Check Out Raquel Bueno’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raquel Bueno.

Hi Raquel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in Los Angeles, I was fortunate enough to have a mom that told me anything was possible.

She converted to Islam when I was 13 and definitely moved to her own rhythm. She knew there was something that moved us from the inside out. AND we struggled, we were poor and my mom’s spirit was not as tethered to work as it was to freedom. While this might sound somehow romantic, it mostly wasn’t.

We moved constantly; sometimes living in motels, dingy apartments, or with friends. My parents divorced when I was five and while stability wasn’t something I knew a lot about, the possibility was. We were challenged by larger family issues (alcoholism, denial, silence) and an overall sense of scarcity. For me, this became a driver toward creating some financial stability.

As my father taught me, keep your head down, work hard, and work toward the American dream. He, my grandparents, and aunts & uncles work in labor camps picking fruit up and down the fields of California. As Mexican immigrants, my grandparents 100% believed that hard work was the “problem solver” of life and the key to financial and family stability. Growing up with these dual experiences as a multi-racial Mexican child and woman I adopted the belief that my uniqueness was my savior and my separation.

I was simultaneously spiritual and connected to God while often feeling utterly alone. As an adult, I worked in advertising for many years in Los Angeles before moving to Nashville and working in the same field. The constant through all of this was Yoga. I’ve practiced and/or taught most of my adult life. It offered me the potential of Liberation and brought me closer to understanding my personal and divine connection to my own universal goodness.

In Nashville, I was directly confronted by racism in a way I hadn’t known before. While my title was impressive (EVP), the way I was perceived and treated as a Mexican woman was challenging. My boss would “jokingly” ask if I rode my donkey to work or would ask me where “my sombrero” was? This is where generationally traumas showed up. While I protested these questions and comments, I never did it in a serious or firm way… I just kept my head down and worked.

I left advertising over 10 years ago and while giving up the financial consistency was a challenge, embracing a life of owning a Yoga studio and teaching was far more rewarding. A couple of years after buying my studio, I became a Lululemon ambassador and faced a similar challenge in the wellness community.

I was excited to use this platform as a way to lift up my heritage and did my photoshoot using these beautiful Mexican tissue paper flowers we’d often have parties and events. If you are Mexican, you probably know what I’m talking about. The photos turned out beautifully but Lululemon asked for a reshoot of my session because the photos were “off-brand”. Wow. How can culture, a PERSON be “off-brand?”

These moments stacked on each other created a fire in me to dig deep and stand taller. It was a catalyst for taking the stand for myself that I had always taken for others. Today, my hope is that I inspire people with my passion for being a face of diversity for Hispanic, mixed-race, and women in general. These moments impact us but they do not define us and there’s a community that holds and loves you.

Yoga uncovered my courage and offered me a home within my own soul. It also allowed me to teach and travel the world while having a home base in Nashville. My hope is that we recognize that life is a practice and that with a bit of perseverance and devotion, we get a little more connected to ourselves and each other, and we lift each other up.

I wrote this recently and it feels right: “As I’ve grown, evolved, and lived a little, I’ve realized that it’s really a delicate sprinkling of magic and hard work… or grit if you will. Some of the goodness I’ve manifested, I’ve spent decades working on and some things have shown up through the magic of grace. The other stuff?The stuff that hasn’t gone so right? The choices that weren’t my best moments? That’s all part of the stew. We practice getting it right by sometimes getting it wrong.

Life’s going to throw some obstacles and challenges into the mix. Trust. You’ve already manifested so much and your heart is capable of even more. Love your humans, stay connected to your source, and most importantly, love YOU. You’re always your best option.”

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I referenced them in my story but specifically;

Poverty. Homelessness as a child. Racism. Scarcity. Sense of not belonging.

I’m happy to elaborate more than the “mini” version I wrote in my story if you’d like. The road has definitely not been smooth but it’s been one of growth, humbling moments, and grace.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a yoga practitioner, student, teacher, and teacher trainer.

Everything I do is influenced by real-life experiences. I teach one on one sessions, Yoga teacher training in Nashville as well as internationally. I utilize the practices of Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda to support people in finding their own way. I also do one on one Yoga mentorships using the Yoga Sutras as a guide to life and living.

I think my greatest gift is seeing people beneath the veneer of life’s impact; seeing other humans for who they really are and holding them in the reality of their own goodness and spirit. I’m kind of a placeholder for potential and actualization.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
So many people deserve credit:

*First, my mom, was brave and in relentless pursuit of God. She converted to Islam and then became a Sufi. She also showed me how to always love women and girlfriends. That we were never a competition for each other but rather the lamps that lit the way.

*My dad, for his tenderness. Below his challenges with alcoholism is an unimaginable amount of tenderness; more than he could hold in this lifetime.

*My Yoga teachers and spiritual mentors. They were the placeholders for belief, and potential recognized in my heart. They kept the lamp lit.

*The people who didn’t believe in me. From you, I gathered the courage to grow out of dissonance and stand taller, speak louder, and also softer when necessary.

*My husband for never holding me back but holding so much space for me to grow into myself.

*My girlfriends. We love, we gather, and we see each other as our best selves in even the worst moments.

Contact Info:

• Email: raqpoet@gmail.com
• Website: www.almapoeta.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raqpoet/

Image Credits
Heidi Ross, Mayter Scott, and Ashley Hilbert