by Mia Velez

Our BIPOC only mini-retreat, Revitalize the Spirit, is coming up on Saturday, February 10th, and we’re asking for community support. The Ripples for Change group is working diligently to bring diverse representation to Integral Yoga Institute SF (IYI).  After all, it’s through diversity that we get better, well rounded perspectives. Cultural diversity benefits everyone. It paves the way to better problem-solving, more empathy, compassion and deepened learning.  One way to create diversity at IYI is with programs that are exclusive to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Why BIPOC exclusively?  There is an observed social pattern that yoga events and programs are often dismissed by BIPOC folx because they believe it’s not for them; and perhaps in the past, when they did attend, they felt out of place. Maybe they felt vulnerable being the only BIPOC person in the room. We want to change that!  We want to demonstrate that yes, there are BIPOC folx out there who are interested in yoga and they are welcome at IYISF.

This event is designed: to create camaraderie, to experience the healing frequency of the actual space of IYISF, and to show up and show out for the year of the Dragon 2024.  The day starts with an opening reception with snacks and herbal mocktails to mingle and socialize, then we will:

  • Explore our physicality with Hatha (all levels welcome – if you have a body, you can do Hatha).

  • Awaken the artist in all of us by creating vision boards.

  • Soothe the nervous system with sound healing and Reiki while in restorative postures.

  • We conclude the evening by breaking bread – sharing a home cooked, vegetarian meal.

Creating BIPOC spaces isn’t an attempt to exclude our White brothers and sisters. We simply want to ensure space for those who have been historically/systemically left out.  Please help us fill the physical space of IYI and bring BIPOC perspectives into the Yoga dialogue.

Creating a BIPOC community at IYI benefits us all.  When any one of us experiences the benefits of Yoga, it ripples out to our surroundings and benefits everyone – creating a ripple of change through sympathetic healing. Please help us spread the word.
Revitalize the Spirit: BIPOC mini-retreat is on Saturday, February 10 from 11:30 am – 7:30 pm PT.
You can also join Mia for Scripture Study: Yoga Sutras for Modern Times, 3-part series on Monday, February 5 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm PT.
Mia Velez, E-RYT 500, entered the Integral Yoga Sangha in 2016 through the kitchen by helping to cook Thursday community lunches and silent retreat meals. In 2018 she was certified as an Integral Yoga teacher to learn more of the IYI approach and be part of the lineage. Mia is a disciple of the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu lineage and is highly influenced by her martial arts training. After completing her first 200-hour teacher training in 2008, she began to see undeniable parallels in Yoga and Kung Fu. When she began teaching Kung Fu in 2014, she incorporated Yoga insight and principles in her classes. Her goal in teaching is to connect with the students and to facilitate a safe space for exploration and self-inquiry. Yoga and Kung Fu are integrated into her daily life as a mother, a preschool teacher, and an advocate for gender, race, and class equality through multiple non-profit groups.