Today we’d like to introduce you to Queen Refinement.
Hi Queen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Fitness was introduced to me at a young age because my mother was an avid member of the YMCA her whole life. However, I learned more about fitness in 2005 after entering the U.S. Army. The crazy thing is that I never enjoyed doing PT (Physical Training) in the Army. I dreaded waking up every morning and working out at 6:30 am for 5 years; I was on Active Duty. Then fast forward to 2010 when my Expiration Term of Service was up, and I moved back to South Carolina from Killeen, Texas. When moving back home, I continued to incorporate what I learned in the Army by waking up at least five days a week to work out. I was not doing this because I enjoyed it but because it was my routine and because I knew how beneficial it was. Once out of the military, I endured certain situations that caused me to understand better how beneficial fitness was for my body and my mental health. I became more conscious of how I looked and felt and started to enjoy working out. It also had a lot to do with me not being forced to do it a certain way or at a certain time.
Once back home, friends and family started to come to me about fitness and wellness tips from eating healthy and great workouts because they saw how much my body had transformed. I started working out with a friend (Monique McDowell) at the gym and giving her tips for free back in 2010. I remember conversing with her one morning at the gym, and she said, “You should be a Personal Trainer” because you are great at this. I didn’t think much of it then, but I started exploring the idea later.
Between 2010-2013 I started training people on the side. In 2013 I met my life partner JahTheGod7, and I told him my vision to own a fitness studio and be an example for people in the fitness industry. He helped light the entrepreneurial fire in me because he had been a successful entrepreneur for over 10 years.
In March 2014, I went ahead and gained my Personal Training Certification. Just a couple of months later, I endured a situation where I had to choose to continue working at a certain job. At that time, I could not, and I needed something more flexible. With little knowledge about being an entrepreneur or the fitness industry, I opened up a fitness studio in Spartanburg. It was only in operation for 3-4 months because the timing needed to be aligned amongst so many other things. I’ll share that in-depth story another time.
In the summer of 2014, my wonderful man JahTheGod7 gave me a great idea to start conducting free Bootcamp classes at Cleveland Park in Spartanburg to reach my community by getting people more familiar with me and giving back and being of service. He and I conducted free Spring & Summer Bootcamp workouts from 2014-2018.
Throughout those years, I also worked at Golds Gym as a Personal Trainer Manager, 10 Star as a Cert. PT, and was the General Manager of 2 9Round Fitness gyms. In 2017 a friend of mine (Ivory Balsley) invited me to a Hot Yoga class and a 1-day yoga retreat. This was my first time trying yoga, and I enjoyed both and knew I wanted more of this.
In 2019 my mother passed at 59 yrs young unexpectedly, which hit me like a ton of bricks. At the time, I was doing fitness full-time on my own. However, due to the emotional, mental, and physical strain, I stopped working out with all my clients and had to take some much-needed time to heal. So May 2020, I enrolled in a BA Psychology w/ a concentration in Mental Health program to understand better and help myself with what I was experiencing. Once I jumped back into the fitness/wellness industry, I knew that the knowledge gained could better assist my clients as well.
In May 2020, amid Covid, my dear friend Ivory reached out to me about a wonderful online Yoga Teacher Certification program that was going on. Without hesitation, I jumped into that program as well. During the 9 months of being in the Yoga Teacher Program, I saw how much it was serving me with refining myself, and I knew then that I wanted to give this gift to others as well. I love helping people get physically fit, but through psychology and yoga, I have gained a deeper passion for wanting to help people with not only their physical but their mental, emotional, & spiritual well-being as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it most definitely has not been a smooth road at all. There were many obstacles along the way. Trying to stay committed to my passion for serving others through wellness has been a challenge when my children were smaller and still is due to having to prioritize and put them and their activities first, having to work other jobs (outside of the fitness/wellness industry) out of necessity, that doesn’t necessarily align with my passion or goals, the lack of support at times, and the curve balls that life has thrown at me in the midst of it all. I am sure there are more struggles to come, but I embrace them with open arms knowing that there is a beautiful lesson to be learned and that it can only aid me on my continuous journey to refine.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an RYT-200 HR Hatha Yoga Instructor who is Yoga Alliance Certified, AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Stillness Coach & Mental Refinement Strategist. With over 13 years of experience in the professional fitness & wellness industry, I have been bringing individuals together within my community through workouts and fitness & wellness education. I specialize in assisting people in refining their emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical states through my guidance and tools to help them stop looking outside of themselves and to turn inward and look within. I am most proud of the individuals who come to me and tell me that I have been a light in their life because if my work positively benefits just a few people, then I know I have assisted in the betterment and elevation of the world. What sets me apart from others is the positive energy I possess. If you met me, you’d know what I mean.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I have learned is to slow down and be still. I have learned that stillness is imperative for growth and development. I have always been such a busybody and always been on the go, but through the chaos of life, I have learned that continuously “Doing” only causes you to implode and explode, but “Being” is where true peace resides.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.therefinementsanctuary.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therefinementsanctuary/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QueenRefinement?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: Personal FB- https://www.facebook.com/relesha.thompson/ Personal IG – https://www.instagram.com/queen_refinement/?next=%2F
Image Credits
Jacques Booker “JahTheGod7”
