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COMMUNITY YOGA
MONDAY, JULY 6 - SATURDAY, JULY 11
Our eighth group of 200-hr Yoga Teacher Trainees (YTTs), affectionately known as "THETA" are graduating on July 12th! These past nine months have been nothing short of amazing so we're inviting you in on the celebration :) As part of their final practicum, YTTs are to: 1) lead a 60-minute community yoga class; 2) create and facilitate a Sankofa Seva, a service project applying yoga's ethical principles to address social justice issues; and 3) pass a written exam. Read below about their amazing work and join their community classes this week.
MONDAY, 7/6
10:00 am w/ Zaynab (downstairs)*
WEDNESDAY, 7/8
12:00 pm w/ Jessica (downstairs)*
6:30 pm w/ Adaisha (upstairs)*
7:15 pm w/ Aisha (downstairs)*
SATURDAY, 7/11
8:30 am w/ Michellene (upstairs)*
9:00 am w/ Jasmine (downstairs)*
10:00 am w/ Russ (upstairs)*
10:30 am w/ Nicole (downstairs)*
11:30 am w/ Javel (upstairs)*
1:00 pm w/ Vy (upstairs)*
1:30 pm w/ Sabi (downstairs)*
*see class descriptions below
Classes are FREE and held IN-STUDIO only!
Pre-registration required. NO LATE ENTRY.
Zaynab Major
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Monday Reset: Slow Vinyasa Flow
Monday, 7/9
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Downstairs
Mondays can feel like a lot. This class provide you a space to slow down before the week speeds up. Together, we'll move through a gentle yoga flow that combines mindful movement and deep breathing to help release tension, improve mobility, and clear your mind. There's no pressure to be flexible or experienced—just show up as you are. By the end of class, you'll feel more relaxed, refreshed, and ready to take on the day.
Embracing Wellness: Mindful Movement for Self-Compassion
Embracing Wellness: Mindful Movement for Self-Compassion is a wellness initiative designed to support individuals’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being through gentle movement, breathwork, and mindfulness practices. Centered on the principle of Ahimsa (non-violence), the initiative encourages individuals to cultivate compassion for themselves and others while learning practical techniques to reduce stress, improve emotional balance, and foster greater self-awareness.
MISSION: To promote physical, mental, and emotional wellness by introducing gentle movement, breathwork, and mindfulness practices that empower individuals to reduce stress, increase self-compassion, and consider developing lifelong mindfulness practices that can support overall well-being.
GOAL: To engage individuals in a mindful movement session that introduces gentle stretching, breathing techniques, and mindfulness exercises.
DATE: May 13, May 20, & June 24, 2026
LOCATION: Rockville, MD
Jessica Martin
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Warrior Within: Strength & Stretch
Wednesday, 7/8
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Downstairs
Warrior Within: Strength & Stretch is a slow-flow practice rooted in breath, strength, balance, and release. Through the warrior poses and intentional stretching, we’ll explore what it means to feel strong without forcing, soft without collapsing, and present without needing to perform. This class is an invitation to come back to your body, your breath, and the steady power that already lives within you.
Warrior at Bat: Yoga for Strong Girls
Warrior at Bat is a youth yoga and affirmation experience created for the Mamie Johnson Little League 10U Softball Team, an all-Black girls’ team within DC State Little League. The session was designed for girl athletes who are training, competing, and growing.
MISSION: To introduce young Black girls to yoga, breathwork, and affirmations as practical tools they can carry for life. These practices support body positivity, self-awareness, emotional confidence, and athletic recovery.
GOAL: To create a safe, empowering, and age-appropriate space where young athletes can move, breathe, stretch, and practice speaking positively to themselves before training and competition.
DATE: June 10, 2026
LOCATION: Ferebee-Hope Rec Center, Washington DC
Adaisha Rutledge
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Ground and Flow
Wednesday, 7/8
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Upstairs
Come ready to find your focus and the strength to power through the rest of your week. In this class, you can expect a mindful flow that builds deep core strength while improving balance. By focusing on your drishti and staying connected to your breath, you'll cultivate the inner focus to carry you through to the finish line—because slow and steady wins the race. Breathe, flow, and enjoy a soulful soundscape that leaves you feeling grounded, centered, and uplifted.
