yoga-poses-plus-size-yoga-jessamyn-the-underbelly

about
The Underbelly

be well, your way

Wellness is for you, period.
Welcome to wellness expanded.

The Underbelly is wellness with you at the core. We are just like you: curious, authentic, approachable and creative. We don’t aspire to perfection and invite you to come as you are. We embrace the fullness of our darkness and our light, our crazy and our sanity. The Underbelly offers the tools, practices, inspiration, knowledge and community you need to achieve the four pillars of wellness – Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual – your way.

We are passionate about embracing authenticity and self-awareness, and fostering a safe, accepting and welcoming space for wellness on your own terms. You are the wellness you need. Together, let’s create a world where everyone can discover holistic wellness that meets you where you are.

mission:

To be the go-to wellness community for anyone desiring  to achieve holistic wellness – Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual – that works for you, your way.

vision:

To create and foster a community for everyone, including those have ever felt overlooked,  underserved and left out by the wellness industry. To empower you to show up and take up space. Define and achieve wellness in a way that makes sense for you.

The Underbelly celebrates:

inclusivity:

We are a team of people from many backgrounds, ways of seeing and ways of being. We accept, celebrate and welcome you, whoever and wherever you are.

curiosity:

We’re curious about who we are. We take time to embrace our light and face our shadow selves through our practices. We’re fearless in our curiosity about you and your journey, too.

authenticity:

We are authentically us. We celebrate what makes us us, and what makes you authentically you. We are enough, and so are you. Be you. Be well, your way.

learning:

It takes courage and bravery to ask questions. We’re hungry for knowledge: about wellness, about your journey, and about how we can best help you make wellness your own.

Meet the Team

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Jessamyn Stanley

Founder, JOS, Inc.
Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, The Underbelly
she/her
Jamestown, NC and El Sobrante, CA

Jessamyn is a Double Cancer (Sun & Moon), Professional Nerd, Macaroni & Cheese Aficionado, and an internationally acclaimed leading voice in wellness. 

Her books,  ‘Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear. Get On the Mat. Love Your Body,’ and ‘YOKE: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance’ have inspired global audiences to discover the power of yoga and self-acceptance. She’s been featured by many media outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, Good Morning America, Vogue, InStyle, BET, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Allure, Shape, Out Magazine, and Forbes.

When not manifesting or in a yoga flow state, Jessamyn can be found staring at the sky or soaking in our world’s’s best rivers and bathtubs. She collects vintage furniture and is surrogate mother to several very charismatic plants, cats and the cutest  chihuahua you’ve ever seen.

Jessamyn has a lot of opinions about how to prepare the perfect cup of tea, and she’s addicted to Wikipedia. She’s never met a pair of sunglasses or a cell phone that she couldn’t eventually break and her ultimate yoga album is Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, m.a.a.d. City.

Mary Carr

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
she/her
Durham, NC
Mary is a Leo Sun and loves basking in the light of all celestial bodies.
Dedicated coffee addict, Duke’s mayonnaise snob and pickler of all things. She’s happiest in her garden, cultivating, manifesting and dreaming. She deeply values curiosity and seeks out nature to recharge. Floating in the ocean is about the best medicine she can find, second only to snuggling with her human babies. And while she misses the mountains immensely, she loves calling Durham, NC home.
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Janie Ledford

Creative Director
she/her
Greensboro, NC

Constant creator, friend to chickens, and an avid supporter of bright, bold patterns! Janie is an extreme Capricorn sun, Pisces rising, and Libra moon.

The combination of a killer work ethic with broad creative visions and indulgence in quality goods surface in all of Janie’s work, from ceramics to illustrations to web design. With a background in traditional drawing, Janie finds inspiration in the process of keeping a sketchbook with literally every idea that has ever come into her head documented in it. When she’s not making something in her home studio, she is walking her giant dog or riding bikes with her best son, Frank. Her favorite karaoke song is “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder, but that is by no means her favorite song. She is a solid Baloo+Bagheera personality type.

