Indigenous Yoga Collective ~ An evolution of heart work

Life Update

I am currently writing my thesis titled, "Braiding Knowledge through breath, language, and movement: a culturally rooted and trauma-informed Yoga for First Nations women", which has laid a foundation for this work. In partnership with Knowledge Keepers, community organizations, and trauma-informed yoga teachers, we spent several years building and refining the curriculum to spearhead the First Nations Women’s Yoga Initiative (FNWYI). Since 2020, we have continued to nurture relationships with our faculty and learners. We have completed 2 cohorts of our 80-hour flagship FNWYI training, and the first cohort has provided a rich collection of stories to inform accessible and intentional yoga spaces, Indigenous-led scholarship, policy, and community practices. The impacts shared by our learners of cohort 1 are currently being summarized in my thesis chapters and will be shared via a community-facing summary report that will be made available for any folks interested in learning more.

We were finally able to gather last summer in 2022 and we invited our learners from Cohort 1 & 2 to celebrate in Alert Bay, BC in our ‘Namgis Big House. In reciprocity for the energy, wisdom, and dedication of many of the Cohort 1 learners who contributed to the growth of this initiative, we created our Advisory Circle and spent time together in Kwakwaka’wakw territory for a yoga and healing retreat. From this gathering, we have produced a short documentary film that features our contributing team members and is now complete! We are in the process of planning several film screenings & panel events that will take place in Vancouver, Victoria, and Northern Vancouver Island this Spring - Summer 2023 :) Launch details will be shared in the near future and we are excited for you to experience the film and connect with us in person.

Read more about the Indigenous Yoga Collective on my Projects page. Our IYC website and an Indigenous Yoga Teacher Directory will be launching in 2023.

Launching the Indigenous Yoga Collective

We have been softly launching the IYC - as this remains a grassroots initiative, we are operating on a volunteer basis and working on a strategy to build an Indigenous-led operational model. Our IYC team of educators and advisors are generously offering their time to support the development of our community.

At this time, we do not have core funding nor have we accepted grants to carry out this work. We are looking forward to rolling this out over this coming year(s) to create sustainable and impactful learning and wellness opportunities. Therefore, all activities will be offered either for free or on a sliding scale / donation-basis and no one will be turned away because of financial barriers. We invite everyone to support our collective by way of participation, financial support and mutual aid (when possible), allyship, and commitment to being a good relative.

Drawing from the leadership of practitioners rooted in rich spiritual and ancestral practices of First Nations and South Asian lineages the IYC promotes language and cultural learning, land-based healing, and community connections through the embodiment and wellness practices in community. Our workshops and training programs offer strengths and culture-based approaches emphasizing community empowerment of Indigenous women that seeks to promote tradition, language, ceremony, and communal practices.

Indigenous Yoga Collective is committed to promoting wellness and connection to intercultural and ancestral wisdom, drawing from the rich lineage(s) and philosophies of Yoga. We provide culturally-rooted, trauma-informed yoga and wellness education and practices to ALL people while providing ample opportunities for Indigenous and/or Indigenous + BIPOC-only spaces for healing. At the heart of our collective is the dedication to empowering Indigenous women + gender-diverse peoples by creating safe spaces to heal and be well.

IYC supports the (re)connection and reclamation of embodied wellness practices via:

  • Accessible yoga classes, workshops, and yoga training

  • Specialized events and community gatherings

  • Land-based retreats and community-based yoga trainings in partnership with First Nations

  • Mentorship and support to Indigenous yoga teachers and practitioners

  • Free or affordable wellness resources

  • Healing and social justice impact initiatives

  • Community collaboration, outreach, and support

The Heartbeat of the IYC

“A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground.”
— Cheyenne proverb

Historically and presently, Indigenous women are the base of our cultures, carrying the language, the home, and the children while shaping the political, spiritual, and social direction for her people. Investing in and empowering Indigenous women and girls has direct impacts on the land and wellness of their families, communities, and nations (Barudin, manuscript in preparation). Our roles, responsibilities, and power have been largely stripped away beyond material poverty as a result of ongoing (neo)colonial state that inflicts violence and harm on Indigenous women and girls, which further disrupts and ruptures the transmission of our traditional knowledge, cultures, and identities.

Our collective is dedicated to uplifting the strengths and innate gifts held by:
1. Indigenous women and gender-diverse people
2. South Asian women
3. Black, Indigenous, People of Color

Get Involved

We need your support!

Gilakas’la!

Yoga, First Nations Womens Yoga, BIPOC, TrainingJessica BarudinIndigenous yoga, Indigenous Yoga Collective