The Journal Club
This project was inspired by the yogic philosophy of Svadhyaya, the practice of self-study and turning inward to deepen our understanding of who we are. We live in a society shaped by algorithms and machines that constantly feed us messages about how we should feel, what we should value, and who we should be. Amid this relentless stream of information, it is easy to lose touch with our own inner voice. This project invites young Black women in my community to pause, reconnect with their inner compass, and cultivate a deeper relationship with the wisdom of their authentic selves.
MISSION: To create a safe, supportive community where Black women can slow down, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and explore their authentic selves through mindfulness, self-study, and meaningful connection.
GOAL: To grow this community to include young women, creating opportunities for meaningful intergenerational conversations and mentorship. By fostering these connections early, I hope to empower young women with a strong sense of self, a supportive community, and lifelong relationships that continue to nurture and inspire them as they grow.
DATE: Bi-Weekly starting July 27, 2026
LOCATION: Florida
Aisha Maxwell
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Gentle Restorative Yoga for Relaxation
Wednesday, 7/8
7:15 PM - 8:15 PM
Downstairs
Unwind with a calming practice designed to help your body and mind slow down. This gentle restorative class uses fully supported poses, mindful breathing, and moments of stillness to encourage deep relaxation and ease tension. With the support of props such as bolsters, blankets, and blocks, you'll be invited to rest comfortably in each posture, allowing the nervous system to settle and the body to release accumulated stress. If you are feeling tired, overwhelmed, or simply looking for a peaceful pause in your week, this class offers a quiet space to recharge, reconnect, and leave feeling rested, grounded, and renewed.
Chair Yoga for Active Aging
Chair Yoga for Active Seniors is designed to promote health, wellness, and social connection among older adults through accessible, low-impact exercise. Santosha (contentment) is the Niyama identified, helping participants find contentment in an aging body. The program will offer guided chair yoga sessions that improve flexibility, strength, balance, posture, and relaxation while accommodating participants of varying mobility levels. In addition to the physical benefits, the project creates opportunities for seniors to engage with others in a welcoming and supportive environment, helping to reduce social isolation and enhance overall well-being. Sessions emphasize safe movement, breathing techniques, and mindfulness practices that can help manage stress and support healthy aging.
MISSION: The mission is to enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of older adults by providing accessible chair yoga classes that promote mobility, balance, flexibility, and relaxation.
GOAL: Help seniors maintain their independence and enhance their quality of life through consistent participation in wellness activities.
DATE: On-going
LOCATION: Various Locations, MD
Michellene Williams
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Lite Werk
Saturday, 7/11
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Upstairs
Lite Werk is an invitation to greet the morning with curiosity rather than urgency. Through a gentle Hatha-inspired vinyasa flow, mindful breath, and soulful rhythms, we'll awaken the body, settle the mind, and create space to move with intention instead of obligation. This practice is less about accomplishing and more about arriving—one breath, one movement, one moment at a time
Hold the Line .... Who Holds Space for the Space Holders?
Hold the Line is a community-centered wellness initiative designed to create intentional opportunities for crisis workers to pause, reconnect, and restore. Through gentle yoga, breathwork, meditation, mindfulness, and community connection, this project aims to cultivate a culture of sustainable care within the workplace—one that recognizes the well-being of caregivers as essential to the well-being of those they serve.
MISSION: To cultivate a culture of sustainable care within crisis services by creating intentional spaces where crisis counselors can reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, strengthen community, and replenish the emotional resources needed to continue supporting others with compassion.
GOAL: To introduce a recurring wellness initiative that integrates gentle yoga, breathwork, mindfulness, and community-building practices as accessible tools for preventing burnout, fostering resilience, and supporting the overall well-being of crisis workers.
