Marley Rae is a multi-hyphenate figure in the creative wellness space, merging her passions for mental health, yoga, acting, and global connection. Born in mid-city Los Angeles, Marley grew up in the Park La Brea garden apartments, where her neighbors represented a global melting pot—Black, Indian, Korean, and German.
“We would go to each other’s houses, try their foods, and learn their traditions. It showed me how diverse the world is,” Marley recalled in an interview with the Sentinel.
However, when her parents divorced and she moved to the culturally barren Palm Desert, she remembers she was “suddenly one of the only Black kids in my school.” The juxtaposition of these two markers in her upbringing fueled her passion for social justice and awareness.
Yoga came into Marley’s life as a crucial turning point. During a study abroad program at the University of Cape Town, she encountered the practice for the first time. “A guy on my trip was doing ‘happy baby,’ [a yoga pose] and I thought he looked crazy,” she laughed. Yet, curiosity got the best of her and she got right down on the mat and joined: “I got down on that floor and I couldn’t get up!”
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Upon her return to the U.S., Marley attended her first yoga class- synchronously taught by an instructor of African descent- at Corepower Yoga. It was then she discovered the transformative power of yoga, especially when compounded by the tutelage of a Black instructor. This is how a deeper form of wellness became a crucial part of her mental health routine. “Yoga originally wasn’t about relaxation or stress; it was about focusing the mind and coming to a place of complete stillness and oneness with yourself.”
Now studying Yogi Studies at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Marley is gaining deeper insights into the ancient roots of the practice. “It’s made me so much more critical,” she reflects. “People often think of yoga as a 60-minute class, but it’s so much more. It starts with the individual, but it’s about the collective. What good are we doing if we’re not helping others?”
In 2020, Marley’s cousin, Etienne Maurice, founded WalkGood LA, an organization born during the social unrest in the pandemic. Originally a one-time event combining running and stretching at L.A. High’s Memorial Park, WalkGood LA has since evolved into a community wellness hub with multiple programs. This includes the free “BreatheGood” monthly outdoor yoga class in Kenneth Hahn State Park, “FilmGood,” and “ActGood” which spotlight filmmakers and actors of color, mental health support through, “YouGood?” and “YouGoodGal?”, and “RunGood”, which is now one of the largest run clubs in the city.
Each of these initiatives are wordplay from the original phrase “Walk Good”, which is a Jamaican proverb that Marley’s grandmother “Grandy” would tell her, Etienne, and cousin/Vice President of WalkGood, Ivy CoCo, to encourage them to be well and travel safe.
Apart from her wellness journey, Marley has also followed in her family’s footsteps as a voiceover actress, crediting her father, an actor, for paving the way. Her creative and wellness pursuits are leading to a dream she works toward daily. “I want to be my own version of Oprah, speaking on panels, at the U.N., and leading deeper spiritual conversations on T.V.,” Marley said with a smile.
Looking to the future, Marley and her partners Christina Scavuzzo and Aysha Preston-Bonnick are preparing to continue their international wellness retreats, set for Greece, Portugal, and Morocco in 2025.
Marley’s philosophy, rooted in mindfulness and self-compassion, is encapsulated in her favorite quote: “Wherever you go, there you are.” This is the essence of her work—guiding people to be fully present and at peace, no matter where life takes them.
The WalkGood Yard in Mid-City, co-founded by Marley Rae, is now open to the public!
