Community Yoga at CAAM
I teach yoga classes at the California African American Museum on a monthly basis. When I tell you it is a dream come true for me, that’s exactly what it is. Let’s go down memory lane for a bit. The year was 2013. I had just graduated from my first yoga training and was living in Expo Park near USC; not the fancy, luxurious apartments but in the hood on 42nd and Fig. If you know, you know. I was a broke, perpetual senior in college and newly fired from Athleta trying to make ends meet. In order to keep myself from going stir-crazy, I would venture out into my neighborhood for any free activity I could find. That usually meant the Vermont Square Branch library and the nearby museums.
My museum of choice was the California African American Museum. I’d go there to see the latest exhibits and explore art from my culture. My favorite part was the research library. I loved chatting with the librarian about Black literature, history, and our future in art. She would make copies of book titles and I would go to the library to check them out. Vermont Square Branch library was a small oasis of book magic. And for a book nerd like me, it was heaven on earth. I would spend hours collecting books to check out, skimming pages, and of course, chatting up the librarians (Side bar: if I weren’t teaching yoga, I’d probably be a research librarian with a focus on philosophy). Books were my jam so it was easy to spend a whole afternoon there.
One day, I noticed a sign that advertised a free community yoga class at the library. My two favs coming together?! I’m there! The day arrived and I took my usual bike ride to the library for class. I perused the shelves while waiting for class to start. Then, in a panic, I overheard the librarians mentioning the yoga teacher was stuck in traffic and might not be able to teach. My heart began to beat at rapid speed. “Should I teach the class? Maybe I’ll stay silent and things will work out,” I thought in a panic. I don’t know what came over me, but I walked up to the librarian, announced that I was a yoga instructor, and was willing to teach the class if they didn’t show up. Relieved, she thanked me and prepared me for the possibility of teaching the yoga class. I’m nervous as hell at this point, praying to God the instructor shows up.
To my benefit, the teacher arrived on time and class resumed as usual. However, following the session, they reached out and asked if I’d like to teach a class of my own. I took them up on their offer, despite my trepidation, and taught a few classes at the library. After a while, I thought teaching was something I could do on a regular basis. Taking my weekly trips to the California African American Museum, I imagined myself teaching there and sharing yoga with the community. I would close my eyes and go into the theater of my imagination. I’d envision myself on a platform in Sukhasana while a sea of students gazed in anticipation. I saw myself there so clearly. When the opportunity came, I knew it was meant to be and I had to fulfill that manifestation.
For two years, I have been the resident yoga instructor at the museum and I feel so blessed to be this position. Any student reading this, THANK YOU. Thank you for showing up and being a part of my dream. My advice to you is to keep dreaming. No matter how wild or out of the realm of possibility it may seem. Dream. But don’t stop there! Keep persisting in that intention and put forth the action it takes to get there. Stay grateful and remember to always come from a place of love. I’m just a girl from South Central LA who never loss the magic of dreaming.
