About Us
Gaby’s story
Gaby had always been interested in yoga and had taken some classes. Unfortunately there were no yoga studios in her neighborhood and with two young children, she rarely had time to commute for a class. When Rise Up began providing classes down the street from her home at Marquette School, Gaby came to every class. After only a few months, she applied for Rise Up’s 200 hour yoga teacher training scholarship. Gaby’s desire to bring yoga to her community was in perfect alignment with Rise Up’s mission and she received a full scholarship. After finishing her training and obtaining her certification, she began teaching classes in both English and Spanish in the Marquette Park area. Today, Gaby has a thriving yoga community with weekly classes in Chicago Lawn, West Lawn and beyond.
Founder’s Story
Rise Up Wellness was founded in 2017 by Christina Tanner, FPA-APRN. Christina is an Integrative and Functional Medicine Practitioner, a Certified Herbal Educator and a 500 hour Certified Yoga Instructor. Working as a healthcare provider on the West Side of Chicago for 18 years, she was frustrated with the “sick care” model of medical care and lack of healthy options for her patients. Although so many people suffer from stress related illnesses, in many Chicago neighborhoods there is little to no access to programs for movement, healing foods and relaxation techniques that have been proven to be effective. Rise Up Wellness was created to provide holistic wellness services for free. In partnership with local community organizations, Rise Up continues to grow.
