From Trauma to Transformation: How One Woman’s Fitness Program Is Helping Others Heal Through Movement

By Kendra Hall

OAK HARBOR, WA — In a quiet studio overlooking the waters of Whidbey Island, the room pulses with movement, music, and something intangible. What looks like a high-energy dance class is also a form of release. For the dozen or so people mirroring the instructor’s every move, this isn’t just a workout — it’s a way to heal.

At the center is Neda Soderqvist, creator of JAM — a rhythmic, full-body fitness program that blends dance, strength training, and sensory awareness. Her approach has gained national attention, not just for its physical results, but for the emotional release and inner reconnection it promotes.

“This isn’t about having the perfect body,” Soderqvist says. “It’s about connecting back to your heart.”

A Childhood Marked by Disconnection

Soderqvist’s story begins far from the Pacific Northwest — in Iran, where she was born into a culture that would eventually separate her from her mother. After her parents’ divorce, she lived under her father’s care in conditions she likens to an orphanage. Her early childhood was steeped in restriction, fear, and loss.

Her escape to Los Angeles as a child, facilitated by her uncle, was supposed to be a new beginning. But life there brought its own version of chaos — abuse, gang affiliations, and emotional instability. By age 16, she had left home entirely.

“I didn’t just grow up fast,” she says. “I had to survive before I even understood who I was.”

The Roots of JAM

JAM — short for Just Add Music — was born years later, when Soderqvist found strength and freedom through movement. She began teaching group fitness classes and quickly built a reputation. At one point, her classes in L.A. drew such crowds that the fire department was called to regulate capacity.

After two decades teaching dance, yoga, and strength formats, she began refining her own system — one that would intentionally integrate music, muscle memory, and mindfulness. JAM is now a carefully choreographed experience that targets the body’s major muscle groups while also inviting emotional release. Participants range from ages 10 to 82.

Each track is chosen for a purpose. Each movement is intentional.

“Our bodies remember everything,” she says. “So movement becomes the medicine.”

More Than a Workout

JAM is more than a class — it’s a mission. Soderqvist speaks openly about her intuitive gifts, describing herself as someone who can sense energy and emotional states. She traces these abilities back to a long line of women in her family with similar sensitivities.

She believes movement is a spiritual experience, one that can help people reconnect with their higher selves.

“I’ve seen what happens when we lose connection to our bodies,” she says. “It shows up as pain, anxiety, self-doubt. Movement is how we come back.”

In 2021, she left Los Angeles to focus on this calling full-time. She now lives in Oak Harbor, Washington, where she’s creating space for others to begin their own healing journeys.

Healing in the Pacific Northwest

This summer, Soderqvist will begin offering in-person JAM retreats in Oak Harbor, drawing people from across the country who seek both physical transformation and inner peace.

These retreats will combine movement, stretching, breathwork, and guided reflection. No crash diets, no pressure to “fix” the body — only an invitation to move, feel, and reconnect.

“There’s no magic supplement,” she says. “Your body already knows how to heal. We just have to listen to it.”

In the meantime, Soderqvist is expanding her reach through TikTok, YouTube, and a proprietary fitness app currently in development. Her videos fuse grounded instruction with spiritual insight — a combination that has earned her a growing following of fans seeking something deeper than a typical workout.

A Voice for the Undervalued

Soderqvist is also vocal about societal values. She questions why celebrities and athletes are praised while teachers, farmers, and surgeons — “the real heroes,” as she calls them — go underappreciated.

“We confuse power with purpose,” she says. “But real power is quiet. It’s kindness, discipline, empathy.”

Her message resonates not just because of what she’s built, but because of what she survived.

“We’ve all been through something,” Soderqvist says. “I’m here to remind people they’re not broken — just disconnected from their power.”

Connect with Neda Soderqvist:

• TikTok @jammalibu

• Instagram @jammalibu

• YouTube @jammalibu

• Website: jammalibu.com