Social justice and creating change is at the heart of yoga. Through the practice of yoga, we are invited to experience personal transformation that at best will allow us to be more effective in creating change in the world for the greater good. We are in a time where we need to turn toward one another to create collective change. One way that white supremacy operates is to cause us to distance from ourselves and others. This furthers cultural isolation and allows white supremacy to thrive by its most effective strategy—divide and conquer.
In this virtual workshop, space will be created for you to explore the principles of yoga and the principles of justice to inspire you to use your practice of yoga to create a just world for yourself and all beings. We will explore: power and privilege, oppression and identity, suffering and liberation and loving kindness. Participants will use the tools of asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breath work), meditation; teachings from the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras; discussion and individual reflection to delve deeper into the interplay of yoga and social justice.
ABOUT THE TEACHER Michelle C. Johnson is a social justice warrior, author, dismantling racism trainer, empath, yoga teacher and practitioner, and an intuitive healer. With more than 20 years of experience leading dismantling racism efforts and working with clients as a licensed clinical social worker, she has a deep understanding of how trauma impacts the mind, body, spirit, and heart. “My awareness of the world through my own experience as a black woman allows me to know, first-hand, how privilege and power operate.”
She has a Bachelors of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She’s worked in several non-profits and served as an elected official and on many non-profit boards of directors. She has led Dismantling Racism Trainings with large corporations, small non-profits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, The Center for Equity and Inclusion, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Church, Lululemon, and many others. She published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017; She teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide. She’s also on the faculty of Off the Mat Into the World, and serves as the Co-Director of 18 Springs Healing Center in Winston-Salem, NC. She was a Tedx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019, and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal.
"I lead courageously from the heart with compassion and a commitment to address the heartbreak dominant culture causes for many because of the harm it creates. I inspire change that allows people to stand in their humanity and wholeness in a world that fragments most of us. Whether in an anti-oppression training, yoga space, individual or group intuitive healing session, the heart, healing and wholeness are at the center of how I approach all of my work in the world. I hope to support you on your healing journey and path towards wholeness in whatever capacity allows you to live your fullest life."
SCHEDULE Saturday, December 12 10am-12pm EST morning session 1-3pm EST afternoon session
This is a virtual offering. The Zoom link will be sent out the week of the workshop. There will be possible prerecorded content for independent practice. Recording of the session will be available for one month afterwards.
We highly recommend reading Michelle's Skill In Action book in preparation for this workshop. The paperback copy is available for purchase on Michelle's website or in the Breathing Room boutique.
INVESTMENT Community Rate: $60 For BIPOC, community activists, and those most impacted by systems of oppression
Regular Rate: $80 Covers your workshop attendance
Supporter Rate: $100 Covers your workshop attendance + supports Breathing Room's BIPOC scholarship fund for yoga teacher trainings.
This workshop qualifies for 4 Yoga Alliance CE hours.
