By Emily Merrell
While we have therapy and girlfriends, what we don’t have is a space to speak freely with other women without judgement. Tanicia Baynes is the founder of The Rooted Experience, a digital women’s circle that celebrates letting go, family dynamics and so much more.
SDS: What is The Rooted Experience and how did you come up with the name?
TANICIA BAYNES: The Rooted Experience creates and curates events, gatherings and retreats that bridge the spaces between Self and Soul. It’s my belief that when we can bring our Soul’s wisdom into everyday life, we can amplify our personal truth with so much clarity and confidence that it greatly reduces the challenges we face. We’re able to see the larger picture of our life without getting trapped by the triggers of our every day.
Honestly, the name just came to me. Whenever I have a big decision to make, I actually go into meditation. I let my awareness drift outward and open my energy so I can receive some insight into whatever I’m asking. I did this with the business name and when it popped in my head, I just knew it was the right one. When I started to explore the meaning of “rooted”, I was even more surprised to see how well it fit with what I wanted to create! The definitions worked so well that three of them have become the pillars of “Our Vision”: to unearth; to bring to light; to implant or establish deeply; to lend moral support. Each of these can be applied to the journey home to the Soul.
SDS: How did you get introduced to the work of supporting women?
TB: I think the work of supporting women has really just been an evolution of my life. I’ve always been a bit of an odd duck! But I think the real moment came when I was 27. I had just gotten out of a physically and emotionally abusive relationship and suffered from all of the things you’d expect coming out of something like that: really low self-worth, shame, numbness, downplaying what happened and empathizing with my abuser. That entire phase of my life was just one manifestation of the years of hurt and pain I carried from my childhood, and at the end of it, I felt lost.
I was a total people-pleaser with major anxiety. I was always taking responsibility for other people’s emotions and I didn’t know who I was anymore. I remember sitting on the couch with my now husband saying how I just knew there had to be a better way of doing things. My own journey taught me that, in general, people have a hard time showing their vulnerable sides, but it’s those sides that actually lead us down the path of healing and empowerment. I want everyone to know how amazing and beautiful they truly are so they can start living the life that ignites their soul and not the life they think they should be living.
SDS: Not only are you a business owner, you’re also a mom to twins! Do you have any advice on balancing both?
TB: Don’t try to! Haha! Seriously though, the idea of balance, to me, feels like this mysterious goal that never quite feels attainable. This idea that once you find balance, you’ll always have it – that’s just not life. For me, it’s been less about balance and more about finding comfort in the inevitable swinging back and forth between things. Some days my boys need me front and center the whole day, so work gets put on the back burner.
On other days they play super well together and I can sit and watch them while working on my computer a bit. It changes every day and I just have to be ready to let things go – which has been a huge practice. That said, I also have a lot of support. We women might be amazing but we can’t always do it alone and I for certain know that the creation of my business and the raising of my kiddos has definitely taken a village.
SDS: What are you most excited about with The Rooted experience?
TB: That’s such a hard question because it’s all been so much fun! I think I’d have to say I’m really looking forward to watching the community grow and hosting live gatherings and retreats. It’s like watching fibers come together on a loom – all of these unique and individual pieces coming together to make one amazing tapestry. That’s how I see The Rooted Experience. It’s the loom and the tapestry being made by the individual souls all coming together to learn, inspire and explore what makes this human incarnation so special and rich with all the joys and complexity it brings. I want everything we create to inspire soul-level transformation and joy.
SDS: What can we expect next for the Rooted Experience?
TB: I think that’s a great question! Right now, my heart is going into building this community and really making The Rooted Experience a place where people can come and feel inspired and supported. As a part of that, we’ll be looking to launch some new offerings in the new year including a 4-month women’s course called “Experience”. We’ll connect with our own personal archetypal woman and clear the emotional blocks that keep us from embodying her. We’ll also be hosting more free gatherings, as well as kicking off “The Rooted Woman Project” which was born out of a commitment I made to myself to interview and/or collaborate with 100 women. Its tagline is “Gathering ancient and modern wisdom being shared by the women who nourish the world”. I couldn’t be more excited to see where it takes us!
SDS: You’ve just started hosting events, how can we find out more?
TB: I’m so excited that we’re steps away from launching our website which will be a hub for event details and upcoming offerings! Until then, you can find out more via our Instagram page @therootedexperience.