DATE: July 7, 2026
LOCATION: EveryMind: Rockville, MD
Jasmine Akarolo
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Hatha Flow: A Revolution of Love
Saturday, 7/11
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Downstairs
“To love is to recognize ; to be loved is to be recognized by the other” ― Thich Nhat Hanh Lets come together and practice bringing our breath into focus, mind into balance, and our body's home. This is an act of revolution for love and compassion to remind us of whats always possible. Join me in this morning flow where we will work on synchronizing our breath with our body's movement by incorporating hatha alignment-based holds and vinyasa fluid transitions in-between. This is a beginner friendly class, including pranayama (breath control), asana (postures), and meditation.
The Letter of Love
The Letter of Love at its heart is a gathering of stories about love from before, now, and as we grow to understand it. This project is exploring Saucha and Svadhyaya as practices towards deepening our understanding of fuller expressions of love.
MISSION: Call to Action: Bring forth our new understandings of love, trust the transformation that it takes us all through, and expand your breadth of how self, relational, and communal love is an act of revolution.
"Love is the seed, surrender the bud, and service the fruit. When love itself is lacking, there cannot be any true surrender or service. Serve with a full heart. By making others happy, you make yourself happy." ― Swami Kripalu
GOAL: The Letter of Love has two living parts. One, an ongoing collection of love letters that are to be archived and displayed both online and in person over time. The other is a gathering that continues the foremothers’ conversations about love ― serving as a vessel that holds and weaves our individual stories and wisdom.
DATE: July 5, 2026
LOCATION: Virtual
Russ Green
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Breathe & Bend
Saturday, 7/11
10:00 AM - 11: 00 AM
Upstairs
Settle in, breathe, and move at your own pace — no experience needed. Breathe & Bend opens with 30 minutes of mindful breathwork (pranayama), then flows into 30 minutes of gentle, intentional poses (asanas). Together, they release tension in the hips and shoulders, easing stress and leaving you calm, grounded, and recharged.
Community Golf Clinic
Students from Morgan State University spent a free, one-hour clinic at Clifton Park Golf Course in Baltimore learning to swing, chip, and putt, while practicing the yogic principles of self-discipline (Tapas) and self-study (Svādhyāya). The clinic was made possible through a collaboration between Bison Impact Group Founder Russ Green, Sisters Swing Social Club of Morgan State University Founder Anna Itakpe, First Tee Greater Baltimore Community Outreach Coordinator Jayquann Johnson, and Yooto'pea Golf Founder DeBrandon Jews.
MISSION: Grow participation by Black women and girls in golf through free community clinics.
GOAL: Make golf welcoming and joyful for everyone — demystifying the game, centering wellness and mindfulness, and shedding its elitist reputation.
DATE: April 26, 2026
LOCATION: Clifton Park Golf Course, Baltimore City
Nicole Stokes
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Sciatica, Shoulder and Strength
Saturday, 7/11
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Downstairs
Sciatica, Shoulder and Strength is a class that combines both flow and clinic styles specifically designed to use movement to address two of the most common everyday physical complaints: Sciatic and shoulder pain as well as overall strengthening.
Yoga For Black Women Over 60
Through the application of Ahimsa, Satya and Brahmacharya black women ages 60+ are invited and encouraged to reflect, examine and experiment with the various pathways to utilize yoga to improve the quality of life.
MISSION: To support ladies over 60 in various stages of physical, emotional and mental life through the practice of yoga and mindfulness.
GOAL: To create an inclusive and informative physical space that could equip ladies over 60 with not only the knowledge, but the guidance and the courage to step out of their comfort zone and start the process of discovering exactly how yoga could be used as a guide to a healthier lifestyle.
DATE: May 30, May 20 & June 20, 2026
LOCATION: Patapsco State Park, Backyard and Ocean City
Javel Wilson
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Around the World Hatha Flow
Saturday, 7/11
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Upstairs
This class is designed for all levels in mind. The class will start with an invigorating warm up. The class should make you dance, make you sweat and push you in an energetic Hatha Flow exploring your physical abilities then ending with a well-earned Savasana
Yoga for Stroke Survivors
Focusing on Ahimsa and Ishvara Pranidana this project will bring awareness to help overcome the mental challenges that come post stroke recovery
MISSION: Inspire daily gratitude and assist others to recognize unhealthy thought patterns. Using renewed focus, movement, breath work and meditation guide others to create a healthy lifestyle. Embracing the power of letting go and renewing your mind.
