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Black Being, a queer and woman-founded nonprofit wellness studio, is built around one core idea: People deserve a place to simply exist.
Founded in 2020 by Alli Simon, the studio’s executive director, Black Being officially opened as a physical studio in 2023. It was created as an accessible wellness space for communities of color, particularly Black residents in Inglewood and South LA.
“Meditation became kind of my safe place, particularly growing up and being from communities where there aren’t a lot of quiet spaces,” Simon said. “My family has been in South Central for the last five generations, and so it was always important for me to really find a space where I could find some quiet.”
That intention carries through in the studio’s programming and how the community uses the space today. Every month, Black Being hosts donation-based yoga classes, meditation sessions, healing workshops and other community-centered wellness programming.
Black Being emerged during a period when many Black-owned community spaces were struggling to survive nationwide. According to a National Bureau of Economic Research study, the number of active Black-owned business owners dropped 41% during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was the largest decline among any racial group.
At a time when many Inglewood and South LA residents are balancing financial instability, political tension and collective stress, Black Being became more than just a yoga studio.
For members like Sharla Berry, Black Being became an essential part of her wellness routine. A South Central native and Inglewood resident, she’s been a monthly member since the studio’s earliest days. She said she was drawn in not just by the classes, but by the consistency of the space and the community it has built over time.
“It is just a great community,” she said. “You kind of see the same people, and it is good to know you have like-minded folks and like-minded Black folks cheering you on.”
That sense of community is reflected in how the studio operates.
“People of color and Black folks are a lot of times overlooked and priced out and not considered when it comes to a lot of wellness modalities,” said Dr. Tara Zinnamon, a yoga instructor and neuroscientist who teaches at Black Being.
At Black Being, wellness is approached communally rather than individually. Community members gather not only for movement classes, but for conversations around rest, emotional well-being, and collective care.
“We pour it into each other and take care of one another,” Simon said.
During an afternoon class preparation, Zinnamon sat stretching on a yoga mat in colorful socks and relaxed clothing, embodying the calmness the studio encourages.
“When you aren’t well, you can’t think of a better future,” Zinnamon said. “You don’t have the mental capacity, and sometimes don’t have the physical space and capacity, to be able to think beyond your current circumstances.”
For Zinnamon, wellness practices are deeply connected to Black history and healing traditions, despite how the modern wellness industry is often marketed.
“These practices actually come from and were mainly created to benefit people who look like us,” she said.
That spirit of care is also visible inside the space itself, in the altar lined with candles, crystals, sound bowls and photographs honoring both historical figures and community ancestors.
“We bring in all of their wisdom and all that they were fighting for to help us move through what we’re moving through now and today,” Zinnamon said.
The work feels especially relevant during a politically tense year where many residents are carrying anxiety tied to rising rents, housing pressure and broader national uncertainty. According to UCLA research using the California Health Interview Survey, about one in four Black adults experience either serious or moderate psychological distress, and roughly two in five of those report unmet need for mental health care.
For many residents, spaces like Black Being offer something increasingly difficult to find in LA — stillness without isolation.
“Wellness can get very expensive … a lot of the programming can orient around the most privileged among us,” Berry said.
The studio’s donation-based classes and community-centered approach challenge the idea that wellness has to be expensive, exclusive or disconnected from everyday life.
Instead, Black Being positions rest, reflection and healing as necessary tools for communities navigating stress, uncertainty and survival.