Natives to Know: Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins

Every year in January, masses of people set new wellness resolutions. They promise themselves they’ll start a workout routine or diet in the new year for a variety of motivations — health, medical reasons, bikini season.

But Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins want you to get well for a totally different reason. They want you to get Well For Culture. 

The husband and wife duo founded Well for Culture in 2013. The initiative aims to reclaim and revitalize indigenous health and wellness by combining the ancient lifestyle teachings of our ancestors with modern information.

For example, the couple created a functional approach to fitness called Earth Gym. Earth Gym encourages people to engage in physical activity outdoors. This both mirrors the traditional methods indigenous people used to keep their bodies in shape and in tune with the natural world. And it acknowledges modern research indicating that outdoor exercise can reduce stress, improve clarity, and increase happiness.

Well for Culture isn’t just about exercise. It encompasses what Luger and Collins refer to as The Seven Circles — food, movement, sleep, ceremony, sacred space, land, and community. All of these aspects of wellness come together to create a holistic approach that Luger and Collins hope will strengthen our people. As Chelsey Luger said to Native Max magazine, “[i]f I stay strong in a holistic way: mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically, I will be strong for my people and my family, and that’s a mission I take seriously.”

To learn more about the Well for Culture philosophy, check out Luger and Collins’ 2022 book, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well.