I Love DC Yoga!
This November 6th my entire family will vote for the very first time. The path has been long and the struggles have been challenging, but I am overwhelmed with gratitude.
I’ll be at the Vote Your Heart DC event on Sunday October 21st filled with joy that I’ll vote in my first ever presidential election this year, exercising the incredible privilege with consciousness, compassion and pure love.
My parents migrated to the Unites States when I was a young girl. With only faith and hope, they decided to risk it all in pursuit of the American dream, in pursuit in what they defined to be happiness.
Thanks to their brave journey, I am the first person in my family to attend and graduate from college. While in college I was a Political Science major, became president of my political science club, and even got involved with Rock the Vote and Voto Latino, helping register hundreds of people to vote – if I couldn’t, I’d mobilize others who could.
Although I was an adult and eligible to apply for naturalization, I was also also a college student. Barely able to afford my own books, I couldn’t even fathom the thought of the nearly $800 in naturalization fees.
So I engaged in different ways, I went on to serve as a congressional Clintern to the now Madame Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton and later that year volunteered for the Kerry campaign.
Being exposed to how politics and legislation really worked, marked the beginning of the end to my short political career and the deep passion I had for it. I hadn’t taken vows of ahimsa yet, but I knew there was something morally wrong with the lack of compassion, and humanity being shown. I became disheartened, hurt, angry and I felt helpless.
I graduated college and decided to move back to DC but this time, work in non-profit. Along the way, I helped naturalize my mom, my sister, and my dad. I was the only one left.
They say when the universe aligns, wonderful things happen and they did…
On September 21, 2011, I was naturalized as a U.S. Citizen.
The ceremony was small and quaint, and while everyone smiled, I cried in joy. I cried for the journey, and for the struggles that we overcame. I cried for the freedom and liberties that we may take for granted every day. I cried for the morals this country instilled in me, and that I will instill in my children. I cried because I realized I had become the Sueño Americano.
A year and a Yoga teacher training later I find myself engaged again. Maybe it’s because of the defining moment, but really I know it’s because of the transformative journey I embarked on that would lend me a special toolkit, a set of guiding principles to navigate life with pure love and happiness.
That toolkit is Yoga.
I find myself in a place now, watching every debate, running from studio to studio, promoting conscious engagement, making a pledge to vote and encouraging my fellow friends, family, and yogis to do the same. I’m engaged again but this time I’m not bound; it’s a sweet a melody.
Becoming involved with Yoga Votes has given me a platform to get engaged without attachments. I am raising awareness in a community without the need to fight or defend, without the pressures or the worries. Simple, clean engagement.
I’ve learned that we can pick a side, we can care about an issue, we can have opinions, but that’s doesn’t mean we have to separate ourselves from our brothers and sisters or disconnect with the sweet harmony of the universe. (This mantra has kept me grounded as I watch the depravity coming from both sides of the electoral campaigns.)
Of course I’m leaning towards a particular platform but not attaching to it. No, I am not flip-flopping, and yes I am swing-voter, but those labels don’t really matter, because what really matters now is that I am able to express my voice without attaching to any outcome, and man it feels sooo good.
Yes, your vote matters now more than ever, but what matters most is that we exercise this incredible privilege with complete consciousness, complete compassion and pure love.
That we remember our unique experiences, while being mindful of the personal stories of others. That we acknowledge our duty without being bound to a result. I know this is hard to cultivate, but in the end what will happen will happen and so the only thing we actually get to control is our actions; allow them be filled with endless love and compassion.
Kelly,16, Glen Burnie MD
ilovedcyoga Said:
Noticing this a long time later- but yay!
adapted from Washington Post Express Night Out, images from Flow Yoga Center
Shiva Rea visits Washington regularly, but the renowned instructor has never led one of her signature trance dance sessions here before. The Trance Dance is part of the Summer Solstice Regeneration Weekend Shiva will offer June 23-24. Sign up today!
Over the “Summer Solstice Regeneration Weekend” she’ll offer a series of workshops and a two-hour session explaining the history of ecstatic movement and giving participants a chance to feel the release that comes from this very different kind of yoga. More info
“It’s all music-driven. There is no trance dance without music,” says Jessica Lazar, a local senior prana flow teacher. The experience begins with Rea cueing collective movements, such as lifting arms, crawling and jumping. “There’s something about doing the same thing that takes away pressure to bust out the best steps,” Lazar says.
When students get comfortable in the rhythm of the dance, there are short spurts of free movement, giving them the chance to connect with their creative sides. June 23 at 7:30 p.m.; $50; All Souls Church, 1500 Harvard St. NW, Flowyogacenter.com
A self-described fusion of ancient yoga teachings and modern street culture, MC Yogi describes Pilgrimage as “a sonic trip, a journey toward the Self, toward what the yoga masters call the Supreme Soul. Everything went into this record to make it a full, authentic, transformative yogic experience on the dance floor.”
The first single, “Give Love,” is an infectious dance-floor anthem with a life-affirming call to action: “If you want love, you have to give love away,” a defining lyric from perhaps the only MC who can be found beatboxing over an OM chant. The video for the track, which quietly appeared last Spring on YouTube, has over 260,000 plays to date.
