MJ Talks Holistic Fitness with Byrdie McCoy

"It’s says I’M HERE and I’M UNAFRAID."

Byrdie McCoy

Interview + Photography by Jennifer Skog

HOW IS HOLISTIC FITNESS HELPING WOMEN EVERYWHERE FIND BALANCE? Holistic health is really about understanding that there is more to fitness than the physical aspect. Holistic health is finding physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fitness. There are so many women who work so hard on their physical body, but not the bodies of their minds or spirit, and those are crucial to achieving overall health. It has to go past running outside or a gym session. It’s about finding balance and peace among these areas and nurturing them so that you can become your highest self.

WHAT INSPIRED BYRDIE'S BABES AND DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA YOU WOULD EMPOWER SO MANY WOMEN?  Byrdie’s Babes was really inspired by all the pain I was experiencing and not wanting to be alone through it all. I wanted to create a space for women dealing with any kind of trauma to come and just be free. So I started free weekly camps. That quickly turned into the health and lifestyle blog so that I could impact more women and inspire them to seek a holistic lifestyle. Now we have signature camps and special events all over the country!

TELL US MORE ABOUT BYRDIE'S MIDNIGHT MEGA CAMP.  ARE THEY CURRENTLY ONLY IN PORTLAND? DO YOU PLAN TO EXPAND?  The camps are what has been coined “Empowerment Camps” for women. It was really important to me to create something that incorporated physical fitness, mental health and community building. I pretty much took what I do on the blog—showcasing the many awesome ways for women to get fit - and brought it to them to experience in real life with real women. These pop ups are about bringing women together in the spirit of overcoming obstacles, embracing transformation, and entering a new day with your sisters!  Midnight MegaCamps start between 9pm and 12am (depending on location), expect to glow under the black lights and have the time of your life. For 2018 monthly pop ups will be touring  Portland and in 2019 Midnight MegaCamps will be coming to various cities across the US!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO COME TO AN EVENT?  WHAT ITEMS DO WOMEN NEED OT BRING?  Tickets are $25 but I’m always offering special codes and early Byrd Tickets so they usually end up being $10!  I always tell attendees in advance whether to bring a mat or towel so that varies. But just bring a water bottle and get those red lips poppin’! Other than that just come and have a great time!

MJ LOVES A RED LIP, WHAT INSPIRED THIS AS PART OF THE UNIFORM? Red is just such a powerful color and when we wear it it seems to transform us. We feel fierce and bold and confident; SEEN. So I made it our signature. To showcase our fearlessness. It’s our war paint. Getting healthy is a battle, meeting new people can be a struggle. All these things call for us to put ourselves out there, and our red lips help give us that armor to do so fearlessly. It’s says I’M HERE AND I’M UNAFRAID.

READ MORE OF BYRDIE'S INTERVIEW IN MJ LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE.