Yoga on the Vine…
We are currently making plans to begin our THIRD season of Yoga on the Vine in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District with some changes to our programming. To be honest, this was never my goal, but God often gives us things we never knew we needed.
Though I had said I wanted to be super fine and fit at forty, I didn't take myself too seriously. I still ate whatever I wanted, when I wanted, and I still wasn't very active. Weeks of the shutdown and no work and no school started to get to me soon after turning forty; add the frustrations of the growing racial tensions of early summer, and I was finna lose it!
I called my social media friend, Mikita, asked if she would be willing to lead an outdoor yoga class, and so began Yoga on the Vine. On June 6, 2020, we held our first class with about 6 other black women. It felt good to be in this significant part of Kansas City known worldwide for its early jazz influences and locally for being the mecca of black culture and black businesses. It was so great that we decided to continue to hold yoga in The District as long as the weather allowed! In the months after, our yoga class would be attended by Kansas City's Mayor Quinton Lucas, grow to both Saturday AND Sunday classes with Dr. Auburn, and see an average of 35 total attendees each weekend.
It's still hard to believe sometimes because it was never the goal, but it's impressive to see! I was not a yogi before Yoga on the Vine. Hell, I had never even practiced yoga before. Creating something beneficial is one thing, but watching what it does to others makes me most proud. It's the new faces every weekend and their progression week after week. Or the guy that's super apprehensive because he's the only male but chooses to flow with us after all, not to mention the additional fitness classes that have joined the weekly schedule in The District. The families and friends that meet in our sacred space for fellowship. This little yoga class means so much to so many in this community! It brings wellness to the forefront of an area not known for anything healthy while establishing a level of accessibility in an area that has a reputation for not being inclusive that makes my heart warm.
I'm still not as fit and fine as I'd like to be, but it's on the growing list of things I'm working on once I'm off the injured reserve list. My personal goals and those of Yoga on the Vine are parallel. Growth and consistency are just a few of the ways I'll curate what happens next. Not just for me, but Yoga on the Vine and all the things that come next from this project. It's an exciting time for sure! Though there will be some changes this season, I intend to find new ways to engage with you under the pavilion and around Kansas City.
Thank you all for flowing with us each week. Thank you for believing that yoga in The District isn't as crazy as hell as some would like to think. Stay safe and stay beautiful until we see each other again!