MC Yogi’s Pilgrimage also features world-renowned Indian musicians, from celebrated sitarist Deobrat Mishra to vocalist Mahesh Vinayakram (son of Grammy-winning Indian percussionist Vikku Vinayakram), all giving the record a rich, multi-instrumental feel like few others in modern hip-hop. Tracks like “Ganesha (Sound The Horn)” and “Born To Fly” are instantly infectious, while simultaneously pushing the higher consciousness-minded, alternative-rap movement ever forward.
Pilgrimage is Yogi’s first album since his 2008 critically acclaimed debut, Elephant Power, which still appears atop the world music chart on iTunes. Elephant Power’s extraordinary success brought Yogi invitations to play in dance clubs, festivals and yoga studios all over the world. Drawing on that acclaim, Starbucks tapped MC Yogi for their “Are You In?” advertising campaign, which asked viewers to volunteer to be part of President Barack Obama’s call for national service. The campaign used the words and lyrics to Yogi’s “Grassroots Movement.” Now the time has come for phase two. In MC Yogi’s words, “I’m just a working class mystic” – but for a generation seeking a healthier, spiritually enlightened, holistic way of living, his music is an essential soundtrack for that journey.
by Mimi Rieger, DC Yoga Teacher at The Studio DC, Epic Yoga, Vida, Sports Club LA. Check out her full schedule at Pure Fitness DC.
I love teaching yoga in DC because I love getting to know my students and helping them develop their inner and outer strength. I teach in many studios around DC, and every studio has it’s own vibe.
I love the many sizes, shapes and personalities that arrive in students in the DC yoga studios. I love working with people personally, and getting to know them in a way that helps them grow and develop over time of practicing together.
I hope you’ll consider joining me for Vinyasa Vibes next Tuesday
June 12th at the The Sports Club/LA! Message me if you have any questions. CD & Yoga Practice Booklet included. Limited spaces! Call 202-974-6600 today to reserve your spot.
Photo by Jess Molina Photography
Hi! I am Darcy White and I love teaching yoga in DC because it enables me to provide a vehicle for individuals to cultivate a more fulfilling life in a local culture known for its demanding and stressful work environment.
In my own practice, I feel a sense of release and surrendering of life’s nuisances every time I step onto the mat, and the concentration and awareness the asanas require deepens my sense of connection and acceptance of who I am—who we all are!
While every yoga experience is unique to the individual, I love being able to provide an avenue for others to relax, explore and make it their own.
Being deaf, yoga is not fully accessible in most DC studios, although I cannot make that statement without praising the many DC yoga instructors who have, through their own initiative, accommodated that in creative ways. With DC’s diverse population, I am inspired to make yoga accessible to everyone.
I’ll be a teaching a series of yoga classes in American Sign Language on Wednesday evenings, 6:30-7:30pm, at Luther Place Memorial Church in Logan’s Circle. Classes start June 6th and go through July 18th (no class July 4th). Hearing, Deaf, Signers, Non-signers welcome—voice interpretation will be provided! Message me for more info!
Do you know any deaf yogi’s (or aspiring) please tell them about my classes!
Kathrin Frauscher Co-founder DC Yoga Without Walls
It is great to share breath, poses and laughter with friends and families. It is a big part of why my friend Erjona and I started our project DC Yoga Without Walls- we want to share the practice with as many people as we can.
When I found out about Yoga on the Mall, I knew I had to get a group of friends together to go and have fun and practice. A group of eight of us went together and we had so much fun!
We ran into lots of friends and the acroyoga helped us to meet new people. We were laughing so much trying to stack our legs with each other and bend in funny ways.
The vinyasa class was artfully conducted to focus on connecting with follow yoginis. We held hands in our warrior poses, we clapped and sang together and ended with an amazing om shared by over 1000 people.
What a great way to connect with old and new friends! Thank you DC Community Yoga for creating the lovely space for so many of us to share a practice we all love!
Vanessa King is a Certified AcroYoga teacher, sharing the practice in DC since 2008. She’ll be at Yoga on the Mall leading the group warmup and a demo by AcroYoga students from Yoga District, Capitol Hill Yoga, Yoga Chai, Flow Yoga Center, Willow Street Yoga, Rivers Edge Yoga, Annapolis Yoga and Embrace Yoga.
Describe AcroYoga
AcroYoga brings people together, since by nature, you can’t do alone! It’s a partner practice that fosters community. It’s rooted in diversity- a combo of yoga from India; acrobatics, originating from Greece and healing arts such as Thai Massage, from Thailand/India. Yoga is the glue.
My first yoga studies were based on Patanjali’s teachings of the Yoga Sutras. AcroYoga embodies the full spectrum of yoga outlined in his four chapters on freedom- practice and surrender, strength and sweetness. An AcroYoga practice can travel from the deepest surrender of receiving therapeutic flying or Thai Massage to the dynamic action of high flying acrobatics.