GOAL: Help others build a healthy lifestyle by transforming their mindset and changing their habits. Encouraging stroke survivors to let go of negative thoughts and what we cannot control. Instead focusing on things we can control including our outlook on life and how we show up in the world through our diet and movement. Cultivating a space where survivors can move towards being more loving to themselves mentally and physically after the traumatic experience that is a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).
DATE: July 9, 2026
LOCATION: Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center
Vy Marie
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Wild at Heart: An Inner Child Yoga Journey
Saturday, July 11
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Upstairs
The animal kingdom gives yoga some of its most evocative and memorable poses. Each archetype carries an ancient wisdom: moving instinctively, resting without guilt, taking up space unapologetically. For many of us, we grew up hearing the same instructions, delivered in the same tired tone: “Sit still. Be quiet. Stop fidgeting. Settle down.” We were taught early, and often, that our natural impulses to move, to make noise, to take up space, were somehow wrong. Inconvenient. Too much. Every animal in this practice knows something that we have forgotten…we are not a problem to be managed. Animals do not apologize for existing loudly. They do not hold their breath in meetings. They do not shrink. Come as the adult you’ve become and leave a little more like the child you were before the world asked you to be quiet. Beginner friendly. Giggles, sighs, and happy grunts are encouraged.
Addressing Workplace Grief & Trauma as a Death Care Professional
Death care professionals exist at the threshold of life’s most sacred and devastating moments. We serve with steadiness and grace, often carrying the weight of accumulated grief, secondary trauma, and emotional labor with little support or space to process our own suffering. This Seva Project addresses the silent crisis within the death care industry, which normalizes unhealthy coping mechanisms like substance abuse, gambling, emotional numbing, and isolation, as responses to chronic exposure to loss, mortality, and human pain.
MISSION: To bring the wisdom of the Yamas and Niyamas into the lived experience of death care professionals, using self-inquiry to examine harmful patterns, and offering pranayama, meditation, and asana as tools for processing grief, regulating the nervous system, and reclaiming wholeness.
GOAL: To introduce death care professionals, through the lens of yogic philosophy and practice, an accessible framework for healing and self-restoration.
DATE: Monthly beginning June 2026
LOCATION: Batchelor Brothers Funeral Services-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"Sabi" Nakita Brown
Community Yoga Class
Sankofa Seva Project
Gentle Hatha Flow: Cultivating Self-Love & Self-Care
Saturday, 7/11
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Downstairs
Join me for a gentle, beginner-friendly Hatha-inspired yoga practice designed to encourage self-love, self-compassion, and mindful self-care. Through slow, intentional movement, breath awareness, and moments of reflection, we will create space to reconnect with ourselves and honor our bodies exactly as they are.This class focuses on moving with kindness rather than striving for perfection, inviting students to explore strength, flexibility, and balance at their own pace. Suitable for all levels, this practice offers an opportunity to slow down, reduce stress, and nurture a deeper sense of well-being both on and off the mat. A gentle invitation to slow down, listen inward, and care for yourself with compassion.
Supporting Youth with Compassion and Care through Comfort Cases
Children entering foster care often experience difficult transitions with few personal belongings. Through Comfort Cases, I supported efforts to provide children with backpacks filled with essential items and comfort objects that help promote dignity, care, and a sense of belonging difficult during times of change in their lives. AHIMSA & ASTEYA: This project reflects Ahimsa (non-harming) by helping reduce suffering and bringing comfort to children during challenging life transitions. It also embodies Asteya (non-stealing) by recognizing that every child deserves dignity, care, and access to basic necessities. Through service, generosity, and compassion, we help restore a sense of worth and belonging.
MISSION: To support children in foster care by helping provide comfort items and essentials while raising awareness about the importance of compassion, dignity, and service.
GOAL: To volunteer with Comfort Cases, learn about the needs of foster youth, and inspire others to participate in meaningful acts of service that support children in transition.
DATE: June 9, 2026
LOCATION: Comfort Cases; Gaithersburg, MD