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As I laid on my yoga mat, ungracefully moving into my next pose, I heard wind chimes in the background. In an ideal yoga environment, these chimes would be soothing and assist me with easily moving into the next pose. But in reality, what was meant to be a soothing mechanism was actually a tool that bored me out of my mind. I enjoy yoga, but I knew that the traditional classes I was taking were not where it was at.
To counter the boredom that I encountered while going to these traditional yoga classes, I started curating my own personal yoga sessions. I used my diffuser and filled it with essential oils for aromatherapy to set the mood. Lavender oil, lemongrass oil and eucalyptus oil are among the oils that I used. Candles were set out to provide a relaxing ambiance. I then created my own playlists to go along with yoga practices that I found on YouTube. However, I wanted more of a community vibe. So I ventured out and searched for yoga classes that mimicked the environment that I had created for myself — classes that were focused on the mind and body connection while also incorporating music that had more energy than the traditional music that was played in yoga classes. I was able to find a Black-owned yoga studio that did this and I was hooked.
Yoga is used as a tool by me to keep my mental health in check. There’s something about continuously pushing yourself further physically that translated to me pushing myself more emotionally. And let’s talk about the breathing aspect of yoga. If you aren’t breathing throughout your yoga practice, you can literally hurt yourself. If you don’t take the time to breathe through the tough times of life, you can pass out. See the parallels there?
After my first visit to a Black-owned yoga studio in Atlanta, I immediately knew that I would begin incorporating Black yoga instructors into my routine going forward. However, finding these spaces was harder than I thought. White-owned studios were around every corner, but locating Black-owned studios required me to put in some work. So, when I began to find these studios I began to note them, slowly building my own database of Black-owned yoga studios.
What started off as my personal spreadsheet of Black-owned studios located in the Atlanta area, turned into a massive spreadsheet of inclusive yoga options. This data led to the creation of the OM + Essence app — a yoga directory that helps Black women find Black-owned yoga studios and Black yoga instructors.
I’m so thankful that I was able to be self-aware and realize that there were some things that I needed to work on mentally. Talking to girlfriends and prayer alone wouldn’t help with. I look at therapy and yoga as a normal part of my mental health routine, just as I look at walking around my neighborhood as a part of my physical health routine. The OM + Essence app serves as a safe space for Black women to find yoga practices that can help them thrive.
