May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It is a great time to reflect upon the experiences of and celebrate the AANHPI community. This community is exceptionally diverse and encompasses a wide variety of cultures, traditions, and practices. Social media is a fantastic way to hear AANHPI’s voices, and so many notable AANHPI influencers work to show their culture and create fantastic content, especially in the wellness sphere.
Sometimes, wellness content can get toxic really quickly, making it even more important to follow a wide variety of influencers who help to improve your health without feeding into the wellness industry’s tendency to whitewash and ignore the perspective of others. Seeing a variety of different individuals’ wellness routines, rituals, and practices makes it easier for you to pick up on what to incorporate in your own life, as well as acknowledge where popular practices come from (like gua sha, and other wellness and beauty trends that stem from Asian culture).
Wellness is not about looking a certain way, but feeling healthy and confident in your body and mind. Diverse wellness representation is extremely important to have a more intersectional view of wellness. So, here are eight AANHPI wellness influencers to follow ASAP, because they’re just that good.
- Chelei Kameleonālani Kahalewai (@alohaitschelei)
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Chelei Kameleonālani Kahalewai is a fitness creator who talks about her Hawaiian culture. She posts videos of her hula dancing and workout routines. She is also an advocate for body positivity and encourages her followers to love the bodies they are in. So, if you need gym inspiration or a confidence pick-me-up, check out her page.
- Bea Reyes (@lifethroughbea)
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Bea is an Ori Tahiti Dancer, influencer, and singer. She documents her self-love and dancing journey. Each reel and caption will inspire you to love your body more and rock the skin you are in.
- Santoshi Shetty (@santoshishetty)
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Santoshi Shetty is an Indian influencer who posts fashion, dance, and yoga content. If you want inspiration to roll out your yoga mat, this account is it. Shetty posts videos that incorporate yoga and dance, and they are beautiful to watch.
- Jenn Im (@imjennim)
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Jenn Im is a Korean American YouTuber who posts videos on a wide variety of wellness topics, from journal prompts to healthy recipes to mental health. She also has videos discussing her Korean American heritage that you should check out.
- Jessica Woo (@sulheejessica)
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Jessica Woo is the bento box queen. If you are hungry or want recipes to spice up your lunch, this is the influencer for you. On her YouTube channel, she has a series where she has a guest come on and cook with her. Her healthy meals will make you want to run to the grocery store.
- Stephanie Buttermore, Ph.D. (@stephanie_buttermore)
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Stephanie Buttermore, Ph.D. is a Thai-Canadian cancer research scientist who loves fitness. She mixes science and fitness into her content. If you want to learn more about nutrition or fitness or try a new workout, give her a follow. She also posts about body positivity. She discusses how social media is fake and not to compare yourself to influencers when they are only showing a small part of their life.
- Grace Moon (@Journalbymoon)
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Grace Moon is a wellness influencer based in NYC. On her page, you can find content about mindfulness, wellness, and — you guessed it — journaling.
- Dr. Danika B (@DanikaBMD)
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Dr. Danika B is a content creator and incoming radiology resident who shares health, wellness, and mindfulness content on her page. Danika also shares content about her daily life as a medical professional and shares tips on how to balance a busy schedule with a healthy mind.