Fundraiser for Relief in Palestine

As a US citizen, I’m disgusted that my tax dollars are continuing to support the genocide of Palestinians. If you’d rather spend your money to help refugees in Palestine, join me for a donation based Zoom yoga class on Thursday, 2/8 from 6-7pm EST. Pay what you can, and all proceeds will be donated to unrwa to send relief to Gaza. You can Venmo me (@Emily-Haight-5), and I’ll be posting receipts so that you know your donations are going to the right place. You can also donate directly here, especially if you can’t make class but still want to help. If you are attending live on 2/8, just send me an email, and I’ll send you the Zoom link for the class – a gentle vinyasa flow.

Yama (yoga ethics) include ahimsa (non-harm), and (asteya) non-stealing. As of February 2nd, over 27,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli and United States governments since October 7th. Over 66,000 have been injured, and according to The World Health Organization, there are NO FUNCTIONING HOSPITALS left in Northern Gaza. C-sections and amputations are being performed without anesthetics. Lives that could’ve been saved with proper medical resources have been lost. Right now, 500,000 refugees in Gaza directly face starvation.  Everyone on this planet has a right to life. Free Palestine. Ceasefire now.

Beyond Instagram: Discovering the Deeper Philosophy of Yoga in 2024

We all know that yoga has been around much much longer than social media, but I didn’t always know (along with many others I’m sure) that yoga is not about physical hypermobility and amazing abs. It’s not about competition or performance. Yoga is a science that gives us the tools to work towards freedom and happiness for ourselves and for EVERY. ONE. Yoga is not exclusive to any body type, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, physical or mental capability, etc.

Yoga is a way of life. It’s an ancient practice from the Indus Valley cultures that informs how we move through the world from how we interact with others to how we honor our authentic selves. "Yoga" comes from the Sanskrit verb, "yuj," meaning to yoke or unite. Through yoga, we learn to unite our minds and bodies and spirits, to unite with our true selves, and to unite with others in the spirit of diversity and inclusion.

The study of yoga is not about learning proper alignment in poses. Yes, a safe movement practice keeps us limber and physically and emotionally healthy, but yoga philosophy offers so much more than just āsana (the physical practice). Ancient texts like The Yoga Sutras and The Bhagavad Gita offer guidance for how to change our lives in positive ways by evaluating our ethics, using breathwork, learning how to focus and be discerning about how and where we spend our energy, and more. The goal of yoga is to create personal and collective change for the better. If you’re starting a yoga practice this year, great!! I encourage you to take it further than an exercise class and see what kind of positive changes you can make for your mental health, your community, and even the world.