The Healing Power of Private LGBTQ Yoga Sessions Led by Black and Brown Teachers


Yoga is a deeply transformative practice that extends far beyond the physical realm. It's about creating harmony between the body, mind, and spirit. When this practice is led by Black and Brown teachers within the LGBTQ community, it takes on a whole new dimension. In this blog post, we will explore the profound benefits of private yoga sessions tailored for LGBTQ individuals and led by Black and Brown teachers. These sessions not only offer physical wellness but also provide a safe and inclusive space for healing and self-discovery.

The Importance of Representation

Representation matters, especially in wellness practices like yoga. For LGBTQ individuals, seeing someone who shares their identity and experiences in a yoga instructor can create an immediate sense of comfort and trust. Black and Brown teachers within the community bring unique perspectives, empathy, and an understanding of intersectionality to the practice.

A Safe and Inclusive Space

Private yoga sessions led by Black and Brown LGBTQ teachers offer a safe and judgment-free space where individuals can fully be themselves. In group settings, LGBTQ individuals may sometimes feel self-conscious or worry about judgment. Private sessions eliminate these concerns, allowing for a deeper and more authentic practice.

Tailored to Individual Needs

One of the most significant benefits of private yoga sessions is the ability to tailor the practice to individual needs. Black and Brown LGBTQ teachers can create sequences and practices that address specific physical or emotional challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals, promoting overall well-being.

Cultivating Mindfulness and Self-Acceptance

Yoga is a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness and self-acceptance. Black and Brown LGBTQ teachers guide students to explore their inner selves, embrace their identities, and find peace within. These sessions often incorporate meditation and breathing exercises that support emotional healing and self-love.

Healing Trauma

Many LGBTQ individuals, particularly Black and Brown LGBTQ individuals, have experienced trauma related to their identities. Private yoga sessions provide a safe space to address and heal these wounds. Techniques such as restorative yoga and yoga nidra can be particularly effective in trauma recovery.

Fostering Community and Connection

While private sessions are one-on-one, they can also foster a sense of community and connection. Black and Brown LGBTQ teachers often create networks of support and inclusion, offering resources and guidance beyond the yoga mat.

Empowerment and Self-Expression

Private LGBTQ yoga sessions led by Black and Brown teachers empower individuals to express themselves fully. They encourage self-expression and provide a platform for LGBTQ individuals to reclaim their bodies and their identities.

Resource Links for Private Yoga Sessions

  1. Yoga Alliance Directory: Find certified yoga instructors, including LGBTQ and Black and Brown teachers, in your area.

  2. San Diego LGBTQ Center: Connect with resources, support groups, and events for the LGBTQ community in San Diego.

  3. Insight Timer: Explore a wide range of meditation and mindfulness practices, including those tailored to LGBTQ individuals.

Ready to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery, mindfulness, and self-acceptance through private yoga sessions led by Black and Brown LGBTQ teachers? Sign up to learn more about private virtual and in-person sessions in San Diego.

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The healing power of this practice knows no bounds, and it's an empowering step towards wellness and self-love. Join us in creating a safe and inclusive space for your personal yoga journey.

Costa Rica Adventures

If I was to tell you I planned my whole trip before leaving the USA, Id be lying. I really tried my best to pack light, only really bringing what I needed and after doing some research, finding some waterproof hiking boots, and rain protection gear really helped to keep me dry. (Things to pack for Costa Rica). Ive done road trips, slept In my car on Cliffside’s along the PCH, and rented airbnbs in beautiful locations, but I knew I needed something different. I wanted at first to road trip south to the furthest point In Baja California , Cabo san lucas  , but realized after researching the trek that  my body, mind, and soul needed something different. I needed a trip where I could just relax and also find time to explore.  I researched some cheap flights and found some amazing deals on Priceline.  After a few deep breathes and taking In a lot of research on solo travel in Central America, I finally chose my destination of Costa Rica.

Owl looks out the plane to a beautiful skyline




I chose Costa Rica because of a few things:




  • Costa Rica is LGBTQ friendly, I didn’t want to deal with issues for being myself

  • It was easy to get in during covid-19 and the testing to come back to the USA wasn’t too costly

  • I heard of black folks who ex-pated to Costa Rica and wanted to see why

  • I wanted to connect deeper to my Caribbean roots and to be immersed In a Spanish speaking culture .

