Your Destination for Realistic Wellness Practices: Meet Destiny Moore Saldivar, Founder of Caona Wellness

By Emily Merrell 

Where does one start when looking to develop sustainable wellness practices? The destination should be Caona Wellness, a digital community created by Destiny Moore Saldivar. She’s dedicated to helping women of color live embodied and empowered lives. 

SDS: Can you walk us through who you are, what you do and your journey to entrepreneurship?

DESTINY MOORE SALDIVAR: I’m an Afro-Dominican social entrepreneur and founder of Caona Wellness! As a coach, I help people, especially womxn of color, develop realistic wellness practices that lead to greater well-being and connection to self. Through somatic exercises, mindfulness, coaching and community, I guide people as they undo deeply rooted beliefs keeping them from authentic, embodied, and empowered lives!

My journey to entrepreneurship has been focused on my desire for freedom and true ownership. As a Black Latina, it’s important for me to own 100% of my talent and time. I’ve been in social work for nearly a decade, supported hundreds of people in vulnerable populations, managed college access programs, and led organizations in the past. Being an entrepreneur helps me have the same amount of impact without the politics of the nonprofit world. I’ve given a lot of myself to the companies I’ve worked for. I’m most excited by the idea of owning and monetizing my strengths in a way that provides me the freedom I want!

SDS: Destiny, you wear many hats! From having a full-time job as a College Persistence Advisor, to a wellness educator, community creator and mom! How do you find inspiration and energy to do them all? 

DMS: In the words of Shonda Rhimes, “I don’t.” In a recent speech she gave, Shonda goes on to say that there are times when the varying roles in her life conflict, thus requiring her to make sacrifices. She doesn’t always make it to bedtime with her daughters or to a manuscript deadline. I love that vulnerability and completely agree. I don’t do it all, well, all the time. I acknowledge that sometimes I’m going to fall short and that’s okay. I try to focus on being present with what’s in front of me and give it my full attention.

My inspiration comes from living aligned to my value of being in service. Everything I do is in service to others for a greater good. It’s easier to show up when I know I’m contributing to something greater than me. 

SDS: Tell us more about Caona Wellness and why wellness for cycle breakers is so important. 

DMS: Caona Wellness is a coaching and consulting company whose purpose is to encourage wellbeing, primarily in communities of color, through education and introspection. This is especially important for Cycle Breakers who may be holding on to inherited beliefs such as:

• “My worth is tied to my productivity.”
• “I’m not enough as I am.”
• “I need to achieve in order to feel loved.”
• “Rest is an earned reward.”

The belief systems of our origin families become record players in our minds. Until we stop and reflect on how these conditioned beliefs are impacting our lives, then we aren’t able to truly integrate the various wellness modalities available today!

SDS: What’s the most surprising thing about being a coach and entrepreneur? What’s delighted you the most since you’ve started? 

DMS: The most surprising thing about being a coach and entrepreneur is seeing my ideas come to fruition. It sounds cheesy but taking a concept from meditation download to a fully fleshed out program is always mind-blowing to me. It reminds me how powerful I am! In that same vein, I’ve been most delighted by the testimonials I receive after following through with those ideas because they serve as confirmation that I’m on the right path.

SDS: What advice do you have for individuals starting their business and adding wellness into their lives? 

DMS: My advice is that self-care isn’t a reward. It’s a consistent practice that contributes to your well-being. Also, learn to manage your energy, not your time!

I HIGHLY recommend getting in tune with your circadian rhythm and using your natural energy spikes to schedule wellness habits. It’s hard to take a walk when your energy for the day is zapped. After recognizing my natural energy peaks, I started scheduling my wellness routines accordingly and it has made a world of difference.

The book “When” by Daniel Pink was instrumental for me in learning this! Here is a great assessment tool that helps you identify your circadian rhythm type! 

SDS: Lastly, what exciting things are coming up in your life and business? 

DMS: I’m so excited to keep growing Caona Wellness! We were just hired to develop and lead a 6-week mental health program for students and I cannot wait. I often imagine who I’d be if someone taught me how to build sustainable wellness habits when I was younger. I’m looking forward to being who I needed back then. 

I’m also continuing to grow my digital community for BIPOC womxn and hope to bring on guest teachers soon. Overall, growth is the theme for me! Stay connected with us on Instagram @caonawellness!