BRWNSKN YOGA

BRWNSKN YOGA

PARTNER

BRWNSKN YOGA

BRWNSKNYOGA.COM

Brwnskn Yoga is a holistic space for wellness that operates in underserved schools and communities. Our mission is to make sure that Yoga is accessible for everyone regardless of their socioeconomic background. In addition to providing studio style sessions, BSY has been fortunate to be able to go out into the community and into inner city schools to introduce the practice of yoga and social emotional learning to children and adults of all ages. Most recently, we have expanded our teaching to those who are incarcerated and are seeking reform and rehabilitation.

Shawandra Ford, Founder & Owner: “I am the Owner of BRWNSKN Yoga located in the HEART of Whitehaven in Memphis, TN. I have my accreditations to teach adults and children through the Yoga Alliance Foundation and I am a Facilitator for the Prison Yoga Project.Currently I am continuing my education through Prema Yoga Institute to become a Yoga Therapist.”

BRWNSKN YOGA

1254 E. Shelby Dr.,
Memphis, TN
1254 E. Shelby Dr.,
Memphis, TN
38116

901-264-9593

brwnsknyoga@gmail.com
Brwnskn Yoga
Brwnskn Yoga

LOVE SPOTLIGHT: BRWNSKIN YOGA

BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
To celebrate the release of our print issue themed LOVE, we reached out to our amazing community to share with us a few thoughts on love. This week we celebrate Shawandra Ford founder of Brwnskn Yoga and a Memphis and Whitehaven, TN native. Part of Brwnskn Yoga’s mission: “…a holistic space for wellness that operates in underserved schools and communities. Our mission is to make sure that Yoga is accessible for everyone regardless of their socioeconomic background. In addition to providing studio style sessions, BSY has been fortunate to be able to go out into the community and into inner city schools to introduce the practice of yoga and social emotional learning to children and adults of all ages. Most recently, we have expanded our teaching to those who are incarcerated and are seeking reform and rehabilitation.”

Share with us what you love about what you do:
What I love the most about teaching Yoga is watching my clients develop their own practice. Walking into a Yoga Studio for the first time can be intimidating but I am creating safe spaces not only inside of my studio but in underserved communities and schools where they feel comfortable and are allowing themselves to be vulnerable. Just watching them discover their own strength, the power of their breath, and finding stillness within themselves is very humbling. I love practicing with school age children as well. I believe in teaching them the entire 8 limbs of yoga and not just the yoga pose. My mission is to start teaching our childrenYoga at an early age in hopes to make a positive impact on the world.

Share with us what you have learned about LOVE:
Love can not be manufactured. Love is pure genuine authentic energy that flows naturally. There is no pretending. Babies feel it at birth, our pets feel it when we engage with them and when our plants feel nurtured they thrive. Love is also forgiving. There will be times where we fall short, we may have a bad day where our energy is a little off AND that is absolutely okay. We are all human but what matters the most is our intentions. That’s where love comes from, the energy that resides in our spirit.

What inspired you to support Yoga Love Magazine?
I am truly inspired by Yoga Love Magazine because it does not have a face; And because it does not have a face, it takes away all of the preconceived ideas of what people think yoga should look like. Yoga Love is transforming what has been commercialized for years and is acknowledging that Yoga is feasible for everyone regardless of their socio economic background. This magazine is creating space for diversity and for representation to be seen all over the world….AND THAT’S LOVE!

BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL

Discussion with ilaStrate Yoga founder Lauren Vacey

Discussion with ilaStrate Yoga founder Lauren Vacey

Discussion with ilaStrate Yoga founder Lauren Vacey

PROFILES

ilaStrate Yoga - Painting with logo

“Our motto is ‘Love your mat, it will call you back to practice.’ To see this in action, is such an honor.”
-Lauren, ilaStrate founder

What inspired you to create ilaStrate? 
My love of yoga and art inspired me to create the product, and the business followed. The underlying story is so much more involved. Just like many other small business owners, I was compelled by my desire to escape the traditional 9-5, be my own boss and express my creativity.

I worked in the commercial art industry for 15 years, resigning as Art Director. I was unhappy directing other peoples’ dreams. Fairly early on in my career, I was introduced to yoga. Those threads began to become tightly woven as life happened. I began to rely on yoga for solace and inspiration. My art began to have a purpose, and I found myself and my vision through yoga and it spills out in my art. 

How do you stay inspired?
It is so hard NOT to be inspired. Life itself is inspiring. Everything and anything can become a spark of inspiration. 

It’s being in the right frame of mind to appreciate the beautiful moments that I try to cultivate. Being present to find the beauty in each moment can spark imagination and appreciation for life. If I sit with it quietly, a simple experience, like a cardinal flying against a gray sky, for example, becomes an elaborate vision or an idea. I collect art visions LOL, I don’t always get the opportunity to create in reality the art I create in my head. 