  • In Costa Rica, you can visit the pacific and the Caribbean ocean due to its geographical location and I have never swam in oceanic bath water before

  • To see Monkeys in the trees and hear wild jungle cat stories

 I packed a small book bag with my laptop and bathroom essentials, had my camera bag, and a  22”  REI Co-op Stratocruiser backpack I found on Offer Up. I love it at first because it transitioned from roller suitcase to backpack pretty easily. To this day I think I packed way too much , but for a 11 day journey, I had no idea what to expect! I carried with me my pack full of clothes, my carry-on backpack with my laptop and bathroom essentials, and a tripod for filming yoga videos if I could find a nice location. I didn’t realize the tripod would be so large in its smallest positioning, but did my best to lug it around. 






I flew out of LAX and had made arrangements to see a friend in Denver which upon my landing in Denver, our plans were cancelled. I already had planned to stay with them and had a 10 hour layover,  thankfully finding a new spot to crash on a whim had become a specialty over the Pandemic. Looking at the airport clock, I realized it was too late to even attempt airbnb, so I found some deals on Hotel tonight and figured out my way to the public transit. I remember walking around the airport seeing all the travelers sleeping on benches and wondering if I could stick it through then night. From the Denver Air Rail I had to call an Uber and i got to the hotel and passed out.  It was all pretty easy until morning came and I still had a few things from my shopping  list to grab. I didn’t realized how much time I needed to get to the airport and showed up 1.5 hours before my flight departed. Thinking it would be as easy as it was to get to Denver, I didn’t take into account how international travel takes more time with scanning passports, and etc and the lady kindly told me, I had to come back the next day for the next flight. fuming I walked out and made my way back to the air rail,  powerless and accepting of my fate. Another night I Denver it was, and I found a local dispensary, stayed at this bomb motel with a pool and pretended like I was in paradise. The next day I was sure catch my flight. 






It took a little over 6hours to get to San Jose and we landed In the evening. It was my first huge culture shock to see everything was in Spanish and immediately I got overwhelmed and excited. As we got to customs I was nervous, they generally want to know why you are in Costa Rica and where you will be staying your entire trip, maybe to ensure that you aren’t just floating around I assumed? I knew that I only could plan 2-3 days at a time because I wasn’t sure what I exactly wanted to do, it was just the rainy season, and I knew I had booked a deal stay at costa verde inn. I booked for 2 nights and then told them after I would be staying in Santa teresa for the remainder nights. The Guard barely looked at me as he stamped my passport and I was on my way. The next stressful part, was hailing a taxi! After customs I was instantly in a gift shop/ mall area with booze and snacks, I fought the temptation.  I didn’t know fluent Spanish and my Uber app was being complicated af. After a losing battle of speaking Spanish with my lost Uber driver, I finally found my way to the pickup and he told me in broken english to sit in the front, I had no idea but Uber was illegal and we had to pretend I was a friend. I could barely take it as we slowly passed an armed guard on the side of the road and as he waved us on I sighed in relief. 

When we arrived at Costa verde I was so relieved, the inside was beautiful and I loved how it was connected to nature. when I checked in I was kinda bummed because I had paid for 2 nights and knew I would only get to stay in this beautiful paradise for one. After the counter person signed me in, I looked at my stay receipt and noticed they pushed my dates back since I didn’t arrive the first night, without me even asking, I felt such a relief and filled with joy to know I could finally rest. The next day was filled with rain and I made friends with a local, we connected and spent the day talking and connecting. They told me all of their adventure stories and really inspired me to take In all that I could while in this beautiful country. I decided the next part of my stay would require me to cross the jungle and sea to  Santa teresa on the Nicoya Penninsula. 

Tucson adventures pt 1

Today was amazing. I made this bomb ass meal for GiannaTaught me so much about how when you put your mind to it. You can really do anything. I followed a recipe from one of my fave bloggers @minimalistbaker

Kind of added my own twist! Omg it came out amazing I think a lot was due to how thin I sliced the eggplant!! I sliced some too thin and I got so overwhelmed at first but kept chugging. The breadcrumbs and everything came out soooo crunchy. Loved dipping it in the sauce Áfter we ate. It was kinda funny to make Italian cuisine for a Sicilian and inspiring when they love it. meant a lot Coming from New York. I really love and know my Italian cuisine. I used a spicy marinara, banza linguine GF pasta and barista oatly. GF panko Bread crumbs and some spicy peppers on the eggplant. Vegan Parmesan really spiced it up. Follow your heart is my current addiction. Nutritional yeast would of been a healthier option 😉. Currently brainstorming on my first cooking course. I’m really excited to launch it at the end of February. Black history month will be my level up month. I know it. Thankful for this virtual blog space. 

