Yoga Enterprise
Yoga studio shines light on sexual violence | News
Hundreds of yoga studios and fitness centers across the country will be hosting traumatized classes for survivors and their supporters, including YogaHotDish of North Oaks and Arden Hills, on December 12th on Shine Your Light Yoga Day 2020.
YogaHotDish is offering two trauma-informed yoga classes through Zoom on Saturday, December 12th. If the weather permits, there will also be a personal outdoor course with propane heaters. The donation for the proposal is $ 12-15 per class. All proceeds go to the Take Back the Night Foundation.
YogaHotDish founder Shaila Cunningham, a 20 year veteran of the yoga business, has answered a variety of requests to run classes for a variety of purposes. “I was impressed with Take Back the Night when they took the time to research the type of yoga I offer and found that it goes well with their trauma-informed guidelines,” said Cunningham. “There are as many types of trauma and stress as there are people. Even so, we can all use a common set of yoga tools to better wire the body and brain for healing and transformation. “
Former Minnesota-based and certified Kripalu yoga teacher Libby Wendorf from North Carolina will moderate the midday zoom class.
Take Back the Night (TBTN) has supported survivors of sexual trauma and domestic violence since the 1970s. It is the oldest international movement fighting against sexual violence in all its forms. The TBTN Foundation was established in 1999 and is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Katie Koestner, the first survivor to speak nationally and publicly as a victim of rape with “date” (as opposed to “strangers”), brought together activists and longtime participants in TBTN events to lay the groundwork. TBTN has reached more than 10 million people in 800 colleges and communities in the United States and more than 30 countries through its initiatives and evidence-based education programs.
The United Nations Population Fund estimates that since the beginning of the COVID-19 placement orders alone, there has been a 20% increase in intimate partner violence worldwide. That equates to 15 million additional cases in the past few months.
With the National Shine Your Light Yoga Festival 2020, TBTN hopes to illuminate and empower survivors who all too often have been denied justice and silenced behind closed doors.
On December 12th, TBTN invites communities across the country to show their support and take a trauma-informed yoga class at the nearest participating gym or fitness center. The 2020 National Shine Your Light Yoga Festival also includes eight virtual classes that will be streamed live throughout the day to accommodate up to 80,000 additional participants. All proceeds from the event support TBTN’s programs and initiatives, such as the Respect My Red educational program on healthy relationships.
At a time when our communities urgently need to be healed and restored, trauma-informed yoga provides a powerful opportunity for individuals and communities to come together in a safe, welcoming atmosphere to facilitate recovery. Yoga practice teaches us that we cannot always control what is happening outside of ourselves or in our immediate surroundings. However, we can control how we are aware of ourselves, our body, our breath, our thoughts and our surroundings. Little by little, with dedicated practice, we can begin to really grasp our inner strength and connect with others in order to bring about positive social change, breath by breath.