I met LaTron and Rodney at the At-Promise Center, where the Dharma Project offers a group of police officers and teens a weekly meditation and yoga class. At the start of every session, LaTron, to my right, expresses that black boys don't do yoga and he will not participate.
This month we celebrated what feels like the one true and sacred holiday we have in this country. Lately, I’ve been preoccupied with hierarchy. I’m grateful for the ways in which Dr. King challenged hierarchy and courageously paved the way for so many of us to challenge it.
There is hierarchy in yoga—of master teachers, of a for profit business, of access...I wonder, what does a beloved community in this context look like? The message of Dr. King and yoga is the same. Yoga compels us to recognize our interconnectedness. There is no essential difference between you and I. Whether we feel it or not, what happens to one impacts all that is and in caring for one, the other experiences healing.
Is yoga beloved, sacred, communal for you?
My brother, Paras, made a promo video about ALIY, TDP and me! I'm grateful to have such a talented, generous and caring peron help spread our message. Check it out!
We're adding more Yoga Walls at our studio! This fundraiser will support our initiatives to expand the impact of yoga and make our work more accessible to diverse communities. Your tax deductible donation to this cause will help us upgrade our studio and install 18 more stations of the Great Yoga Wall. Along with serving our existing community of students at All Life is Yoga, the Dharma Project is developing programs at the studio for three targeted communities:
1. First Responders
2. Educators
3. Nonprofit Organization Staff and Clients
Our goal is to raise $15,000 and we need your help! Learn more about the Campaign, check out the various rewards and Donate:
Using Walls to Build Bridges
Creative Loafing recently interviewed me to discuss the state of yoga, All Life is Yoga and the Dharma Project. Check out the interview here.
To be honest, I was nervous about this article. I said some things. But after the events of this weekend, I was reminded of how necessary it is, even in our small ways, to speak up and acknowledge things as they are. Thank you to Creative Loafing for the platform.
Many years back I read this book called Acres of Diamonds. The author shares countless tales, spanning throughout history, of people who lived in the most destitute conditions on land that was seemingly barren and hopeless. Seeking riches, they would sell their land and travel far to mine for gold, oil, diamonds, etc. Story after story, the person that bought that seemingly worthless land for next to nothing would find the very thing the original owner chased elsewhere, making millions.
I’ve been spinning like a top trying to develop the appropriate connections to get certain programs for The Dharma Project moving. Recently I discovered that the people closest to me—those already in my inner circle—are exactly the resources I need to propel The Dharma Project forward.
All Life is Yoga and The Dharma Project are hiring for:
Contact Rutu at rutu@alllifeisyoga.com for details.
All Life is Yoga is offering its first full scholarship for the 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. I don't know anyone more deserving of this opportunity than Margarita Cruz, who has studied with me for over twelve years. Whether I was running around teaching at other studios, or at ALIY when we finally opened the doors to our own space, she has always been there.
Margarita recently retired as a teacher for the Decatur Public School System. She's said many times that she doesn't know how she would be able to show up daily for 25 kindergarteners if it wasn't for the tools this yoga practice has provided her. "Practicing at ALIY keeps me grounded and clear. I’m being of service to young children. I have to be focused and aware of my emotions, because my emotions impact the students. When I take care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally, I’m a better teacher. My emotions don't get in the way. I would not be well if I wasn't regularly taking time to slow down, and moving in a way that releases negativity and fatigue. Yoga renews my spirit."
We are so grateful that Margarita prioritized self care as a public servant, and can't wait to be a part of her new journey as a yoga teacher-in-training!
All Life is Yoga is also offering partial scholarships for our upcoming 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. The applications are assessed based on financial need, aspirations to teach, dedication to the practice and an interest in leveraging the teacher training to serve communities in need. To apply, contact Rutu.
We will have one class on July 4th from 9:30-10:45am taught by Rutu. The Tuesday evening 6pm and 6:45pm classes are cancelled.
I'm really looking forward to teach the upcoming 200 hour yoga teacher certification at AllLife is Yoga. It's my first time in 8 years of teaching a yoga certification that I am offering a new format for the curriculum. It's gonna be special! Early Bird Registration for the upcoming 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification ends July 15th!
Email rutu@alllifeisyoga.com to apply.
...and yoga means union.
Earlier this year, a group of yoga studio owners met at All Life Is Yoga to discuss various ways for us to engage as a yoga community. One of the topics I brought up was my interest in increasing voter turnout for the upcoming local election. Atlanta will be voting for a new mayor, school board, and city council members. I would really love to see more people show up at polling stations this year, and I think that we, as yoga teachers and students, have a platform that can encourage voting. Our small effort during last year’s election resulted in over 60 people registering to vote. And that was just from a couple of newsletters!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I know some people do not like to mix their yogaand their politics. But my studio is called All Life is Yoga; for me, it's all yoga. Policy affects everything I care about.
I am hosting a gathering at the yoga studio to discuss ideas for increasing voter turnout. We'll have teachers and studio owners present, and I would love to have you there!
Here's a Doodle Poll with date options.
ALIY is going back to the original pricing structure from our Cabbagetown days. We hope that this shift will allow you to attend classes at the studio if you’re not already, or to attend more frequently than you are currently. The concern for some is that we are diminishing the value of the yoga by reducing the price. My feeling is that capitalism and cultural appropriation are responsible for diminishing the value of yoga, while making it more accessible and affordable serves to raise its value. You can’t actually buy yoga, in any case. When you attend class, you’re not paying for the yoga—you’re helping the studio to keep the lights on, and continue to offer classes.
Here’s what our original pricing structure looks like:
Drop-In: $15 per class
5-class card: $50 with a one-month expiration
10-class card: $100 with a two-month expiration
Monthly Unlimited: $99 with a three-month auto-pay
Please contact Rutu with any questions or concerns, or if you need further financial assistance.
