{"id":2000107660,"date":"2026-04-06T20:29:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T18:29:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/?p=2000107660"},"modified":"2026-04-06T23:35:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:35:42","slug":"finding-strength-in-stillness-the-birth-of-zoe-wellness-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/finding-strength-in-stillness-the-birth-of-zoe-wellness-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding strength in stillness: The birth of Zoe Wellness studio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Umurerwa\u2019s path to Zoe Wellness Studio began when she found herself at a crossroads in life. Living in Nigeria, she was battling a deep sense of loss and disconnection. “I was going through a serious depression. I felt lost. I didn\u2019t know what I was doing with my life,” she recalls. Gym sessions felt overwhelming, and yoga didn\u2019t resonate with her. After exhausting other avenues, a chance encounter at a sip-and-paint event would change everything. When a stranger introduced her to Pilates, Celine was intrigued. She attended a class, and the experience proved to be transformative. “For a whole hour, I didn\u2019t think of myself. I was just trying to breathe and move my body. And from there, I knew this was something I could do.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pilates became more than just physical exercise for Umurerwa; it was a mental anchor. The focus on controlled movements, deep breathing, and posture restoration helped her rebuild not only her body but also her mind. Determined to share this healing practice, Celine returned to Rwanda with a clear vision: to offer women a safe space where they could connect with their bodies and find mental clarity, free from the intimidation often felt in traditional gyms. This led to the opening of Zoe Wellness Studio in Kigali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pilates transformed Celine\u2019s life, and now she\u2019s bringing its power to women in Kigali.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“When I started Zoe Wellness Studio, I wanted to create a safe space for women who want to move their bodies but don\u2019t always feel comfortable in a gym setting,” Umurerwa shares. “Pilates isn\u2019t just a movement; it helps with core strength and mental health. We do a lot of breathing in Pilates, which is essential for mental well-being.” Inside the studio, clients are greeted by a calming, light-filled space where they can slip off their shoes, leave their bags behind, and step onto the reformer beds. The sessions are gentle yet powerful, emphasizing slow, intentional movements that strengthen the body and quiet the mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Umurerwa personally guides beginners with patience and encouragement, emphasizing that “everything here is going to be a slow movement.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Umurerwa is quick to dispel the misconception that Pilates is only for women, stating, “Pilates is for everyone, men, women, the elderly, and young people. If you want to move your body, it doesn\u2019t matter who you are.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since its inception, Zoe Wellness Studio has grown exponentially, drawing full classes every day. The community that has developed around the studio is one of warmth and support. “We want to create a space where women can come in and feel safe to talk about what they\u2019re going through. A lot of women don\u2019t open up about their struggles, but in this space, they can,” says Umurerwa. In addition to reformer Pilates, the studio also offers aerial yoga, where clients can stretch and relax in hammocks, further promoting deep relaxation and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zoe Wellness Studio is a safe haven for women to reconnect with their bodies, breathe deeply, and find strength.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Umurerwa\u2019s commitment to cleanliness and safety is reflected in the studio\u2019s meticulous care after each session, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for every client. “It really, really changed my life in so many ways,” Celine shares, speaking about the impact Pilates had on her. “I knew that if it helped me, it could help other women who are going through the same things I went through.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Zoe Wellness Studio celebrates its first anniversary, Celine\u2019s vision continues to expand. Plans for online classes will allow women, whether at home or on lunch breaks at work, to access the transformative benefits of mindful movement. From a woman who once felt lost to the founder of a growing community of strength and sisterhood, Celine Umurerwa\u2019s story is a powerful reminder: sometimes, the gentlest movements, a deep breath, a slow stretch, a reformer glide can guide us back to ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those in Kigali ready to reconnect with their body and mind, Zoe Wellness Studio is waiting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Celine\u2019s dream of building a supportive community where women can thrive physically and mentally is becoming a reality.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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From personal healing to empowering others, Celine Umurerwa’s journey led to the creation of Zoe Wellness Studio in Kigali.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In March 2025, a transformative space quietly opened its doors in the heart of Kigali Zoe Wellness Studio, a sanctuary where movement meets healing, and women can finally exhale. Behind this empowering venture is Celine Umurerwa, a Rwandan entrepreneur whose personal journey of rediscovery and resilience inspired the creation of the studio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2000107661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000107660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000107661,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/010A8747.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":4480,"height":6720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/010A8747.jpg","width":100,"height":150},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/010A8747.jpg","width":200,"height":300},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/010A8747.jpg","width":768,"height":1152},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/010A8747.jpg","width":683,"height":1024},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/010A8747.jpg","width":4480,"height":6720}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000107660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000107660"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000107660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000107694,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000107660\/revisions\/2000107694"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000107661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000107660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000107660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000107660"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000107660"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000107660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}