body tools with children, teachers and principals and actively help them to make our program a part of their school’s culture, which is an absolute dream come true,” she said.
Imani also offered a few words of inspiration for someone who dreams of being their most authentic self but doesn’t know where to start:
“Start with yourself. Take the time to reflect on what makes your heart flutter. When I began prioritizing my emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health, I started feeling
most connected to my authentic self. From my experience, your emotional intelligence, level of discipline, senses, and having fun are your guides on this journey!”
Devon Stieglitz Finds Ways to Deal with Stress
After working in advertising for more than ten years, Devon Stieglitz started questioning the point of all the physical and mental stress his career was placing on him. That’s when he discovered that yoga and meditation could help him deal with stress in healthier ways.
Ultimately, Devon walked away from advertising to focus more on the mind-body connection and holistic health. Today, Devon works for Brain Power Wellness, and is currently the Operations Manager.
At Brain Power Wellness retreats, Devon enjoys combining mindfulness techniques with traditional business practices. He says he finds purpose in helping students learn to better manage themselves so they can pursue their dreams.
Devon grew up in New Jersey and moved to Queens, New York in his late teens for an advertising internship that led him to pursue his initial career path. He began with Brain Power Wellness in 2021, doing part-time work and packing material boxes for shipment. In just a few months’ time, however, he took over the role of Office Manager and was promoted to Operations Manager in 2022.
Devon offered us his take on tech, “Technology is my best friend in the realm of the organization. To be honest, I like to use technology to plan everything, but life doesn’t always go as planned, and technology isn’t perfect, just as none of us are. Tech, as well as other aspects of my work, help me recognize challenges as opportunities to become more organized and skilled each day.”
Jessica Arroyo’s Vision for Self-Healing Modalities
Jessica Arroyo is a Field Coordinator for the Bronx team at Brain Power Wellness, a career she began in September 2021. Her journey with mindfulness and wellness began during the pandemic lockdown when she took up yoga & meditation.
Jessica felt the transformative power of these practices and became interested in the connection between the mind, body, and emotions. Her desire to pull out children’s inner greatness and help them feel loved, seen, and empowered to become whoever they dream of being, led her to Brain Power Wellness. Her vision is to make self-healing modalities accessible and relatable to communities of color through bilingual instruction as well as a wealth of future BPW projects.
As a recent graduate from Hunter College with a B.A. in Africana Puerto Rican and Latino studies, Jessica’s passion for being part of a movement that enriches the livelihood of underserved communities brought her to become a Brain Power Wellness Field Coordinator. She has worked as a caregiver for many years and has supported her community through a variety of volunteer instruction opportunities. Her goal is to bring self-healing modalities to communities of color and make them accessible to all through bilingual instruction.
For Jessica, the most rewarding aspect of working at Brain Power Wellness is arriving at the schools and making children smile. She believes that everyone experiences challenges every day. Because of this, they need people on whom to lean and tools with which to manage their stress. The tools that Brain Power Wellness provides, such as fun, team-building activities, physical exercises, and brain training, can help communities release tension and find emotional support. Jessica looks forward to many more years of helping children and communities find joy and emotional well-being through the power of self-healing practices.
To those considering a career in social-emotional learning, Jessica encourages them to take the leap.
“If you’re looking for a career that helps your heart feel full, a social-emotional learning career might be it for you,” Jessica explains. “At Brain Power Wellness, we take care of our emotions through fun and harmonious team-building because your village and joy are pivotal to your well-being. We practice and prioritize this within our team, which is unique and makes this such a rewarding organization to be a part of for so many reasons.”
About Brain Power Wellness
Brain Power Wellness is a holistic, school-based wellness organization that supports healthy, happy, and focused school environments. The mission of Brain Power Wellness is to help transform the culture of its partner schools through self-development, mindfulness, community building, retreats, SEL, holistic wellness, and brain training for teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Recently, corporate groups have begun attending Brain Power Wellness retreats, where participants receive powerful tools for creating healthy, sustainable, and happy work environments.
