When Charnal Chaney was growing up, mental health was rarely talked about at the dinner table. The conversations in her family were more focused on survival than self-care. Yet, in moments of quiet reflection, she began to realize the profound impact of unaddressed emotional pain.
Today, Chaney is on a mission to redefine healing in D.C. by providing access to yoga and mental wellness, where resources are often out of reach.
As a trauma-informed yoga instructor and founder of Bold Yoga LLC, Chaney, 34, has spent nearly a decade transforming wellness in underserved communities.
Beyond yoga, she organizes the annual National Week of Healing, happening now until Dec. 21 throughout the District, featuring healing circles, yoga, and community talks on issues like gun violence and financial literacy.
Chaney also partners with grassroots organizations such as Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and Black Women Thriving East of the River to support long-term empowerment.
Her work offers clients not just resources, but a shift in perspective about the importance of emotional well-being. Her motivation is seeing the impact on those affected by her work.
“Watching that light come onto somebody’s face, who you know has been in darkness…you might not know how long, but you know they’ve been there for a good minute. That’s how I measure my work,” she told The Informer. “When I run into people, and they’re doing better than when I first met them. I know I at least played a part in it.”
The Journey to Helping Others Heal
Chaney’s healing journey began by confronting the trauma of her childhood, shaped by her parents’ incarceration and frequent moves.
At 16, after two fights on her birthday, she left D.C. to move to Richmond, in hopes of graduating from high school there. While in Richmond, she learned she was pregnant, motivating the teenage Chaney to begin making life changes.
“That’s when I realized … a lot of my misplaced anger was coming from the family,” Chaney said.
A caseworker suggested yoga to help her cope with challenges like divorce, domestic violence, and anxiety. “That was the first time I felt internal peace,” Chaney said, recalling her first experience meditating.
D.C.-based psychologist Dr. Nicole Cammack, founder and president of Black Mental Wellness, Corp, explained that trauma often keeps individuals in a heightened state of fear, making it difficult for the body to feel safe and calm.
“Practices like trauma-informed yoga can help individuals reconnect to their mind and body. It helps individuals learn what they are feeling in their body, and gives a practice for releasing emotions. It also helps to bring them back to the present moment,” Cammack said.
At 25, Chaney completed an 18-day, trauma-informed yoga certification. The intensive course taught her to identify triggers and personal traumas, which she now uses to guide her work. “People who haven’t received this type of training often lack the empathy needed to meet others where they’re at,” she said.
Creating Opportunities to Help Others Heal
Initially, Chaney tried to introduce yoga into after-school programs, but faced resistance from administrators unsure of its value. Undeterred, she took matters into her own hands, founding Bold Yoga, LLC to bring healing directly to those who need it most—without red tape.
Chaney now teaches trauma-informed yoga through her company, partnering with local groups like Martha’s Table and Serve Your City to promote wellness in the District’s predominantly Black communities. Her classes include sound bowls for calming frequencies and sage lighting to reduce stress.
A 2019 study by the National Center for Health Statistics revealed that just 13.6% of Black adults received mental health treatment, compared to 23% of non-Hispanic white adults. This disparity is a call to action for organizations like Bold Yoga, where healing begins with accessibility.
“Charnal’s work is important because she is representation in action. … Her work is targeting underserved communities and providing actionable strategies to manage stressors and trauma that may be specific to those communities,” Cammack explained. “She is also normalizing talking about mental health in a way that people can relate and without feeling judged.”
Finesse Graves, another trauma-informed yoga instructor who has known Chaney for nearly four years and worked with her on several community events, highlighted her devotion to raising awareness for mental health and wellness practices and her authenticity.
“She’s on her journey and living it out loud so that other people can also see and heal with her. There’s a state of devotion that you have to be able to assist people while you’re still in the midst of learning how to be the best version of yourself,” Graves said.
National Week of Healing
Loreal Hawk met Chaney at an event and says her life was altered when she invited her to the Week of Healing about three years ago.
Through that meeting, Chaney helped Hawk navigate personal issues, including a domestic violence situation, and also offered to provide free services for an event Hawk was planning. Now, Hawk attends the Week of Healing each year, and the two collaborate on other events together.
“Personally, Charnal came into my life at a dark time. It was really helpful for her to be there…in that moment especially when she barely knew me. Her commitment to herself and the community is just so strong. I was so moved by her movement in my life,” Hawk told The Informer.
Chaney is currently preparing for this year’s Week of Healing, planning a fundraising event, and developing a cooperative organization to allow community leaders to share ownership. Chaney’s dream isn’t just to lead yoga sessions — it’s to establish a lasting legacy.
“Once the cooperative is established, even if I walk away, Bold Yoga will still be in the community. The Week of Healing will still be in the community. My end goal is to leave the community a little bit more healed than when I got here,” Chaney said.
