Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Kisellus.
Hi Rachel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I found yoga during undergrad back in 2002 in Seattle, where I was dealing with the kind of college stress that makes you question all your life choices. It wasn’t instant enlightenment, but it lit a spark. Over the next decade, yoga became my anchor. I trained for my 200-hour certification in 2012 and completed my 500-hour by 2014, practicing daily and diving deep into Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
I also trained in Paddle Board Yoga, exploring ways to bring the practice outdoors while living in Florida. But the real pivot came during the COVID lockdown ~ I found the hoop. What started as a way to move a little off my mat turned into a form of moving meditation. It felt like yoga, just spun inside out. But well, the traditional yoga studios didn’t quite see it that way. I was gradually pushed out of every space I taught in or practiced at.
So I took it outside. I focused on hooping and intuitive movement under the sky (more recently, under the shade structure), and just kept showing up. And then, almost like it was waiting for me, the county built Parrish Community Park, just up the street from my neighborhood. It became home base for Wildflower Wednesdays and everything I offer now. I didn’t force it… it just unfolded. And the students showed up, like a wildflower bloom. I feel very grateful.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth? No. Transformative? Absolutely.
I spent years in yoga studios, training, teaching, and building community, only to find that when I started evolving, I no longer fit their mold. When I brought in the hoop, I was met with confusion at best, resistance at worst. I wasn’t trying to disrupt anything, but I was trying to move in a way that felt real to me. I slowly got pushed out of every studio I was part of. It was disorienting, especially after so much time invested.
There was also the emotional side of all this. Yoga was (and still is) sacred to me, and it hurt to feel exiled from the very spaces where I’d once felt belonging. For a while, I felt untethered, like I had no container for what I was offering.
But then I stopped looking for a room and started building something in the open air. The park quite literally showed up, and so did the Wildflowers ~ my students, my people. It’s been hard at times, but every “no” just carved the path for a bigger, more honest “yes.” Again, I am so grateful.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Wildflower is an outdoor movement experience built for people who crave connection to their bodies, to the earth, and to each other. It’s not yoga in a box or a hoop fitness fad. It’s a playful, powerful blend of yoga-inspired movement and hula hooping, designed to wake up your senses, regulate your nervous system, and spark joy in ways traditional yoga just can’t.
I host weekly classes at Parrish Community Park under a big shade structure surrounded by open space and birdsong. We don’t sit still or lie down. We move. We laugh. We balance, spiral, and sometimes wobble, but we do it together.
I specialize in fascia-focused movement that supports stability, balance, and flow, especially for adult women who feel overlooked by the mainstream wellness world. I call my students the Wildflowers. They’re the heart of everything. Some are brand new to movement, others are retired yogis rediscovering joy through the hoop. Everyone is welcome, and nobody has to be “good” to belong.
What sets Wildflower apart is that it’s not strict ~ it’s deeply personal. It’s not about flat abs or fancy poses; it’s about feeling alive in your skin and connected to the ground beneath your feet. I’m proud that we’ve created something that feels both expansive and intimate ~ a little weekly ritual that reminds us who we are.
If you want to join us, head to wildflowerhoopyoga.com to sign up. Classes are every Wednesday at 9am at Parrish Community Park. You’ll reserve your spot online, and hoops are always provided. Just bring water and wear something you can move in. You can also find me on Instagram at @wildflowerhoopyoga to get a feel for the vibe.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Honestly, I’ve never had a formal mentor in the traditional sense. Most of the people who ended up shaping me were students, peers, or folks I crossed paths with while doing the work. But I have to give credit to my teacher, Sharon Denton. She’s always been just a phone call away, even when I was pivoting into something no one really understood yet. When others were telling me, “This probably won’t work,” she was the one saying, “Keep going.”
Networking, for me, has never been about selling myself. It’s been about showing up. The most meaningful connections I’ve made have come through being consistent, curious, and real. I don’t try to impress. I try to connect. If you’re building something different, don’t waste energy trying to convince the doubters. Just keep creating. The right people will feel it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wildflowerhoopyoga.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/wildflowerhoopyoga
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/wildflowerhoopyoga
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wildflowerhoopyoga
Image Credits
Bonnie Paul
Manatee County Government
