BlkGirlAffirming (Yoga as Embodied Social Change)

I spell the word black, BLK. I do this because I believe that the current social definition implies that black is some how the lack of something. Truthfully black is the absorption of all light and color. I wanted to challenge this norm when naming my project.

So who am I? My name is Jazmin and I am one of the few women of color teaching yoga here in Asheville.

What do I do? I believe in holding brave space for undeserved communities in Asheville. Spaces were we affirm each others stories and collectively begin the process of healing ourselves from trauma, which often is stored in the body!

What this looks like , is me showing up for communities that have historically not had access to holistic wellness tools. I would like to have a rotation of places I would host these pop-up events. Essentially going into public housing communities and community centers, such as the South Side community center. There I would provide donation based yoga and mediation classes.

Out of the 72% of women who practice yoga, only 2% are Black Women.
This is a billion dollar industry, often reflecting the racial and economic inequalities we see in America.

My purpose is to empower communities of color to cultivate a more holistic relationship to themselves and the Earth. Sharing meditation, plant-based living, and yoga as an act of radical resistance and embodied social change.
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Financé par Asheville, NC (August 2018)