We Found Beauty 001

Two friends walk along a wooden path in the coastal woodlands of Virginia. only one is pictured wearing a comfy peacoat and a beanie with a grey messenger bag over shoulder. It has either just rained or is raining in this picture as the ground is very wet.

Two friends walk along a wooden path in the coastal woodlands of Virginia. only one is pictured wearing a comfy peacoat and a beanie with a grey messenger bag over shoulder. It has either just rained or is raining in this picture as the ground is very wet.

We Found Beauty

We found beauty on land where blood spilled

Like the water

Flows to the ocean 

Murky and hard to walk through

The sun hiding behind clouds for protection 

The truth hurts 

Like the oil that flows to the water

from pipelines

We found beauty by letting go

Driving aimlessly for what seemed

Hours…

through land where blood spilled

To find this new place and call it home

even if only for an hour..

even if only for a day..

fungus growing to decay

fungus growing to decay

Yoga Tour Pt 2

PHILADELPHIA Pt. 1


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The Highway always seems full of gas stations until your tanks on E and your hearts pounding with anxiety. This was me heading to Philly with about 3 hours until the start of my workshop. I was just outside of Baltimore and the electronic meter told me 6 miles to empty. I had to catch my breathe, and my phone was dying; Note: my phone is always dying. So here I am, Dead phone, gas tank about to deplete, 100 Miles from Philly, and 3 hours until my Workshop. 



  I took deep breath and got off the highway at the next exit, it was time for a rouge mission to find gas. Reluctantly, with 3 miles to E, I found a Sunoco with cheap gas and located my phone charger in one of my random suitcases. The universe seems to work in your favor when you need it the most. I took a moment to recenter with gratitude and the open road was mine for the taking. T-Minus two and a half hours until my yoga workshop starts and the GPS says two hours until I get to Philly. 



Okay, so lets back track a bit because I’m skipping a few things. While in Baltimore I needed desperately to find a host in Philadelphia. I posted on Couch-surfing not knowing that it was Ironically one of Philadelphias “gayest” weekends of the year, Out fest. I found an Airbnb and anxiously made the payments without even registering where it was located; Bear, DE, about an hour commute from Philadelphia!  

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When I made this realization, I nearly fell over with desperation asking myself, “Was adding Philly to the tour last minute a bad idea?” Within minutes, I gave in and conjured the ability to ask for help and made a public post on facebook about my situation.  A half hour flew by and my distant friend Edge, well-known QTPOC New Orleans Dj,(https://soundcloud.com/edgeslayer) connected me with a friend in West Philly.  A sense of relief flowed through my veins like Novocaine, Philadelphia was mine for the taking. 


I made plans to arrive at the space I’d be staying in, but with 35 minutes until class started, I told my Philly host that I had stop by after class. Ironically, the place I was staying at was walking distance from where my workshop was held. I arrived slightly flustered but ready to go. At first I didn’t think anyone would come but people started to slowly make their way in! I had only 3 students, but it felt like a big success for me. I did all the marketing and outreach on my own and I didn’t know a soul in Philadelphia. 


After class, I made plans to go out on the town with one of the students, Amanda, who become a really good friend in such a short time. I headed out to of the studio chatting it up and full of smiles. Amanda was under the impression that I would be in touch after I touched base with My host. I had no idea the night would turn out the way it did. Lets just say I was lost on the interstate at night, My phone had died, my charger was lost, and I was as hungry as a mountain bear in spring. This was when the tour started to really get interesting. More to be posted later this week, thanks for tuning in! 


Xoxo 💋, 
OwlRare 

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Yoga tour Pt 1

I recently got back from a 2 week long Hip focused workshop tour and It truly opened my eyes. Not only to the energy of new beginnings but to the endless possibilities presented when living on the road. For my first tour I decided to start off slow. Well…to be honest, I wanted to tour all the way up to Maine, yet I have wonderful friends who encouraged me to start off a bit slower. Instead, I ventured to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and DC. I don’t have a car at the moment, but one of my best friends, Rain, offered me theirs while they ventured off to Peru for a few weeks!


