Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Ruiz.
Hi Cynthia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, 200 HR Registered Yoga Instructor, and self-proclaimed minimalist and organization expert.
In 2019, I created WorkStressLess LLC to teach others the life-changing benefits of mindfulness so they can feel more connected to themselves, the work they do, and the people they love. I also enjoy showing others how to incorporate mindfulness in their home by organizing spaces with less stuff and more intention.
However, I didn’t always have mindfulness in my life.
I served in five Texas public schools as a 9th-12th English teacher for 14 years. I’d dreamed of being a teacher since I was 5 years old (I used to make my brothers play school with me), and if you tried to warn me that I would experience trauma over and over again in my classroom, I would’ve told you I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and I could handle it.
Turns out, I couldn’t handle teacher trauma. No teacher truly can. Over the years, I constantly noticed how much I wanted to help my students and how little I often could. I struggled with several incidents of trauma in my classroom that ranged from students experiencing homelessness to students contemplating suicide to even having a student murdered, and I often carried home sadness, guilt, blame, anger, and helplessness. Each experience taught me I didn’t have the capacity to help my students process their emotions, much less my own. Some people say that’s a therapist’s job, but the truth is, we all need and deserve strategies to deal with difficult emotions 24/7.
Thankfully, I learned about mindfulness at SXSWEdu in 2017 and I remember feeling like I could breathe freely and deeply for the first time in years, no matter what stress was happening in my classroom or personal life.
I began practicing mindfulness on my own and teaching my students what I learned. I noticed a positive shift in my relationships, not only with my students, but also with my partner, my family and friends, and most importantly—myself. I began to understand the power of knowing I can’t control what happens, I can only control how I respond—one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time.
After earning my yoga certification, I quit teaching in 2018 to focus my time and energy on designing the life I want for myself, and that includes sharing mindfulness and yoga with as many people as possible.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
So many people talk about starting your own business like it’s easy to do but it’s not and launching my business has not been a smooth road… As a business owner, you have to wear so many hats! I’ve learned marketing, social media, web design, sales, and business operations on top of trying to actually do what I want to do, which is meet with clients and share mindfulness and yoga with them. When the pandemic hit, I wasn’t able to attend sales conferences anymore which is where I was meeting potential clients and had to shift my attention to nurturing relationships and referrals as much as possible. I’m working on taking things one day at a time and focusing on what I can do, and so far, referrals and opportunities keep coming in!
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?
I help clients retrain their brain to shift out of stress and feel more connected to their mind, body, and life using science-based mindfulness practices. I definitely want people to understand that mindfulness isn’t just about staying positive or taking a deep breath, it’s about creating space so you can respond instead of react to whatever life throws your way. What sets me apart is that I work with individual clients who range in age from 7 to 87, and I’ve provided a variety of group sessions to education and nonprofit groups, retail teams, sales and software corporations, tech industry firms, senior living communities, and even a team at Austin Public Health before relocating back to DFW.
Something I am most proud of is the work I’ve done with an 80-year-old client who has dementia and struggled with anxiety and depression after learning about her diagnosis. After one year of ongoing 1:1 sessions, she is now able to focus more on the present moment and gratitude instead of worrying about the future. She has less anxiety and enjoys a better relationship with her family. She may have difficulty with her memory, but she absolutely understands that while she can’t control her diagnosis or what it may do to her, she can still make the choice to keep living her life with more connection and less stress, one day at a time.
I specialize in sessions that hold space for clients to acknowledge the stress they have in their life and understand how to manage it more easily with specific mindfulness strategies. My areas of specialty include Self-Care, Teacher Stress, Work-Life Balance, Career Transition, Social Justice and Political Stress, Mindful Communication, De-Escalation Training, and Dementia and Cognitive Decline Care. Most sessions are held virtually and I can also host in-person workshops for small teams at my personal home studio. I also offer home organization sessions to help clients feel more connected in their homes by organizing spaces with less clutter and more intention.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I see the mental health industry exploding over the next 5-10 years, with a growing appreciation of the scientifically proven benefits of mindfulness and meditation. I believe more doctors, counselors, and therapists will begin referring patients to mindfulness services like mine to support their mental health journey. More schools are already incorporating social-emotional learning into their curriculum and some schools are even offering yoga or mindful movement as stress relief for students and teachers, and I think this trend will continue. I also believe more businesses of every industry will start encouraging employees to prioritize their mental health and actively connect them with companies like WorkStressLess.
Pricing:
- Individual Mindfulness Sessions starting at $75/hour
- Group Mindfulness Sessions starting at $200/hour for up to 20 people
- Home Organization Sessions $100/hour (2-hour minimum)
- Yoga Sessions starting at $25/half hour
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://workstressless.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connect_more_stress_less/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Workstressless
