Testimonials

“Skukura has an inexplicable and beautiful way of seeing you, the authentic you, and bringing your power to the surface even when you thought it was miles under the ground. She will spend as long as is needed to tease apart the complexity of experience, invigorated and curious by others’ words and stories and fueled with passion and wisdom to engage in fruitful and reflective discussion. She is creative and will use whatever means is relevant to engage. It feels like her heart goes to your heart, heals and empowers it, and fills it up with fiery warmth and comfort. I think it’s a mistake to pass on an opportunity to be in the same space as Skukura. Anyone is lucky to be in her sphere.”

“Skukura and I enjoyed a collaborative working relationship during our days at Juniata. Our working relationship quickly turned to friendship, as we shared many of the same core philosophies, both professionally and personally. Beyond the outstanding interpersonal skill set that she continually hones; her genuine care for and willingness to serve others, shines even more brightly. These gifts are inherent in her character, and nothing that can be learned. Proud to have served at her side.

“I worked closely with Skukura when I was an undergraduate and one thing I was certain about was how much she cared for me and the rest of the people on our team. She took time to discuss with us and made sure we understood that she was always there for us. Skukura is a very caring and understanding individual who isn’t judgmental and is always ready to put herself in your shoes. Talking to Skukura certainly feels like talking to the big sister everyone needs. I feel blessed to have worked closely with her.”

“Great yoga session, great pacing, and experience. I really appreciated how there was a great deal of understanding felt in the room and throughout the session. Also, I appreciated that time was taken to check-in how we were feeling and doing. It helped me really focus on things in my life and the tension and stress that it caused in my body. From there, I was able to relieve stress and such which was extremely helpful.”

“Skukura led a yoga and guided meditation session in the height of covid. Even though it was virtual I could still feel her presence through the screen. It was the perfect blend of restorative, gentle movements to bring me to a place of peace during a chaotic time. Her guided meditation allowed me to fully relax and to be appreciative of what I have.”

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“Skukura Woods is not only an amazing mentor and friend but she has a heart of gold. She takes the time to invest in a person fully and always gives her all. I remember spending long hours in her office having conversations about self growth and trying to figure out who I was and who I wanted to become. She never let me give up on myself, and still hasn’t. She taught me how to advocate for myself, even on days when I wanted to throw in the towel. She taught me that I had to work through my trauma and fear to fully learn how to love myself. She continues to be just a phone call away. Her willingness to watch you develop and grow is something unexplainable. She has the purest mind, body and soul. She is a beautiful, Black, intelligent, hardworking woman 24/7.”

“Skukura is an amazing speaker! My organization invited her to speak on a panel, and she was so insightful and brought up a lot of really good points. She definitely helped to make the panel discussion much deeper. It was amazing.”

“I had the pleasure of meeting Skukura Woods when I attended JC for my undergraduate degree. She was one of my main support systems while in college and a valuable mentor still today. She supported me in overcoming difficult times as part of the underrepresented student population at the college. She created a safe space for me to open up about difficult times in my academic and personal life. She was flexible and made herself available whenever she noticed some unhealthy patterns in me. She was one of the few people who made me feel cared about in college. I can honestly say I got through most of my college hardships because she cared and supported me through all of it. One specific example of that was when she empathized with my situation of not having a driver’s license to complete my Student Teaching Internship at a school that was a 30-minute drive from campus. Every week, she would take me to my site. Her devotion and genuine care for the population of students she worked with is priceless. I am very fortunate I met her when I most needed her, but I am mostly thankful for gaining a mentor for life.”

“Skukura is a passionate and thoughtful friend and mentor. Skukura has always demonstrated a true patience for listening and grace with her words- written and spoken. Skukura is excellent at multi tasking. I have seen her juggle several roles, professionally, academically, socially and personally while still maintaining an awareness of self and other. As a mentor, Skukura helped me find self confidence and a community of compassion through workshops and one on one mentoring. Skukura has mentored me through life as a first generation college student, relationship building, goal setting, reflection and meditation. Skukura has encouraged me to take leadership positions and strive for my wildest aspirations. Skukura values authenticity and growth and establishes that in her places of work. Skukura is always sharing new information with me because she is invested in my growth and the growth of her community! Everything Skukura does is done with love and it is for these reasons that Skukura is an excellent advocate, mentor, counselor and person.”