Chelb McMurray

Digital Community Content Manager
they/them
Minneapolis, MN

Pisces Sun, Taurus Moon, Scorpio Rising and Shrek Enthusiast

Chelb is currently living and working on the ancestral land of the Dakota people with their partner and four cats. After leaving behind 10 years as an award-winning dance teacher and choreographer, Chelb shifted their focus to yoga (300 hour YTT through Practice: School of Magic in Seattle, WA) and social justice. Their background is primarily in retail, running social media as well as Diversity and Inclusion for lululemon, Lush Cosmetics, and numerous small businesses across the country. They are passionate about using online platforms for social change and education, building community, and providing access to wellness for all. 

When they’re not on the grind, you can find Chelb cuddled up with a good fantasy novel and a glass of wine or forcing their partner through yet another Lord of the Rings Extended Edition marathon. They are a practicing witch and tarot reader, so there is a good amount of dancing naked under the full moon too.

Montez Mickles

Director of Production
he/him
Oakland, CA

Montez, a fiery Sagittarius (Gemini Moon, Libra Rising) hailing from Nashville, TN has a love for music, technology, the Stars, and the Moon.

He enjoys skateboarding, video games, and is a cannabis connoisseur (Sativa-Dominant-Hybrid for him, please). A realistic optimist, Montez is a dedicated problem solver who knows how to get whatever the job is done. He has a B.B.A in Supply Chain from Tennessee State University, almost 10 years of experience working in the restaurant biz, and a background in planning and executing productions.

Kylee C. Roberts

Media Coordinator & Producer
she/her
Brooklyn, NY

Kylee is a multimedia producer and creative who gives voices to those without a platform.

As a native New Yorker and Pisces cry-baby, she has watched the artist landscape change, and is excited to further engage with and produce more radical forms of expression.

She has previously developed and executed communications content for all digital platforms for the Lower Eastside Girls Club, and produced the Queer comedy web-series Big Egg. Outside of ‘work’ you can find her blasting 90s R&B while laughing with friends in Brooklyn and making a charcuterie board or mezcal cocktail.

Tiffani Jones

Accounting Manager
she/her
Raleigh, NC

“If I don’t know the answer to something, I will go find it. I believe in self reflection in order to continue to be the best version of oneself.”

Tiffani was born & raised in Detroit Michigan, one of 6 children on both sides of the family (mother’s & father’s side). She is a Scorpio who loves the water (but it doesn’t love my hair lol).  She has a bachelors in Accounting from North Carolina Central University with 6 years of experience that consist of non-profit and entrepreneur accounting, audits, and 990 tax preparation. Future endeavors are obtaining her CPA license and Master’s degree. She enjoys movies & music of all genres except heavy metal & bluegrass music, tried listening but couldn’t get far. She will get into a good book if recommended and not boring or slow moving stories. She loves to laugh, it is food for the soul all the time, and good food is always a plus for her. She will try anything once, within reason. If she isn’t working, you can find her spending time with 2 of her 3 children. Whether it be reading, watching anime, movies or hitting the road, she tries to keep her boys busy while her oldest is out doing what 20yr olds do: navigating her freedom while doing nails.

Devon Tyler

Paid Social Strategist
she/her
Brooklyn, NY

Devon is a determined Aries (Taurus Moon, Libra Rising)  Extroverted-Extrovert hailing from Connecticut and residing in Brooklyn, NY.

She loves sushi, cannabis, event planning, angsty pop/punk music, and traveling anywhere as long as plans are either well-executed or drastically spontaneous. She’s a new dog mom to a 10-pound Havapoo named Leo (@leotheehavapoo) and frequently takes him on her adventures. When she’s not working, she’s probably out celebrating life with friends and seeking vibrant experiences. She’s allergic to everything but willing to try anything once. 

Devon is currently a Client Success Manager at an ad tech company called Mediaocean and previously worked as a digital strategist at Horizon Media. She specializes in paid social tech working with social partners, ad agencies, and several brand verticals. She’s skilled at delivering targeted audiences, curating creative automation, and analyzing campaign performance. She’s SUPER EXCITED to return to her roots working with enterprise-level businesses and watch The Underbelly grow!