Trina Campbell wants to bring healing to bodies in Detroit through yoga and reflexology!

For the past 6 years, Trina Campbell and her Sacred Space Yoga and Reflexology team have created a safe space for Christians, the elderly, basically, everybody to practice yoga and to bring healing to their bodies in Detroit.

“What makes us different is that we are not trying to promote exercise, we promote healing. While doing a headstand is cool, that is not our main goal. We want to make a difference in our clients and help them find and maintain their personal space of physical, mental, and spiritual healing.

We have created a friendly and safe space for Christians and other spiritual orientations to practice yoga.  We have created a safe space for the elderly as well.  I love to assist my clients to work within the confines of their bodies by helping them reach their edge. Yes, I will stretch them a bit, but we’ll stay within a comfortable range.

Most of my customers are between the ages of 40 to 80 years old with easily 25% over 70.  I try to keep my seniors mobile, their joints healthy, and their minds and body stable because many of them do live alone. It is not about doing headstands or doing anything like that, but I want to train relaxation and bring healing to the body through meditation, prayers, and breathwork.

I also have many people that are recovering from dealing with arthritis or autoimmune illnesses. I just want to bring health and healing to my people. It is about being able to walk out of your daily life in good health.

We also offer corporate yoga, yoga retreats, woman retreats, we work with children, and Trina does speaking engagements and some church events as well.”

The Sacred Space Yoga and Reflexology team’s unique approach has also earned them rave reviews from their clients as can be seen from some of the reviews below.

“I love Sacred Space Yoga Center, it’s a great place to unwind, strengthen your body and relax! I’m a returning student and I’m glad to get the health benefits that come from yoga.  Getting good rest is just one benefit. Thanks, Trina”- Pauline B

“I’ve been doing chair yoga with Trina since the pandemic in 2020. Since that time, I’ve started hip & back yoga. I’m absolutely satisfied with all the various activities I participate in at Sacred Space Yoga Center. I’ve recommended the classes to friends, and they too have nothing but praise for Trina. I highly recommend this center for any of the classes/activities they offer.”- Brenda P

“Sacred Space is an awesome yoga center. But Trina has built so much more than a yoga studio.  It is a community of people who care for one another; a fellowship.  There is healing for your body, peace of mind; and spiritually uplifting.   New friendships await you and your muscles will thank you.”- Kathryn W

Trina, married with two daughters, is the owner of Sacred Space Yoga and Reflexology Centre, a Detroit native, born and raised. Her entire family is in Detroit and it is only recently that work opportunities transferred 2 of her brothers to Atlanta and Florida respectively. She also works with the Hannan Centre, which is committed to preserving dignity and enhance the quality of life of seniors and has taught yoga through them. She has also worked at Wayne State University as a yoga instructor and as a mindfulness teacher.

Trina is what we like to call a Local Biz Hero, a self-made entrepreneur who brings true value to her community. High standards of professionalism and the strong work ethics of small business owners like Trina are the infrastructures of the Detroit economy.

We sat down with Trina for a quick interview –

Q: Why do you do what you do?

A: “It started in 1994 when my mom passed away of cancer at the young age of 54. That kind of got to me and turned me in a direction of healthier ways of living. It was also at that time that my daughter became a figure skater and we traveled all over the world wherever she was competing. The traveling was so eventful and magnificent and everywhere we have gone I took yoga classes. It started to consume my life because it is so healing.

When I went through a divorce in 2010, it was yoga that saved me from a mental standpoint.

It has taken me through that, and even when I lost my job in 2012 after 23 years. So, yoga has been a saving grace for me in so many ways and on so many occasions. That is why yoga tends to consume who I am and what I do.

So, everything that I do is around yoga, around ministry, and around my family”

 Q: How did you get into this profession?

