So You Think You Can Dance star Allison Holker is opening up about her healing journey after losing husband Stephen “tWitch” Boss in 2022. Holker, 36, is partnering with CorePower Yoga, and shared a video of herself wearing leggings and a black shirt, meditating on a yoga mat. “Allison tells how yoga and movement have been key elements in her mental health journey and she’s eager to share what she’s learned. We’re grateful for Allison’s inspirational story to encourage others and shine a light on the healing powers of yoga,” reads the caption on the post. Here’s what Holker’s wellness regimen looks like.
Holker says dance is her safe space. “It’s always been there for me,” she told CorePower Yoga. “I love to make people feel something. As I move forward in my dance career, I hope to encourage the next generation of dancers to become the best versions of themselves and believe in their own artistry and let it shine.”
Holker enjoys cold plunges and sauna sessions. “[Cold plunging] just starts my day from a place of, ‘I can do the hard things, I can make it.’ It centers me–it’s my meditation–it centers my mind,” she told Women’s Health. “I call these my non-negotiables, and everyone knows I do it. It’s in my schedule and I’m dedicated to it. I think it’s been something that’s really helped me in every aspect of my life, and I don’t see myself ever letting go of these things that are so crucial to me.”
Holker loves hybrid yoga sessions. “I really found my home in CorePower, specifically in Yoga Sculpt,” she says. “I love the cardio element – it’s fun and active and keeps me sweating. It’s been so helpful for me to really touch on all three components of mental health – the physical, the mental, and the spiritual.”
Holker says it’s important to know when to accept support from others. “Lean on your people,” she told Women’s Health. “Let them help you so you can take care of yourself first and foremost … It’s like what they say on flights, to put the oxygen mask on yourself first, before you put on someone else’s. Take care of yourself. I would love to tell people to reach out to a therapist if they’re low, to talk to a friend if they’re low. But sometimes people are scared to use their words. So, then move your body.”
For Holker, yoga has served as both a physical workout and a space for healing. “It was like I just needed that environment. And I didn’t know how much I needed it,” she told Women’s Health. “It just became like this big party of celebration…it felt like we were in Ibiza. I love that [yoga] meets all three entities for me: the physical, the mental, and the spiritual, all in one. After everything, when I started moving again, I started going three times a week. Yoga was there for me.”