Julianne Hough Is 'A Deep-Ass Person'

Its March, the second quarantined Friday in the time of COVID-19, and the dancer is using the opportunity to reach as many people as possible with KINRGY , her dance workout built on simple movements. Its a blessing to be able to offer [via Internet] what people need most in this world right now, says Julianne later, reflecting on the class, which is to feel certainty that theyre going to be okay, and that they have the power to release all that stress and anxiety and fear.

i believe were all dancers we were much more self expressed when we were kids im trying to help people reconnect back to that inner child BusinessInsider USA Images

KINRGY draws on elements of tai chi, qigong, energy work, strength training, and cardioand is built from movements that are based in the astrological elements: earth, water, fire, and air. The 31-year-old deliberately created the method to be easy to follow and not technical. I believe were all dancers, she says. We were much more self-expressed when we were kids. Im trying to help people reconnect back to that inner child.

Try KINRGY for yourself on May 15, when Womens Health is teaming up with Mens Health, fitness platform Mindbody , United Way, and sponsors, Degree and Athleta , to create the worlds largest virtual workout relay, Relay for Relief "and Julianne is headlining with a class at 5 p.m. EST.

She was able to help people do just that on a massive scale when, after two years in the making (and an exclusive announcement with WH last fall !), KINRGY officially debuted as part of Oprahs 2020 Vision Tour in January.

Julianne led stadiums full of participants in the workout and calls the Oprah alignment the greatest honor and gift she could receive. I mean, its Oprah freakin Winfrey, she says. Even though there were sometimes 20,000 people, it still felt intimate and like we were connecting with every person.

Julianne has fully integrated the KINRGY method into her life: She uses the breathing practice when she does yoga, cycles, or weight trains. And during Californias stay-at-home order, shes using KINRGY as her main form of exercise. Staunchly committed to tuning in to her body and exploring different facets of iton a mental, physical, and emotional levelshes also passionate about helping others do the same.

One thing that factors into almost everything Julianne does is the concept of energy (well go into more detail on that in just a minute). Heres what shes pouring hers into right now

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Talk to Julianne for three minutes, and the word energy will definitely come up.

Its the foundation on which she built KINRGY, and the personal concept that has changed much of her perspective on holistic wellness. Everything is made up of energy, she says. If you think about the universe, only 4.6 percent of it is matter. So really, were all just made up of energy, and if were not focusing on our energetic health, were missing most of what this universe is.

Essentially, its all about the mind-body connection: how we hold stress or false beliefs in our physical selves. If we dont move our body to [release] a mental connection, we can never transform the experience were holding on to, she says. In January, a look at Juliannes personal energy practice rippled through the Internet. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Julianne lay facedown on a table while John Amaralan energy practitioner whom she credits for much of her new way of thinkingappears to lift an invisible force from her back, causing her to writhe and moan. Trust me, I got all the comments, she says good-naturedly, before stating that he was simply removing stuck energy from her spine.

i believe in helping people trust whats already within themto connect to their most authentic self BusinessInsider USA Images

Everything thats energy moves in a wave, she says, by way of explaining her reaction, which basically looked like she was doing the worm.

As Davos showed, Julianne is not afraid of exploring alternative practices (no matter what that might generate in her Insta comments) and eager to share what she learns. Im a deep-ass person, she says, when talking about one of her goals, which is to introduce fans to alt thought leaders like astrologers and poets.

There is no right or wrong in my viewpoint. It is based on what works well for you, she says. If those modalities feel strange to people, it may not be for themor it may not be for them yetand Im okay with that. I believe in helping people trust whats already within them.

She sees KINRGY as a way to unlock that self-truthand other woo-woo-adjacent terms you might expect from someone who just spent time with Oprah. The whole mission is to help people connect to their most authentic self, she says. Thats why, after test-driving KINRGY, she created a 15-minute version of the class (the usual run time is 45 minutes) for those who are starting out or have movement limitations. Its all part of an effort to make her method as accessible to as many people as possible.

Julianne is redefining loveand creating her own timeline.

To lead the livestream on that March morning, Julianne converted a room in her house into a dance studio, pushing the couches to the perimeter of the space and stacking up cushions in a closet. Brooks Laich, her husband , was off-camera during the workout. He said, Wow, I got emotional just watching, Julianne recounts of her spouse, who occasionally does KINRGY himself. Brooks was feeling my energy; he was feeling the collective energy of all the people watching.

Julianne has spoken frequently about how she went through a transformation a few years ago, one in which she started unplugging from the societal beliefs and cultural beliefs and religious beliefs that I grew up in. That included a more fluid understanding of her own sexuality. I believe in soul love, whatever that looks like. I kind of dont believe in labels. It doesnt mean that I wont have a baby, etc. It just means that Ive unplugged from what I feel like I should be doing versus what I actually want to be doing.

Though she froze her eggs in anticipation of potentially needing to undergo IVF as a result of her endometriosis diagnosis, part of Juliannes process of releasing herself from societal expectations means shes not on anyone elses motherhood schedule. Starting a family will happen when she feels ready. I think the healthier I am from the inside outas far as my beliefs, my energy, what Im putting into my bodythe better prepared Ill be when the time comes, she says.

We never actually tried to get pregnant, she notes. It was more of a precautionary measure: Lets do our due diligence for the future by freezing eggs.

Even endo is affected by energy, in Juliannes view. I will tell you, she continues, sharing her perspective on her chronic condition (though not one that is backed up by the medical community), through this transformation of really connecting back to my truth, I havent had symptoms of endometriosis because of the love and kindness Im giving to my body. I believe theres stress, shame, guilt, and suppression of female energy thats associated with endometriosis, so de-layering that has really helped.

She's also making lemonades out of lemons during this strange time.

As Julianne navigates this unfamiliar situation were in, shes leaning on some of her long-held wellness habits (for example, she still starts every day with a half lemon in warm water), but shes also exploring different sides of herself, even if that means simply cooking something new. Though shes never been a breakfast person, shes slowly becoming one, experimenting with gourmet egg-whisking techniques, serving the finished products with plenty of spices. For lunch, shes relying on comforting soups, and for dinner she tries to make it colorful: chicken, carrots, greens.

Its the little details that make a difference now. Im putting effort into what the table looks like, she says. So that theres love in it. Ive been praying before every meal; thanking the grocery store workers.

Once again, its all about the energy shes putting out into the world (even if thats at her table)the pure life force Julianne wants to harness and wants all of us to harness. And with a bit more time on our hands, why not start now? Shes ready on Insta Live when you are.

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Photographed by Brian Bowen Smith Fashion director Kristen Saladino Hair: Riawna Capri for In Common. Makeup: Debra Ferullo/TraceyMattingly.com. Manicure: Nails by Maho.

This article appears in the June 2020 issue of Womens Health. Subscribe now .