PAST EVENTS

Click here to view the fall 2023 semester.

Click here to view the 2024 year. 

 

The Power of Stillness: A Dharma Talk & Tea Ceremony on Finding Balance w/ Tamisha

Thursday, November 21 @ 7:30 pm​

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​In the hustle and flow of daily life, stillness often feels out of reach. Yet, it is in stillness that we find balance, clarity, and strength. During this special dharma talk, part of Sankofa’s Restorative Week, we’ll explore how to cultivate a sense of equilibrium and inner harmony through the timeless teachings of Howard Thurman.

 

The evening will feature:

🍵 A grounding tea ceremony to connect with the present moment

🧘🏾 Insights and reflections inspired by Meditations of the Heart

💬 A supportive discussion on integrating stillness into everyday life.

 

This session invites you to pause, reflect, and restore. Through the wisdom of shared practices and community connection, discover how embracing stillness can bring balance to the mind, body, and soul.
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Rest is Sacred: A Restorative Experience w/ Octavia Raheem

Tuesday, November 19 @ 7:30 pm (virtually)

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Join us for an intimate rest experience as we welcome author, rest coach, yoga teacher (restorative yoga, meditation, Yoga Nidra), and transformational guide Octavia Raheem for a regenerative session rooted in the teachings of her latest book, Rest is Sacred.

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This curated rest experience is a portal to reclaim your brilliance and includes:

• An opportunity to experience rest as a place of refuge through guided relaxation

• Inquiry and reflection time to re-member who you are

• Restorative yoga and Yoga Nidra to support clarity and revelation

• Rest-filled story time while Octavia reads from Rest is Sacred: Reclaiming Our Brilliance through the Practice of Stillness

• A community of people who are ready to trust that rest is an essential way to awaken to our power, wisdom, and purpose

• Time to journal, reflect, and write

 

Nourish & Connect: Mindful Eating Retreat

Saturday, August 31 @ 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

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Join us for Nourish & Reconnect, a transformative half-day retreat designed to help you cultivate mindful eating practices and develop a healthier relationship with food. Led by Sankofa Health co-founder, Dr. Tamisha J. Ponder, certified holistic nutritionist, Deborah Stephenson, and licensed therapist, Lauren Allen, we will focus on understanding the psychological and emotional connections between grief, trauma, and eating habits. Through a combination of workshops, guided exercises, and group discussions, you will learn practical techniques to eat mindfully and address emotional eating. Emotional distress often leads to changes in eating behaviors, which can manifest as overeating, undereating, or erratic eating patterns. These changes are coping mechanisms that the body and mind use to handle overwhelming emotions. By addressing the emotional roots of eating habits, the Nourish & Reconnect Retreat aims to provide you with tools and strategies to foster a balanced and mindful approach to food, promoting overall emotional and physical well-being. Enjoy healthy snacks, a cooking demonstration, meditation and breathwork, and group discussions as we engage in community, connect with our bodies.​

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Location: In-Studio

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Sankofa Fit: 6-Week Program

Saturdays: 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Wednesdays: 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm

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Spring into Summer with Sankofa Fit, our comprehensive fitness and nutrition program combining the benefits of health and exercise with essential nutritional guidance. This program spans six weeks and includes two weekly HIIT style yoga sessions on Saturday mornings @ 9am (7/13, 7/20, 7/27, 8/3, 8/10, 8/17) and Wednesday evenings @ 6pm (7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 7/7, 7/14). To ensure program success, participants will have access to a dedicated success coach who will provide personalized support, motivation, and accountability throughout the program. 

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Sankofa Fit also includes a 90-minute nutrition session, Friday evening (8/2), led by a certified nutritionist, focusing on healthy eating and supplements tailored for active individuals. Participants will gain practical advice and strategies to optimize daily diets, enhance performance, and support overall well-being. The integration of nutritional education and fitness fundamentals will empower participants with the knowledge to make informed dietary choices that complement their fitness goals.

By the end of the program, participants will have developed healthier habits, improved physical fitness, and a deeper understanding of the connection between nutrition and exercise.​

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HIKING WITH TAMISHA

Wednesday, July 3 @ 6:00 pm 

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Did you know that the gift for the five-year anniversary is wood?! This natural material symbolizes strength, durability and growth -- reflecting a relationship that has stood tall and weathered many storms, much like a sturdy tree. In celebration of this five year journey, we're heading off the mat and into the woods! That's right. Join Tamisha on the trails for Sankofa's Five Year Anniversary Hike! ​

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TIME: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

LOCATION: Fairland Park (Laurel/Burtonsville). Exact parking location and trail tips will be emailed the evening before :)

​Investment: FREE​​​

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HEART HEALTH MONTH | February 2024

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February is all about heart health, and we've got some exciting activities lined up to keep your heart happy and strong!

