Today we’d like to introduce you to Parnia Razi.
Hi Parnia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a communications strategist, yoga and pilates teacher, and community advocate committed to building healthier and more equitable communities where everyone can thrive. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from Iran when I was two years old, settling into Wichita, Kansas where I spent my childhood. After graduating from the International Baccalaureate program in high school, my family moved to Houston, Texas and this year marks 10 years of embracing being Texan.
Education is important to me and my time as a student shaped the foundation for who I am now. I attended the University of Houston, earning a B.A. in political science and a M.A. in Public Relations. During my time in college I joined Deeds Not Words, a nonprofit building the next generation of changemakers, and I founded their campus chapter at UH. Since then, I’ve continued to build a career in nonprofit communications and advocacy. I’m particularly passionate about reproductive freedom, immigrant rights, and civic engagement.
Now, I’m the friend that reminds you to go vote in every election, that educates you about abortion access, and who regularly attends and amplifies community events. I also enjoy teaching yoga and mat Pilates, and my journey began practicing at home and at Black Swan Yoga, where I received my 200 HR Yoga certification in 2024. Guiding these mindful movement practices has become an avenue to share more of myself authentically and create welcoming, inclusive spaces for people to breathe. It means so much to me to now be able to use my teaching to give back to my community and causes I care about by hosting fundraiser flows. Yoga and Pilates have helped me and others foster resilience and connection to our bodies. Whether I’m crafting campaigns or guiding mindful movement, I bring the same values of compassion, empowerment, and community.
In my free time, I enjoy exploring Houston parks, going to the Rodeo, traveling with my husband and our friends, frequenting local coffee shops and art museums, and of course finding my breath again on my yoga mat.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been times, both in my professional nonprofit career, and in my personal movement journey where I’ve questioned how much of myself I can really bring to a space. Whether it was advocating at the state Capitol or trying a new Pilates studio, I’ve found myself having to hang up one or more parts of my identity, or questioning if I really belong there or not when I look around and there’s no one that looks like me. It can be intimidating, and it’s easier to shrink yourself down or assimilate to be more accepted by others. But as an eldest daughter of immigrants, I’ve learned to embrace my role as being the first to do something differently, and being okay with being disliked by some if it means being true to myself.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In my communications and advocacy work, I specialize in narrative-building and storytelling. Whether I’m crafting talking points or writing an article, I’m skilled at breaking down complex topics into digestable pieces. I’m especially proud of the work I’ve done with abortion storytellers and student advocates who have been brave enough to speak up and trusted me and the organizations I’ve worked with to share their experiences in order to build our movements for change.
What sets me apart in the realm of yoga and Pilates is the ways I bring together cultural awareness, advocacy, and honesty into movement practices. People come to their mats from different backgrounds, different jobs, different lived experiences, different bodies. It’s important to me to honor that and create classes that are accessible and safe for everyone to explore. I also know that our bodies hold emotion and the realities of the world we live in don’t just disappear the moment someone steps into a studio. I hope to teach and practice in a way that can hold the fullness of what we’re collectively experiencing so that we can honor and work through it to build more resilience, on and off the mat.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Some of my favorite childhood memories are playing ‘school’ with my younger brother and reading together, or playing outside together in the summers, until my dad called on us to help with watering the garden or raking the leaves.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/persiancowgirl
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parniarazi/