I’ve heard that our highest yoga is that of relationship. AcroYoga is that kind of yoga. The union not just with the divine in yourself but the divine in another person. It develops trust, connection and playfulness in practitioners and inspires clear and positive communication. I’ve learned so much about myself and humanity from its practice. I find it fascinating that almost universally we are more capable of being there for others than believing others can support us.
What do you like about teaching AcroYoga in DC?
DC is a serious town. We live big questions! However, after teaching AcroYoga in various countries, I have to say the DC crew make the biggest shift- from ultra serious to ready to play and laugh and have fun together in a second. I love this community and am always excited to come home. We are loud and boisterous and everybody has a voice. It’s powerful and all love. Show us your Acro yoga with a photo reply!
My name is Chris Parsons and I have the great pleasure of helping DC-area yogis start their early mornings with breath and movement at The Studio DC in Adams Morgan. DC Yoga is so inspiring. Here we are living in the Capitol of arguably the most powerful nation of the world, and we have a thriving, flourishing yoga community. Every morning and evening, some of the most influential people in our country- Hill staffers, Federal workers, military personnel, politicians, business men and women, and countless others- are stepping on to the mat and looking to elevate their consciousness. It really warms my heart thinking that people who are working everyday to make our country and our world a better place are staying grounded and Om’ing their hearts out together when their day is done. I love this town!
The DC Yoga Community Comes Together for a Great Event!
FREE YOGA Class on the Mall Saturday May 19th
Join hundreds of people on the Mall this Saturday May 19th 1:30-4:00 pm for an awesome fun and free yoga class! RSVP and get details here on the Facebook Invite.
Starting at 1:30 there will be kids yoga and acro-yoga to get us all warmed up. Then from 2:30 to 4:00pm four amazing yoga teachers will take the stage with all the best teachers in DC and lead the crowd through a fun, accessible and powerful yoga class.
Who are these amazing teachers leading class Saturday? Read on to find out! 
Joe Miller, Co-director, Willow Street Yoga:
Joe draws upon his 20 years of yogic exploration and study of anatomy to recognize and celebrate our endless potential to align with the intelligence of the body. With humor and lots of individualized attention, Joe uses his deep understanding of Hatha Yoga, Tantric Philosophy, and Ayurveda to give students practical tools to experience fully this gift of life. Joe co-leads Willow Street’s Immersion program, and continues to deepen his own practice by studying with his principal teachers and his amazing family.
“I love to teach yoga in the fast-paced, intense DC environment because yoga’s ancient tools, designed to give us more harmony and balance in our lives, can be very effective in helping us deal with the pressures of modern life. It can be so easy to get lost in the momentum and the intensity of our responsibilities, and yoga gives us ways to slow down and see ourselves and our lives more clearly. Fundamentally, yoga for me is about practical tools for living in an ever-changing world. In our area, where so many yoga students dedicate their career lives to facilitating change on a global, national or local scale, I am honored to help them to learn to ground their efforts in a practice that keeps mind and body clear.”
Kim Weeks is owner and teacher at Boundless Yoga at 13th and U st.
In her 17 years of practice and and 10 of teaching Kim Weeks has devoted herself to the fusion of spiritual practice and individualized coaching. She opened Boundless Yoga in 2002 to create a studio dedicated to giving students personal attention, a calm community oriented place to study, and a deep appreciation of anatomy and asana.
Kim believes that there are many pathways in to yoga and that recognition of the wide variety of students’ needs is essential. Especially given the stressful and demanding schedules of the DC lifestyle, she believes in the power of yoga to relax the body, release the mind and renew the spirit. Kim has twice been voted DC’s Best Yoga Teacher, in 2012 & 2010, by the Washington City Paper readership.
“What do I love about teaching yoga in DC? That is a hard question to answer. I delight in bodies of all kinds and levels of agility. I love teaching yoga in DC because the more yoga we do, the more opportunities we create to manifest peace within ourselves and in the world around us.”
Faith Hunter, Owner, Embrace DC Yoga
Faith lives and infuses her life with the devotion of yoga, creativity and love. Born to share the practice, Faith is an inspirational and passionate instructor that divinely captures the mystical essence of yoga, and translates the awareness of breath and movement into a powerful healing experience.
Committed to living a life of soulful freedom, Faith creates a playful, safe and joyous learning environment where students can explore divine flow and connect to their own life. Faith integrates the teachings of prana (life force), the self-discovery of asana, and the transformation of finding truth and beauty in all aspects of your life. Her goal is to inspire and be inspired by the possibilities that life has to offer.
Jessica Lazar, Teacher, Flow Yoga Center
Jessica Lazar teaches Prana Flow, a style of yoga galvanized by her teacher, Shiva Rea. She makes her home in Washington, D.C. with her two beautiful daughters, Ella, 10, and Eden, 8. When not on the mat at her home office or home studio, Flow Yoga Center, Jess writes poetry and rides horses, though preferably not simultaneously.
Teaching yoga in DC means you are never preaching to the choir; folks in this town need to get their yoga on to relax their bodies and clear their minds, all toward the end of making some of or country’s most important decisions. I enjoy the challenge that is inherent in getting some of the headiest people in the world to drop their heads and drop down into their bodies. I wouldn’t really want to teach in any other city.
