Check Out Lexi Reich’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lexi Reich.

Hi Lexi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I ventured to Morocco in 2019, I was a fresh-faced 21-year-old, eager to immerse myself in a new country and become a temporary international journalist. Writing had always been a passion of mine, and so had the topic of women’s rights, as I had found in my studies at the University of Colorado Boulder.

My study abroad experience led me to sipping mint tea with women from rural villages in southern Morocco to interviewing high profile human rights activists up north. I knew from that semester my junior year of college that reporting was in my blood. I walked away with a feature on the medical delivery of virginity certificates to young women in the country — and I was proud of it.

When I returned to Colorado that following summer, I knew my experience with the North African kingdom wasn’t behind me. I spent my senior year of college pursuing an honors thesis on the Western media representation of Muslim women, reflecting on my own experience as an international reporter in Morocco and weaving it with existing literature in the field. This project served as a catalyst for my career.

Now with over six years of experience as a professional journalist, I’ve found my niche in freelance magazine writing and editing. From travel, wellness, and fashion to arts, culture, and the outdoors, my reporting has taken me across the globe. One of my favorite press trips to date was spending a week at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico with my mom, where I spent a week studying various healing modalities like sound bathing and aerial yoga.

Beyond the newsroom, I am a passionate yogi. I earned my yoga teacher training at Shoshoni Yoga Retreat in Rollinsville, Colorado in 2018 and have been teaching weekly classes at various studios ever since. My classes are inspired by nature and yoga’s innate ability to heal. Currently, I split my time pretty equally between writing and yoga which had been a dream of mine ever since graduating college.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Last year, I was diagnosed with a stomach condition that greatly affected my physical and mental health. At one point, I wasn’t able to work for months on end and lost a significant amount of weight. While I still struggle with my health, being able to write and teach yoga again has allowed me to live with more gratitude. Even though life looks a little different now in terms of my diet and energy levels, I’ve learned to find peace in the slower pace of life and if anything, it’s made me a more empathetic reporter and teacher.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m the managing editor for a local media company (Jaunt Media Collective, the publisher behind YOGA + Life, Well., Covered Bridge, and Spoke+Blossom — check them out!) and a freelance writer for various national digital and print outlets. While my niche is in health and wellness, I’ve covered everything from the benefits of weekly massage for Well+Good to the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado for Spoke+Blossom Magazine.

I’ve also written blog posts and press releases for companies like Visit Aurora and the Vail Valley Foundation, just to give an idea of my scope of work. I love how every day my workload looks a little different; it certainly keeps me on my toes! I’ve had stints at other media outlets — everything from full-time to contract work — but I feel most balanced with the organizations I’m currently aligning myself with. I’m a firm believer that where and to whom you direct your energy is important!

When I practice yoga, it helps inform my writing. When I write about what I’m passionate about, it helps serve my yoga classes. I currently teach a wide variety of yoga formats; my favorite styles are vinyasa and yin. I love teaching creative sequences in my vinyasa flows and truly believe in the mind-body benefits of a slower practice like yin, where you hold shapes for many minutes at a time. My goal every time I teach is just to translate to my students why I continue to return to my mat, hopefully inspiring the same love for yoga in them.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Kim Fuller took me on my first press trip to Costa Rica while I was just an editorial intern for YOGA + Life Magazine. Once I got a taste of life as a travel writer, I revolved my career goals around it. I just secured my latest press trip in Hawaii — an absolute dream destination of mine — for this summer. Beyond the jet-setting, Kim has always been my biggest cheerleader. She really introduced me to the world of journalism and magazines.

Under her guidance, I gained (and continue to gain) valuable connections in the industry and have written the articles I’m most excited about. Having Kim as a boss, mentor, and friend really made me feel more at home in Colorado when I first moved out here! I’d also like to shout out my favorite college professors, Olivia Chadha and Christine Larson. I would not be the writer I am today without those two!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lexireich.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lexi_reich/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-reich/

Image Credits
Roxanna Carrasco