To hear the story of Wellness Revival is to hear the faithfulness and love of God.
Sara: Have you ever had a lightbulb moment? One of those moments when something just clicks and your whole world comes into view? It was my lightbulb moment that fueled my passion for health, nutrition, and fitness. I can’t even remember the year, but I think it was 2015. I was in a prayer training class and began to learn about my identity in Christ, and what that actually meant. Being a daughter of The King, adopted into His family, it meant that I was royalty. I had never really understood that before this prayer training. I remember having the epiphany “Knowing my identity, that I am not a victim to fear or my circumstances, I want to nourish my body in honor of what God has given me.”
Stepping into the authority and value given to me because of Jesus, it didn’t take me long to want to share my discovery with everyone. I’ve been on a mission ever since, taking anyone along who wants freedom. I’m determined to live healthy, whole, and free in body, mind, and spirit. I hope to help others be free.
Savannah: Ever since I can remember, I have had a desire to be an athlete, and to teach, and to coach. In 2016, God led me to Revelation Wellness, a ministry based out of Arizona that teaches people how to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the modality of fitness. It was with this ministry that God began a healing journey for me. Through this ministry, I experienced freedom from fear and shame. The healing I experienced wasn’t just in physical health, but also in my identity, my marriage, and my family. God showed me my true identity in Christ, as His daughter. How to live as His daughter, with worth, honor, and authority. He completely restored my marriage! He’s leading me to love unconditionally, to live unoffendable, and so much more! After my own healing experience, I went through training to be a Revelation Wellness Instructor. This life changing experience impacted me greatly. I can’t help but want to share this with others.
Jessica: I learned about yoga while living in Belgium, I really connected to the yogic lifestyle. Mindfulness in all we do and that is around us. Taking care of ourselves and others. Living consciously, finding balance, being present. All of it seemed to line up with who I knew God to be too. As a Christian I wasn’t sure if I was “allowed” to do yoga. I felt I had found my answer when I found Holy Yoga, a practice that incorporated the Living God, His Word, worship, and movement.
I have experienced freedom, healing, connection, energy, rest, love, and release on my yoga mat. It has been a sacred space where I can show up just as I am. Whether I am angry and need a good cry, I am tired and can hardly move, have extra energy and can’t stop moving, or I’m emotional and need to get it out of my body. My mat is a safe space, so much so, I will crave being on it. Sometimes, I crave a certain posture, sometimes I crave the release, and sometimes I crave the connection with my Creator I find every time I get on my mat.
This practice has changed my life, but it hasn’t been without challenges. I have had a lot of criticism about how yoga is the devil (it’s not, and I’d love to chat more about that with you if you have that concern). I’ve longed for a community of people who loved Jesus and yoga or Jesus and health. I prayed for years to be in such a community that I didn’t have to explain myself or fight about why I did yoga.
Together: Sara met Savannah through shared employment. Their paths continued to cross years later at CrossFit, a local church, and again at gymnastics where both their daughters were taking classes. It took one meeting of coffee and chatting for the idea of Wellness Revival to form. Sara recalls, “I don’t remember all that was said, but I do remember Savannah asking me if I wanted to create an event where I talked about food and she demonstrated fitness. I don’t even think I hesitated. I said ‘yes’ and was ready to hit the ground running. Somewhere in the conversation, she mentioned calling it something like ‘wellness revival.’ I stopped her (probably mid sentence) and said ‘that’s what it’s going to be called. Wellness Revival. That’s the perfect name for it.’
Meanwhile, Savannah and Jessica had a mutual friend who mentioned to Savannah that Jess was a Holy Yoga instructor. Their certifications were sister ministries once upon a time. Savannah, now certified in Revelation Wellness and Jessica in Holy yoga.
After meeting, Jess, Savannah, and Sara agreed to this crazy idea of putting on a two day event, where they would incorporate their passions of nutrition, fitness, and yoga with Word, and Worship for the Lord. The two day event was a huge success! The three continued putting on monthly events in parks, at churches, or wherever they were invited. Wellness Revival was mobile!
Eventually, Wellness Revival formed a partnership with Valley Christian Center that led to the gym space we call home today! Having this location gives us a home base to hold a steady schedule of classes while still allowing us the freedom to go where God calls us.