 

Virtual Walk/Run Club

Lace up your sneakers and join our Virtual Walk/Run Club! Whether its a brisk walk through your neighborhood or a spirited run on the treadmill, let's move together in accountability for heart health. Here, yogis can login on your phone, set your goals with the group, and join accountability coach, Javaz, for a post walk/run stretch. Tuesdays @ 7:00 am (VIRTUALLY)

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Virtual Book Club: All About Love

Get cozy with a cup of tea and dive into All About Love by bell hooks. Read, discuss, and explore love beyond the realm of mere romance. Join Natalie virtually every Wednesday in February at 7:15 pm EST as you learn to approach love with intention, respect, and vulnerability. Wednesdays @ 7:15 pm (VIRTUALLY)

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Journaling From the Heart

Join us for this therapeutic journaling series as we explore emotions, gratitude, and self-reflection. Join Gelisa virtually every Thursday in February at 7:30 pm EST as we pen down our thoughts together. Thursdays @ 7:30 pm (VIRTUALLY)

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How to Join

These classes are an added bonus to our schedule for February. Sign up with your membership or purchase a class pass to enjoy!

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Follow us on Instagram @sankofayoga to join in on the conversations!

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COMMUNITY PRAYER | December 31, 2023

12:30 pm EST - 1:30 pm EST [VIRTUAL]

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A Community Prayer is a collective expression of shared hopes, concerns, and intentions by a group of people within a community. It is a way for people within a community, whether it be a religious congregation, a neighborhood, or any group with shared values or goals, to unite in a spiritual or reflective practice. ​The purpose of Sankofa’s Community Prayer is to foster a sense of unity, support, and shared purposes among members. Regardless of your religious affiliation, our community prayer is intended to bring the community together in a spirit of hope and solidarity. This community prayer is open to ALL, regardless of religious beliefs.​ Join us virtually on Sunday, December 31, 2023, as we unite as a community to show gratitude for our past and present and set intentions for our future, 2024. 

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“I pray the divine grants us the wisdom to understand one another, the strength to support each other, and the compassion to empathize with the struggles of our fellow community members. May our hearts be filled with love, understanding, and kindness, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.”

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Investment: FREE

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NU YEAR, NUTRITION! | January 12, 2024 - February 2, 2024

21-Day Health Program 

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We're back, but this time we're doing it bigger and better! A continuation of the fall 2023 semester's, Lounge Friday: What's the Tea with Nutrition, Nu Year, Nutrition is a deeper exploration of nutrition, our relationship with food and the quest to an overall better quality of life. 

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Participants will engage in a 21-day program inclusive of weekly group nutrition counseling with certified holistic nutrition professional and certified health and wellness coach, Deborah Stephenson; mindful journal prompts and weekly introspective guidance from mindful teacher and journaling enthusiast, Gelisa Lewis; a collective healing circle with Shanae Hudson, therapist and Bariatric Baddie two years post-surgery and still navigating relationship with self and food; and accountability coaching with Dr. Tamisha J. Ponder, founder/owner of Sankofa Yoga and Wellness Center. Participants will receive a workbook as a guide on their 21-day journey.

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Course Dates:

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The Nu Year, Nutrition Program begins on Friday, January 12th, 2024, and ends on Friday, February 2, 2024. Through these twenty-one days, program participants will be engaged with in various ways (workbook, in-person sessions, virtual sessions, group communication, etc.) and are encouraged to take advantage of the following sessions to achieve optimal results:

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• Fridays | January 12, 19 & 26 @ 6:30 pm (in-studio)

• Tuesdays | January 16, 23 & 30 @ 6:30 pm (virtually)

• Sunday, January 21, 2023 @ 1:00 pm (in-studio)

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CELEBRATIONS

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Kick-off Celebration: Friday, January 12, 2024 @ 6:00 pm

Closing Celebration: Friday, February 2, 2023 @ 6:00 pm

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Make 2024 the year that you explore food and nutrition in a nu way! Improve the overall quality of your life, discover ways to eat clean and how to do it cost effectively, and cultivate a better relationship with self and food.

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Total cost includes enrollment in program and workbook.  Can't attend all session days? No problem! Join us when you can! Tuesday sessions will be recorded for those who cannot attend. ​​​​​​​​​​​

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