A: “After the passing of my mother and my daughter competing all over the world in figure skating competitions, I noticed her figure skating club just didn’t have the mindset and they were not that flexible. That is when I self-taught myself yoga and I marketed yoga to the figure skating club. I was working with the Dearborn Figure Skating Club for probably 8 years, while I was still working in corporate America.

I received a lot of flak from people making remarks about me teaching yoga while being a Christian and a Minister. That is when I started more intense research into the background and history of yoga.

I embarked on traditional yoga training. While in training, I met a group that introduced me to a group that was teaching Christian yoga in Arizona. I went to Arizona and trained with them and when I returned to Detroit, I switched gears and started teaching Christian yoga. That was in 2008.

I have completed a 200-hour yoga teaching certificate (that is about 6 months) and thereafter also completed a separate 300-hour yoga teaching certificate (that is another year’s training) and am a member of Yoga Alliance. I also have other certifications like Chair Yoga certification, meditation, and Breathwork certification as well as other specialty certifications.

Before I left corporate America, I had a mobile yoga studio and was going from church to church. I had this crazy idea that if I open my studio people will come running to me. Big wake-up, it didn’t happen, and I realized people are territorial and wanted to stay in their territory. That was a big learning process for me.”

 Q: Being a Yoga instructor, Trina works directly with many people, we asked her what’s the most unusual situation that ever happened to her on the job?

A: “At the beginning of the pandemic my husband was helping me set up Zoom for our first online class. I was getting ready in another room when I heard my husband tell my stepmom, ‘hey mom, I think you are supposed to have clothes on and she replied ‘oh, you can see me’ and she ran out. The class was for seniors and when I mentioned it to them; their reaction was we are glad you told us because we were going to come out in our PJs.” We had such a laugh.

Sometimes people get so relaxed during the class that they tend to pass gas. You can tell that they are so embarrassed that you see them clam up and want to run out of the room. That is kind of normal. Your body becomes so relaxed, and yoga is good for digestion. That is why you shouldn’t eat before you come to class.

During a class on Zoom, a person fell asleep. I was thinking, is this person dead – do I need to get up and call them? Thank goodness he started to move. It happens a lot in class. People get so relaxed that they fall asleep.

We definitely have our hysterical moments during class.”

Q: If you could share one tip with the readers for choosing a Yoga studio, what would it be?

A: “Firstly, you need to decide what your goal is with yoga classes. If you want to stand on your head and do different poses geared to exercise, you must look for a more active yoga studio that focuses more on endurance, and yoga for athletes. If you are looking to do yoga for a healthier life, you might look for Yin Yoga which is geared to a healthier lifestyle. You may need a specialty class geared to the hips and back or a class that focuses on your neck and shoulders. If you’re in recovery, then you may want to look at Hatha classes that are done in a chair, wheelchair, or bedside and you can still enjoy the benefits of yoga.

If you are looking for a more holistic lifestyle, you would want to look at their class offerings to see what would fit your needs. If you see a full schedule of only flow classes, you should not go if you are looking for Yin Yoga classes. If you are looking for specialty modalities like breathing and meditations, then search their schedule for that.

Yoga is very personal and so unique to each person and that is why you need to find a studio that can fulfill your specific needs. You must feel a connection with the instructor, and it must feel good for your spirit, your body, and your health.

Lastly, you need to look at the certifications of the yoga instructors. Make sure the person is certified. Yoga training comes in various forms and levels. Normally it will take an instructor at least 200 hours of training to get certified and an additional 300 hours for an advance certification.”

 Q: What do you love about your community/city?

A: “Detroit has been good to us. My whole family lives here, well that was until my two brothers’ jobs took them to Atlanta and Florida respectively. We are very community orientated and even more so during the pandemic. We just became a big family. A community that cares and shares. “

For those of you who are looking for a professional yoga instructor with an emphasis on creating a safe space for physical, mental, and spiritual healing, Trina and her Sacred Space Yoga and Reflexology team should be your first call. Call Trina at (313) 352-6788, or visit www.sacredspaceyogadetroit.com