My first stop of the tour was Baltimore and I was kind of skeptical at first. I didn’t really know what to think of this city but I was nervous and excited to check it out. I stopped in DC on my way up from Richmond and met my future hosts Elise and her wonderful partner Sechen. As I first walked up the stairs I was waved in by prayer flags and a meow from their loving tabby cat. I was so nervous to just show up as I made the decision to stop last minute, but I followed my gut and ignored my fears. I was welcomed in with open arms, the home smelled of sage and the vibe was chill AF. Me and Elise talked for nearly an hour in the kitchen while the kitty purred and played at our feet. I truly couldn’t wait to stop back here after the tour. 

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After we chatted I went off to hang some flyers and explored the area, I ran into Faith hunter at Embrace studio and knew I would be back to practice soon. My goal with this tour was to yes promote myself and my yoga, but also to experience other studios and the way that others live in these magic cities. I got to Baltimore around 10:30 PM and was welcomed with Grace. No literally the sweet angel I stayed with was named Grace and her home was beautiful. The tour was Planned with big thanks to Ally who I met at Shensara Festival mid-summer. She was very animate about having me venture up to Baltimore and together we made it a reality! I figured while heading up to Baltimore I might as well make a few more stops along the way! 

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It was a long flight of stairs to lug my bags, but no one said it was an easy path to heaven.  I met her partner and we all chatted for hours that night. I arose pretty early the following morning and Baltimore was my oyster for the day. I went to Breakaway yoga studio right outside of Baltimore, where Ally taught an amazing and much needed restorative/Yin Class. That night I taught my donation based Vin-Yin class and the turn out was outstanding. I connected with past students who had taken classes with me at summer festivals and made tons of new connections. The following day was the workshop, although a smaller crowd, I was still really excited to share this workshop with this diverse group of people. After yoga we all went out to eat and go dancing, however we got so stuffed that we skipped out on the dancing and went back to the warehouse. 

The following day I had to part ways with Baltimore and I knew that I would have to return soon. Next, stop was Philly. But you’ll have to tune in for the next blog to hear about the rest of the tour. Lets just say Philly is where things got wild. I didn’t have a place planned to sleep, the city was larger than I expected, and while on the Highway the gas tank was at E yet no gas stations were in clear sight.  More to be disclosed later this week, Thanks for tuning in!


Xoxo 💋, 
OwlRare 

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Love, Polyamory, & Trust

The phone just keeps ringing and my body is too drained to even attempt to answer the call. It’s a text message stating the world is actually ending and not to panic. I take a deep breathe and count down from three…two…one love, is not really a thing to me anymore. I have transformed like a moth and there will be no more silk for you.  I have opened my heart more freely now, but open love brought broken realities.  The feelings that I have for you, I can have for anyone, yet that is not beautiful to you. Why? Do you only love the color red? Do you not love anything else as much as your favorite color? Is it normal to love one thing and then another? What if the universe only adored one galaxy, how the others would parish from neglect! What if the farmer only loved one plant, how his crops would dwindle.

 

 

            We are a fractal of the whole, experiencing the whole, so should we experience the whole freely? Or do you let your fixed beliefs swallow you up like the ocean swallows up boats and ships. Like quicksand, in the jungle devouring all who fall into its path with motion, steadiness and gravity.  Free yourself for you have put your soul in quicksand, yet acknowledge that not all can love so freely. Recognize that not all are meant for this way of life, until they are fully okay with themselves. For fear must stem from insecurity and attachment. What if we let it all go and go with the flow?  

 

Mantra:

I confirm that I trust that within my being is more then meets the eye.

I encompass the entirety of the universe and all of its parts within me.

I am the unlimited supply and I trust in my ability to believe this to be true.

For I feel it in my very being.

For it is my very being.

The universe is full of unlimited supply of trust.

I have this unlimited supply of trust within myself.

Therefore, I trust in myself.

I love myself.

Therefore, I trust myself.

I love myself therefore I trust my abilities.

I love therefore I trust.

For Love takes trust in being vulnerable.

I have been vulnerable.

Therefore I have trusted in myself.

I trust in my ability to give love.

I trust in my ability to receive love.

I trust in my ability to detach from everything and attach to nothing.

For I am everything therefore there is nothing to be attached to.

For all things are already attached and I do not need to worry.

I let go of all worries and am worry free.

I trust myself fully now.

I love myself fully now.

What the universe has within it I have within me.

For the universe has an unlimited supply.

Therefore, I have an unlimited supply.

For the universe and my being are not separate from each other.

They are integral and a reflection of each other.





-OwlRare 

Owl