I have a hard time narrowing my inspirations to singularity to express them in a way that someone else can understand. Meditation and yoga are a big part of staying present and connected.

What is the best advice you can give someone who wants to launch their own business?
I would say, make research your priority. Get a realistic idea of your obligations for the first few years, especially financial. Running a business takes creativity and imagination. Andy Warhol said it best, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.” Running a business requires a bit more than just good business sense. I think many people do not realize that creativity and imagination are probably the most important aspects of running a successful business. I’d say it’s probably 10% business and 90% marketing! Find your niche, make sure it’s something that you are willing to devote your life to, and do it! If you’re scared, you’re doing it right!

Do you have a personal yoga or meditation practice? How does it help your business/creativity?
Absolutely! I meditate in the morning and evening most days. I do yoga at least once a week, but I prefer to practice 2-3 times a week with short home practices in between. It helps me tremendously with creativity! When my imagination becomes too wild it can be overwhelming. My mind literally runs away with it. I absolutely need yoga and meditation practice to calm the mind and stay centered. This helps me to prioritize, focus on and complete one task at a time and not let my thoughts, inspiration and ambitions take control of my day.

I will have yoga and meditation practice for the rest of my life, it’s become a part of me.

The theme of this issue is LOVE. Share with us what you have learned about LOVE:
Down into the soul of my being, in my heart, I believe that love is what we are. “All you need is love,” as The Beatles said. Call it what you will: God, Source, the Force, the Universe, the One…whatever that energy is that connects us all, it is Love. It is why we live and breathe, and it is what we are trying to get back to. 

Now more than ever, it is so important for us to look at the world we’ve created and choose compassion and love as a way forward. If we truly saw with our hearts, we would walk away from the wars and the division and embody who we truly are, Love.

Share with us what you love about what you do:
I love the feeling of joy my customers experience when they see their yoga mat for the first time. Our customers are so moved and inspired, they fall in love with their mat, and it has a positive impact on their practice. It is the highest form of gratitude and compliment that I can ever receive. It is why I do what I do, and it is what keeps me going. Our motto is “Love your mat, it will call you back to practice.” To see this in action, is such an honor.

I love the community, meeting new people and connecting with like-minded beings. I enjoy the lifestyle and ability to embody who I am in what I do: an artist practicing yoga and life.

THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

ABOUT:

The Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea, New York City, explores and celebrates the diversity and uniqueness of Himalayan art, ideas, and culture across history and into the present. With its globally renowned collection, largely centered around the Tibetan Plateau, the Rubin fosters understanding and appreciation of this region by relating its art and ideas to our shared human experience today. Inspired by the philosophical traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism and aligned with ongoing research into learning, behavior, and the brain, the Rubin offers innovative exhibitions and programs that examine provocative ideas across the arts and explore the mind.
THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART
Festival Spotlight: AWAKE Festival

Festival Spotlight: AWAKE Festival

Festival Spotlight: AWAKE Festival

By iana velez

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

AWAKE Festival - group shot on stage
Sept 16th
2932 Evergreen Parkway,
Evergreen, CO 80439


Your name and role in the festival
Erik Vienneau, AWAKE Festival Founder

What inspired you to create a festival?

Every morning people get up, they just want to be happy and feel good inside and AWAKE is all about helping them find the teachers, practices and paths to this true, peaceful wellness.”

What makes your festival unique?

As the western-medical system implodes on itself the wellness world is picking up the pieces. They say, “the meek shall inherit the earth.” I looked up meek and it doesn’t mean weak – it means humble. We, humble, warriors of holistic health are leading the shift to medicine/practices that heal. Out with “sick care,” and IN with true “health care.” AWAKE is dedicated to exposing folks to the most beloved teachers and businesses in the wellness field so they can heal and thrive.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?

Tough question! With 50+ talks/workshops it’s hard to choose. I’ll have to say the Ecstatic Dance we offer on Saturday night after the kirtan. We have two DJs – Solomoon and SunDragon led by Ahva Lenay of Rhythm Sanctuary out of Denver. What’s better than a day of practice ending in completely free and in love with your inner Self and commUNITY? 


awakeexperience.com/awake-festival
eventbrite.com/e/awake-festival
https://www.facebook.com/AwakeExperience
https://www.instagram.com/awakeexperience/
youtube.com/channel/UCf4u-VXY7_dCO7LJ16MUC5w>

AWAKE Festival - Cacoa Ceremony
AWAKE Festival LOGO
AWAKE Festival - Ananda Dancing