“Skukura has been a great mentor and friend to me and many other students of color at JC. We met when she interviewed me for a student assistant position at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Her positive attitude, determination, and compassion have helped create a safe space for POC and first generation students. Skukura’s creativity and ability to approach things from different angles enabled us to create workshops that empower, educate, and equip college students to feel ready to take on the world. Skukura’s desire to enact positive change in the world makes her a great person to work with. Her drive, creativity, and empathy make her a wonderful person to be around!”

“I attended one of Skukura’s workshops. She is a powerful, yet gentle individual. Truly an inspiration!”

“The yoga flow was perfect! It was very reflective and revitalizing and exactly what I needed. Thank you so much for what you do!”

“I had the pleasure of attending a yoga workshop with instructor Skukura Woods. From the beginning to the end, Skukura was intentional and thoughtful with her words. I felt empowered and relaxed during the entire routine; transitions were smooth and not jarring. I look forward to attending another session in the future. I highly recommend Intimate Ascension to beginner and advanced yoga participants to join her workshops. Thank you for being present and welcoming!”

“Skukura is a wonderful woman who has helped me transform my life. For well over 8 years, she has provided me with unparalleled support in my development as a person and overcoming my eating disorder. As our relationship progressed, she has been able to help me tackle all the bumps in the road that come with age. She has been instrumental to me building a strong foundation of self love and self confidence to be able to run my own business, and invest in healthy relationships. All in all, I highly recommend Skukura whether you are a business owner trying to navigate the hurdles of running your own business, or keeping a winning mindset; or if you are an average person just trying to navigate life in a healthy honest way. She is WONDERFUL, and worth the investment!

“I have only known Skukura for a short period of time. In that time though, she has made such a positive impact on my emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness. After simply a few conversations with her, I had begun to gain more understanding of myself, and how to properly care for myself. Her presentations were enlightening and very informative. There is just something special about her and I would recommend her services to anybody who wants good, quality, and affective care!”

“Skukura has been a huge blessing in my life. I met her through a peer2peer mentorship program, and she has supported me throughout my toughest times both in college and after graduation. I remember Skukura taking her time to help me craft my Bailey Oratorical Speech content. The topic was emotionally charged as it was my first shot at really reflecting upon my inner truth. That speech was literally the foundation of my life’s purpose, and Skukura was there with me EVERY STEP OF THE WAY! Whenever I had doubts, she would go like “no keep going, keep writing”. Whenever I tried to sugar coat my words and lose track of my authentic self, she would say “trust yourself.” Those words carried on with me and helped me cope throughout my 4 years in a predominantly white school. However, my relationship with Skukura went beyond that. After graduation, I reached out to Skukura and she was once again the guiding voice who pulled me out of the post-grad depression. It was because of Skukura telling me to listen to my body that I went easy on myself and finally found where I belong and how to provide value to the world. Finally, There is just something about Skukura that makes me, and others, feel welcomed, comfortable, and grounded once again…Trust me when I say that Skukura is the real deal!”

“Skukura’s yoga session was such a nice treat! Many people talk about body appreciation, but this session really allowed me to connect with my body with gratitude in a way I hadn’t experienced before. It felt so empowering! Thank you!”

“Intimate Ascension has a holistic view of wholeness. From counseling, yoga, educational workshops, and advice this company uplifts all. The founder facilitated a workshop for RISE at Chatham University that allowed some of the BIPOC community at Chatham University to release the pressures of starting a new semester, which has a different weight for person of color under the pretenses of this political climate. The parts of this facilitation that helped me were the yoga exercises, introductions with affirmations, and identifying the emotions that I feel in specific terms to find the root of the feeling. This along with Ms. Woods’ Black-affirming approach made me super comfortable and reflective of the many ways that I can make strides towards wholeness as a Black woman. Everyone should absolutely take advantages of the services of Intimate Ascension as it has essential pathways to healing.”