Rachel Cox, 26, never imagined that a subtle mix of symptoms — weight gain, hair loss, and unexplained hormonal swings — would mark the beginning of the biggest turning point in her life. It started slowly. The changes were tempting to brush off, especially since everyone else did so easily. Maybe it was the stress of being a recent grad or from her new job. But as time went on, Rachel felt like a stranger in her own body.
In 2022, she arrived at a routine appointment with her OB-GYN. The visit turned out to be the validation she needed. After testing, she was diagnosed with a thyroid tumor. Everything made sense at that moment. Surgery followed, and the benign tumor was removed. Rachel’s body began to heal, but the experience left more than just a scar — it sparked a powerful inner awakening.
At the time, Rachel was working an unfulfilling day jo day and had a night job as a front desk clerk at Sana Studios in Memphis — 9-5 and 5-9. She became increasingly unhappy with her trajectory. But that space, filled with movement, mindfulness, and community, lit something up in her that her day job never could.
During recovery, she spent long hours reflecting. For years, she had let others’ opinions drown out her own — family members, teachers, bosses— well-meaning voices, but not her voice. The tumor became a metaphor for everything she had been holding in: suppressed dreams, ignored intuition, and a life misaligned with her truth.
“The diagnosis became my wake-up call,” Rachel says. “I realized life’s too short to stay in something so draining.”
Rachel made the bold decision to leave her full-time job and pursue her passion: becoming a full-time fitness instructor. It wasn’t easy. There were financial fears, doubts, and the voice of caution that had been so familiar. But for the first time, she chose to listen to herself. Her voice. Her gut.
“God gave us brains to think, but he also gave us gut feelings,” Rachel says. “That’s the truth I came home to. You can’t logic your way through life entirely. At some point, you have to trust your gut.”
Now, Rachel leads classes that are as much about healing as they are about strength and flexibility. Her journey has made her an empathetic and intuitive teacher, one who encourages students not only to move their bodies but also to tune into the quiet whispers of their inner guidance, even when it feels intimidating or challenging.
Rachel’s story is more than a health journey — it’s a rebirth. She faced illness, fear, and uncertainty but came through with clarity, purpose, and the courage to finally live a life that felt like home. Her story reminds us that the scariest voice to trust is often our own — but it’s also the only one who truly knows the way.
Join Rachel for class at Overton Park on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. and most days of the week at Sana Studios East and Downtown and Evolve Pilates (Reformer). Find all her classes at Sanayogastudio.com and Evolvepilatesmem.com and get started today!
By Amanda Tompkins
Photo by Tindall Stephens
