Meet Sasha Crossman | Founder of Minding My Own Mental, Yoga Instructor & Wellness Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sasha Crossman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sasha, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my own business was both a heart-led decision and a response to a real gap I saw in the wellness industry. After years of teaching and working in community spaces, I realized how often BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folks were left out of conversations around healing and self-care — or were expected to fit into systems that weren’t built with us in mind.

I wanted to create something that felt inclusive, affirming, and deeply intentional — where healing wasn’t treated like a luxury but a right. Minding My Own Mental LLC was born out of that vision: to hold space for people to reconnect with themselves through yoga, sound healing, and community-based wellness events. I knew I couldn’t wait around for the perfect job or space to exist — so I built it.

Starting my own business gave me the freedom to lead with my values, center community care, and blend lived experience with evidence-based practice

What should our readers know about your business?
My business, Minding My Own Mental LLC, was born out of a need — my own, and the community’s. It’s a wellness brand that centers healing for those who are often left out of traditional wellness spaces: BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folks, and anyone who’s ever felt like they had to dim their light to fit in. Through yoga, sound healing, coaching, and community events, I create spaces that feel like an exhale — where people can rest, release, and reconnect with themselves without judgment.

What sets my work apart is the intention behind it. I don’t offer one-size-fits-all wellness. I blend lived experience, trauma-informed care, spiritual practices, and evidence-based approaches to create healing that feels real, relatable, and culturally relevant. I’ve taught in yoga studios, school gyms, backyards, and community centers — because for me, healing should never be gatekept.

Getting here wasn’t easy. I left a stable career in education after nine years to pursue this work full-time, and that leap came with fear, imposter syndrome, and financial instability. But I trusted my calling. I stayed rooted in purpose. I learned to ask for help, to rest without guilt, and to keep going even when it was hard. I’m most proud of the spaces I’ve built — from community sound baths to full-day retreats — and the people who’ve felt seen, safe, and empowered in them.

What I want the world to know is this: Healing doesn’t have to be polished. It doesn’t have to look like what you see online. Sometimes healing is messy, loud, slow, or quiet — but it’s still valid. My brand exists to remind people that they are not too much, not too broken, and never alone in their journey. Minding My Own Mental is more than a brand — it’s a movement.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend came to visit L.A., the whole city better get ready because we’re doing it all — healing, laughter, food, movement, and probably a little crying (the good kind). She lives in New York and she’s my soul sister, so when we finally get time together, it’s sacred. We don’t waste a minute — but we also don’t rush. It’s about presence, and intention.

Day 1: Land Softly & Breathe

We’re starting slow — no alarms, no stress. A walk along Hermosa Beach Pier to ground, breathe, and remind ourselves what blue skies feel like. Then straight to Palmilla for those handmade tortillas with cinnamon butter. It’s giving warm hug on a plate. We’ll flow through a CorePower Yoga class to sweat off the jet lag and officially arrive in our bodies. Then back home to shower and catch up — because we haven’t talked in person in forever, and FaceTime doesn’t count when it comes to soul family.

Day 2: Sculpt, Sage & Salsa

We’re waking up and choosing violence — aka Yoga Sculpt. Nothing says “bestie trip” like struggling through burpees and laughing through core work. The payoff? We’ve officially earned all the snacks and indulgence this week will bring.
Post-sweat, we’re heading to House of Intuition to set some intentions, browse crystals, and pretend we’re not about to burn all the sage we buy in one week. Then off to The Last Bookstore, one of my favorite places to get lost and reset. We’ll end the night at Fiesta Martin in Inglewood with tacos, margaritas, and stories that get louder with each round.

Day 3: Nature, Naps & Neck Cracks

We don’t play about recovery. Breakfast at Porto’s (because guava cheese pastries are non-negotiable), then a soul-stirring hike in Palos Verdes — the views alone are therapy. Afterward, we’re treating ourselves to a Thai massage at Siam Wala because nothing heals like getting your back walked on. We’ll wrap the day with a movie night at home — probably something ridiculous, because balance.

Day 4: Drag Me to Brunch

Today’s all glitter and good vibes. We’re going to Hamburger Mary’s Drag Brunch, which is basically church if church had bottomless mimosas and Beyoncé impersonators. We’ll dance, we’ll tip, we’ll eat pancakes. Then vintage shopping or maybe a spontaneous adventure — we never plan everything. We just follow the vibe. Back home early because brunch hits hard and we’ll need a nap by 4 p.m.

Day 5: Wine Down in Santa Barbara

This is our exhale day. We hop on the Amtrak to Santa Barbara — no traffic, just peace and train snacks. Once we’re there, we’ll wander, taste wine, talk about life, and feel fancy. We’ll find tacos (because we always find tacos), then take the train back in time for a quiet night in. Maybe a sound bath, maybe just laying on the floor listening to HER — whatever our nervous systems are asking for.

Day 6: Sweat, Scream, Repeat

We start with a fiery CorePower Yoga class to wake up the body. Then grab smoothies and head into the city for something unexpected — an LAFC soccer game. The energy in that stadium is wild and joyful and full of life. It’s a good reminder that movement doesn’t always have to be on a mat. Later, maybe a rooftop hang or movie under the stars — something chill with good views.

Day 7: In-N-Out & Intentions

We’re keeping it soft today. Maybe some journaling in the morning, or tea and a deep stretch. Then breakfast at Hilltop Coffee or Highly Likely — somewhere that feels cozy and Black-owned or queer-owned, ideally both. We’ll take a quiet walk through Descanso Gardens to reflect on the week, the love, the laughter, the everything.
And before the airport? You already know. In-N-Out. Fries, animal style. Milkshake if we’re in our feelings (and we always are on goodbye days). We’ll cry a little, laugh a lot, and promise to plan the next trip sooner. Because when your soul sister comes to town, you make the whole week feel like a prayer and a party at the same time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people and forces that have shaped my path, but if I had to dedicate this shoutout, it would go to the village that held me up — both seen and unseen.

First, to my daughter, who is the reason I keep going and the reminder of why this work matters. Becoming a mother made my healing non-negotiable, and she keeps me grounded in my purpose every single day.

To my wife — my partner in love, growth, and vision — thank you for believing in me when I doubted myself, for holding it down during the late nights and early mornings, and for loving me through every season of transformation. This wouldn’t be possible without you.

To my friends who became chosen family — the ones who reminded me I didn’t have to shrink to survive, and who held space for me to become. I also want to shout out the incredible BIPOC healers, educators, and disruptors who have modeled what it looks like to reclaim rest, softness, and radical joy.

And lastly, to every student, client, and community member who has trusted me with their healing — thank you. Your stories have shaped my own, and I carry them with me in every class, every event, every breath.

Website: https://www.mindingmyownmental.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindingmyownmental/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-crossman-5aa2b787

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sasha.e.crossman

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sashacrossman-amezcua4989