Yoga Happenings in Savannah
(and elsewhere)
I first heard about the Africa Yoga project in 2008. At the time, my gut reaction was that people in Kenya need food and clean water, not yoga. While I touted the power of yoga, I didn't understand the POWER of yoga. At my first Level 1 bootcamp with Baron Baptiste in 2009 I met Jacob, one of the Masai who was learning to teach Baptiste Power Vinyasa in his community. He told us about how the AYP program was creating hope and jobs for the people in the cities of Kenya as well as his remote village on the Masai Mara. What I realized listening to Jacob was that even those struggling for a subsistence existence can benefit from the transformative practice of yoga. To feel strong in one's body and joyful in one's heart is the foundation upon which hope grows. From there, anything is possible.
The Africa Yoga Project's mission is to use the transformative benefits of yoga to empower vulnerable communities in Kenya. The project is based in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, which house close to 1 million people, with little access to safe water or sanitation. Disease is prevalent, while schools and job opportunities are scarce. For many youth petty crime and gangs become a means of survival. Africa Yoga Project offers free yoga classes and provides teacher training and financial support to young people who want to teach yoga in their communities.
I have been selected as an ambassador to AYP and will be heading to Kenya to learn about the power of yoga to transform communities. My hope is bring the lessons learned from that experience back to Savannah and support the vulnerable communities in our own backyard. To read more about her inspiration for doing this and what she hopes to accomplish, click here.
Georgia's First Certified Baptiste Power Yoga Teacher
Hey y'all, I've spent the last couple of years immersed in Baptiste style power vinyasa and all the work has paid off! I am now Georgia's first officially certified Baptiste Power Yoga Teacher. I am proud to teach this style of yoga (read why here) and bring it to Savannah..
