January has a way of making us pause and ask the real questions: How am I doing, and what do I need this new year? For many of us, wellness is not just a trend or a resolution. It is survival. As people look to reset their minds, bodies and spirits, finding wellness spaces that feel safe, affirming and inclusive can make all the difference. That is especially true in queer and marginalized communities, where traditional fitness and wellness spaces have not always felt welcoming.
Qnotes recently spoke with two local wellness leaders who are redefining what movement, healing and community look like in Charlotte: Cremonlyn “Crem” Morris-Frazier, founder of Q Fitness & Wellness, and Dr. Torie Wheatley, educator and wellness practitioner, also known as Thee Ratchet Queer Yogi. Though their approaches differ, both are grounded in the same intention: creating spaces where people can show up as their full selves and care for their bodies without pressure or judgment.
A Gym Built on Belonging
“Q Fitness & Wellness is all about providing support and services for our queer community, first and foremost,” says Crem Morris-Frazier. “We wanted to create a space where people do not have to worry about how they present, how they look or whether they belong. They can just come in and say, ‘I want to feel better.’”
Founded in 2019, Q Fitness & Wellness originally launched in Minneapolis before relocating to Charlotte in June 2022. When the pandemic hit, Morris-Frazier and their team pivoted quickly from an in-person model to virtual training. That shift not only kept the business going, it expanded its reach.
“We have virtual clients from all over the country and overseas,” Morris-Frazier explains. “Many of those clients are still with us today. It allowed us to grow and eventually open our brick and mortar space here in Charlotte.”
That space was designed intentionally to feel different from large, traditional gyms. “We describe ourselves as a chosen family,” Morris-Frazier says. “It is a smaller, cozy environment. People have fun here. There is community here. That is the magic.”
More Than Fitness
Q Fitness & Wellness offers one on one personal training, small group training, virtual training and gym memberships for people who simply want access to an affirming space. Small group classes are intentionally capped, usually five to ten people, to maintain a customized feel. Offerings range from cardio and strength training to martial arts inspired workouts and yoga.
But fitness is only part of the picture.
“Wellness is a huge part of what we do,” Morris-Frazier offers. “Through our wellness collective, we offer massage therapy and mental health therapy on site. We want people to find more than just fitness here. We want them to find support for their overall well being.”
That holistic approach matters, especially for people carrying stress and trauma in their bodies.
“The fact that the space is safe and affirming already removes a barrier,” Morris-Frazier continues. “A lot of people want to move their bodies, but they are unsure if an environment will vibe with them. That uncertainty alone impacts mental health.”
Q Fitness & Wellness meets clients where they are. “We are body positive and body process oriented,” Morris-Frazier says. “You do not have to be a certain size or move a certain way. We are here to support your goals, not impose ours.”
Who Feels Safe Matters
Comfort and trust extend to how clients are paired with coaches.
Says Morris-Frazier: “We always ask if someone has preferences around gender identity. We serve a large trans and gender diverse client base, so comfort is essential.”
Most clients do not feel the need to request specifics. “They trust that if someone works here, they are the right fit. About 98 percent of our team identifies within the queer community, and that alone creates a sense of safety.”
When Q Fitness & Wellness opened in Charlotte, there was not an openly LGBTQ owned and operated gym. “There were queer friendly spaces, but not one that was fully out front about who it serves,” Morris-Frazier recalls. “As I grew more confident in my own queerness, I realized visibility matters. People found us because they were looking for exactly this.”
Movement as Liberation
That same spirit of visibility and cultural affirmation shows up in the work of Dr. Torie Wheatley, whose yoga practice blends mindfulness, movement and hip hop culture.
“I am a full time teacher, and I have been in education for over 15 years,” Wheatley says. “Education has always been my thing, but it is also what pushed me to start taking my own wellness seriously.”
In 2019, while beginning a doctoral program, Wheatley watched stress escalate among students, colleagues, and various communities during the pandemic. “At the same time, I realized my own well being was slipping,” she says. “I was trying to support everyone else while spiraling myself.”
