In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day and International Yoga Day, we’re offering a series of in-studio special classes as well as a donation class benefitting the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.
Special Classes Celebrating International Yoga
Celebrate International Yoga Day with us on June 21st with a special class!
YYOGA Kitsilano
Tuesday, June 21st
12:30pm-1:30pm
Power Yoga
Led by: Kate Gillespie
Book
In this special class, build strength and balance in a challenging sequence of dynamic poses. Flow with the breath, find moments of peace in stillness, and prepare to sweat this International Yoga Day.
YYOGA Northshore Elements
Tuesday, June 21st
8:30pm-9:30pm
Hatha Yoga
Led by: Lorena Quintero
Book
In this special class, you’ll experience mantra, meditation, a traditional Hatha sequence themed around the Bhagavad Gita, and a short sound bath to relax and integrate. Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition and it’s our responsibility as practitioners in the West to honour its roots.
YYOGA Richmond Oval
Tuesday, June 21st
4:30pm-5:30pm
Hatha Yoga
Led By: Jeremy Laroya
Book
Mindfully explore a mental and physical practice through asana and breath. We will connect to the present moment by tapping into our mindful awareness. As we observe without judgement, we look at our breath and see how it connects us to our surroundings and keeps us focused away from external distraction.
Adding an intelligent sequence of postures, we open our bodies physically while challenging as well as strengthening our concentration. By bringing together our conscious breath and our mindful movement, we will find a point of balance between the two that will lead us to the edge of our practice.
Be ready to challenge yourself mentally as well as physically.
YYOGA West Sixth
Tuesday, June 21st
4:30pm-5:30pm
Hatha Yoga
Led By: Regina Zhen
Book
Honouring Yoga: Patanjali’s 8 Limbed Path: An integrated hatha practice that recalls Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga as one of the many roots of yoga. In honour of International Day of Yoga, this practice is centered on remembering where our practices come from and the many reasons why we show up to the practice.
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By Donation Class Benefitting DEWC
Join us for a special donation class raising money for the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC) and the Indigenous Women’s Project, which provides emotional support to women surrounding residential school trauma, cultural isolation, racism and violence.
YYOGA Downtown Flow
Monday, June 20th
Led by: Mari Dickey
4:00pm-5:00pm
Flow Yoga
Donations begin at $10
Book an in-studio spot
Book a Live Feed spot (virtual)
In this world, the small intentional acts in our lives can be catalysts to create great change. Let this practice be a space for connection, inquiry and reflection of self. An opportunity to nourish curiosity and growth and to observe and tune in to how we show up for ourselves, for others and for our collective.
About the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre:
The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC) has existed since 1978 to support and empower
women and children living in extreme poverty in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Each year, DEWC assists thousands of women with trauma-informed approaches to care, culturally
relevant programming, and service provision. Their programs are community-led and women-centered,
responsive to needs identified by women of the DTES, and provide a space that facilitates women from
diverse backgrounds coming together to build community and support.
Creating and maintaining low-barrier safe space for all women is their priority, particularly for the women
who survive with complex trauma, mental health, and/or addiction issues. Through their Drop-In Centre,
Emergency Shelter, and warming spaces, they have continued to support the basic needs of up to 750
women and children, with operations 24 hours daily, 365 days per year.
Indigenous Women’s Project
70% of the women accessing DEWC’s services are Indigenous. This program works with women to develop and implement cultural, recreational, social and/or Indigenous educational activities.
It provides emotional support to women surrounding residential school trauma, cultural isolation, racism and violence. Participants advocate for immediate and urgent responses from policymakers to improve the lives of Indigenous women.
Activities in the program include:
- Indigenous plant walks
- Outings for Indigenous women
- Indigenous women counselling, in partnership with other women’s organizations
- Cultural and community arts projects/workshops
The program also works to advocate for social justice issues within the community. Members of the program work with policy-makers to exchange knowledge about the reality of women in the community, and speak at City Council meetings. Women in the program also advocate for improvement of housing and homelessness reporting in the DTES through pushing for homelessness counts that account for gender-based experiences (such as couch surfing, unsafe shelter, domestic violence).
Members of the program are also constantly advocating for direct implementation of the 200 recommendations in DEWC’s report, Red Women Rising.
On April 3, 2019, The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC) released Red Women Rising: Indigenous Women Survivors in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside based on the lived experience, leadership, and expertise of Indigenous survivors. This comprehensive report is the culmination of a participatory process with 113 Indigenous women and 15 non-Indigenous women regarding the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“We need to keep families together. Colonization and missing and murdered Indigenous women has broken families. The children left behind by missing and murdered Indigenous women are mostly in foster care and then when they age out they end up on the street. The violence against missing and murdered Indigenous women continues with their children who are also violated and made vulnerable.”