After 8 years, we still believe the most radical act is coming home to your body. We spoke with co-founders Ariel and Carolina to reflect on the moments that shaped the brand and what’s flourishing next.
Where did IMBŌDHI begin?
IMBŌDHI didn’t start as a business idea. It started as a ritual.
In 2014, early in our relationship and long before we conceived of the brand, we made a daily commitment to ourselves, which we called Operation Embodiment. It was a way of fine-tuning our senses and coming home to ourselves.
We practiced paying closer attention to our bodies, to each other, and to the moment. Qigong, Butoh, ecstatic dance, contact improv, acroyoga, slacklining, trail running, stillness. We weren’t training for anything in particular. We were learning how to inhabit ourselves and live in a deeper relationship with life.
That ethos is still at the center of how we live and work. Our movement practices have evolved, but they’re still integral to our lives. Carolina has rekindled her childhood love of surfing and is now completely hooked. Ariel, who used to be terrified of the ocean, follows her into the waves. He wouldn’t call what he does surfing. It’s mostly getting held under. But after 12 years together, and marrying a surfer, it comes with the territory.
We both love hiking, dancing, and taking trips to hot springs a few times a year to reset. We go completely off-grid, no internet, for three or four days to reconnect with the elements and with each other. One of the greatest lessons we’ve learned since starting this business is that self-care is non-negotiable. It’s not separate from the work. It is the center of it.
IMBŌDHI was born from a commitment to keep coming back to ourselves. The relationship we have with our bodies is the longest one we’ll ever have. It begins when we’re just a single cell in the womb and stays with us through every chapter of life. It changes, it challenges us, and it carries us the whole way. It’s easy to forget. But it’s easier to remember when your work is built around it. We wouldn’t have made it this far as a bootstrapped company without the balance that pursuing embodiment gives us.
That intention also shapes our team culture. Every Tuesday, we begin our leadership meetings with a Body and Life Check-in. “How’s your body?” Each team member shares what they’re feeling physically, emotionally, and in life overall. The team gets vulnerable. It’s inspiring, it’s grounding, and it reminds us why we’re here.
Why "IMBŌDHI"?
It’s a name we created by fusing two roots: embody, the heart of our ethos, and bodhi, the Sanskrit word for awakening.
Visually, the name holds its own quiet symmetry. The Ō sits centered between two I’s, echoing the equal sign. It’s balanced, intentional, and whole. Just like the way we design.
It also reminds us of the central relationship in our lives, the one we have with our own body. It’s the only constant from beginning to end. That’s why we create the way we do. That’s why the brand exists at all.
So…what’s with all the onesies?
Carolina was first inspired by her tias in Brazil, who wore onesies to yoga and around Rio de Janeiro with ease and elegance. That image stayed with her.
Years later, when she went looking for a onesie that was functional, flattering, and made from sustainable materials, she couldn’t find one. At the time, we were both teaching acro yoga and needed something she could actually move in. That’s what sparked the idea behind IMBŌDHI: to create clothing that supported movement and felt aligned with our values.
If one garment could hold that kind of meaning, it would be a onesie. A single piece that invites presence. That reminds us to return to the body. To feel our innate wholeness and our connection to something bigger. We’ve spent the last eight years trying to express that. There are endless ways to say it. What matters is how it feels when you wear it.
Our first product was the Imbōdhisuit 1.0. It had a very short torso and taught us a lot about pattern-making the hard way.
Since then, we’ve created different styles for different needs. Clothing designed to move, rest, travel, and live in. From motherhood to the gym, from bachelorette parties to quiet mornings at home, our pieces are made to meet you where you are.
That evolution was shaped not just by intention, but by material. When we discovered MicroModal, everything clicked. Soft, breathable, and made from plants, it felt like it belonged on the body. Our signature MicroModal is knit in Los Angeles and sewn by two incredible partners, one in LA and one in San Francisco, after our original San Francisco factory retired last year.
What’s next?
What’s coming next feels like a natural evolution.
We’re launching a refined basics collection, expanding into maternity, taking our first steps into men’s, and releasing something we’ve been dreaming about for years: plant-based performance activewear.
We finally found a performance fabric made entirely from plants that beats polyester in both breathability and feel. It’s soft, durable, moves beautifully, and just won a top innovation award for sustainability. We’re the first brand bringing it to market in the United States. We’re not ready to name the material yet, but we’ve never been more excited about a launch.
We’re also deepening our commitment to the maternity space. There still aren’t enough plant-based options that support changing bodies with comfort and beauty. We’re here to raise the standard for maternity wear.
And yes, Ariel is finally getting to wear some of our pieces. We’re starting with men’s basics, and if the support is there, a men’s onesie may be next.
And this is just the beginning. Thank you for reading!