Her research into holistic and mindfulness practices led her to hip hop therapy. “I am a natural born hip hop head,” she says. “Hip hop therapy combines culture with mindfulness in a way that feels accessible. It was not another Western fix. It felt like something for us.”
Wheatley later earned her yoga certification through a trauma informed program and began developing what she now offers as Vinyasa Flow Yoga with a hip hop foundation.
What Vinyasa Really Means
“My style is Vinyasa Flow Yoga,” Wheatley explains. “It is a flow-based practice where movement connects with breath. In Sanskrit, ‘vinyasa’ means to place with intention or to place in a special way. It is also about flowing with movement.”
Her classes are intentionally not quiet or rigid. “I am Thee Ratchet Queer Yogi for a reason,” she says. “This is a safe space to laugh, to move, to release. We are going to have fun. That is one of my rules.”
She breaks down what people think yoga should look like. “A lot of folks think yoga is skinny, quiet and demure,” she says. “Some people even think it conflicts with spirituality. I am like, no. I found God in my yoga practice.”
Yoga, she adds, has been whitewashed. “When people do not see themselves, Black folks, queer folks, older folks, louder folks, they think it is not for them. I am challenging that.”
A Space to Exhale
Wheatley’s classes emphasize interaction and community. “There is call and response. There is music. I reference hip hop icons and songs so it feels familiar,” she says. “The goal is not perfection. It is release.”
She welcomes people who have never tried yoga. “Bring me the person who has never felt comfortable in a yoga class,” she says. “My space is for people who were told they are too much.”
That inclusivity extends across generations. “I have had people in their eighties in class alongside younger folks,” says Wheatley. “And somehow, in that space, everybody feels at home.”
Getting Started Without Pressure
Both practitioners emphasize that wellness does not have to be overwhelming.
“Start with movement,” Morris-Frazier advises. “But also think about what fits your lifestyle. Comfort matters. If you do not feel comfortable in a space, you will not stick with it.”
Wheatley agrees. “Wellness can start with one minute of breathing,” she says. “Five minutes is enough. You do not need money or equipment. You can do child’s pose right on your bed.”
She encourages people to seek out familiar voices. “That is how I started, finding Black and queer yoga instructors on YouTube,” she says. “Start small. Start where you feel seen.”
And rest matters too. “Especially for queer folks, we are often in survival mode,” Wheatley says. “It is okay to do nothing sometimes. It is okay to say no.”
Upcoming Events and How to Connect
Q Fitness & Wellness/Cremolyn “Crem” Morris-Frazier
Phone: 704-574-2998
Email: admin@qfitnessandwellness.net
Services include personal training, small group classes, virtual training, massage therapy and mental health therapy. Sliding scale options are available. Q Fitness & Wellness also hosts an annual LGBTQ focused charity 5K, with the next event planned for June.
Jan. 24, 2026 – Q Fitness Run & Hike Club’s 1st hike. Open to all abilities and skill levels. https://www.meetup.com/q-fitness-run-club/
Instagram:@qfitnessandwellness
Facebook: Q Fitness and Wellness
Website: www.qfitnessandwellness.net
Dr. Torie Wheatley, Thee Ratchet Queer Yogi
Instagram: @ratchetqueeryogi
YouTube: youtube.com/@ratchetqueerteacheryogi
- Next free yoga session: Jan. 24, 2026 at Hickory Grove Library, 5935 Hickory Grove Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28215
https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/69531c9f6f856da4be0034ff
HomePlace Hip Hop Yoga:
- First and third Thursdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Next sessions: Feb. 5 and Feb. 19
- Register via Eventbrite (search Hip Hop Yoga)
- Poolside Yoga: Late spring through early fall (April through September)
Closing Summary
Whether it is lifting weights, flowing through vinyasa or simply finding a place where you do not have to explain yourself, wellness works best when it feels human. Q Fitness & Wellness and Thee Ratchet Queer Yogi remind us that movement is not about perfection. It is about intention, access and belonging.