Tag Archives: community

Queer Yoga on Pause for the Fall

This blog post is to acknowledge and celebrate everyone who has helped make Queer & Trans Yoga a reality at QSY. We so appreciate the committee of community members (of varying genders and identities) who helped us envision and promote the program, to everyone who came through the door to attend the class: THANK YOU.

One of the things that felt important to us about this class was the presence of Shannon, a queer-identified teacher. We felt it was important to have a queer-identified teacher to set the context of this class. We are sad to announce that Shannon has decided to move her life to Toronto this fall, and so won’t be able to continue teaching the Queer & Trans Yoga class. (But we are happy for her to pursue her next adventure in life!) After some conversations with her and a few other co-creators of Queer Yoga, we’ve decided to transition the Queer Yoga class back to a Community Class in September. We considered keeping it as a Queer Yoga class, but since we didn’t have another teacher that was queer-identified, we felt that it didn’t make sense to keep it going without someone from that community to hold the context. Thank you Shannon for spearheading this class and sharing your love for yoga in the Queer & Trans Yoga class! Continue reading “Queer Yoga on Pause for the Fall”

Canada Day: It’s Complicated. Celebrating and Remembering at the Same Time

Leena shares a reflection about Canada Day, complexity and how the practice of yoga can invite us to lean into bigger questions. 

This week, life has been inviting me again and again to embrace complexity and paradox.

If Facebook asked me to set my “relationship status” to my participation in representing yoga in the media, to practicing and sharing yoga, and to being a resident and a citizen of Canada, the status would read “It’s Complicated.”

Monday, the local Grand magIMG_9879azine hit the shelves, with me on the cover. I feel excited and honoured. I appreciate the amazing opportunity to tell my story and to share the story of our Queen Street Yoga community. I also feel conflicted. The title of the article is “Yoga for Everyone” and the story speaks to the diversity and inclusivity that we are trying to nurture at QSY. I’m proud of the ways that we’re already doing that, and there’s more work still to do.

As I see it, one of the barriers to the yoga community being more inclusive to all genders, races and classes in our community is that similar types of bodies are portraying yoga in the media over and over- in yoga books, magazines, advertisements, etc. If you line up every magazine with someone doing a yoga pose on the cover, I would venture that over 90% of the people portrayed are thin, young, able-bodied, cis-gendered, flexible and female. The vast majority of them are white.

Continue reading “Canada Day: It’s Complicated. Celebrating and Remembering at the Same Time”

Announcing Queer & Trans Yoga Class at QSY!

Last week Emma and Leena posted a post with some helpful definitions on gender, sex and identity. You might want to check that out first, if you’re not familiar with some of the terms below) 

We’re pleased to announce a new class is joining our schedule starting in May:

Queer & Trans Yoga

Sundays 6:00-7:00pm with Shannon Knutson

A class for folks who self-identify as queer, trans, LGBTQ+ and want to be part of a positive community space. All abilities, bodies, and sizes are welcome and celebrated in this beginner-friendly class. Sliding scale price ($3-15) with all proceeds going to local Queer and Trans-Positive organizations.

Our intention is to provide a gathering place for yoga practice for those who may feel underrepresented in yoga studio communities, and help create a safer space where students can celebrate who they are. Queer and Trans Yoga is for all levels, and we will focus on breathing, mindfulness, and strength-building in a supportive and body-positive environment.

A private, all-gender changeroom and washroom is available at the studio.

An optional community gathering to share coffee/tea/snacks will be held once a month after class. Join our Facebook group “QSY Queer and Trans Yoga”, or call or email us for details and updates.

 Continue reading “Announcing Queer & Trans Yoga Class at QSY!”

Student Spotlight — Who Came to the Most Classes in 2014?

student spotlightThis Student Spotlight focuses on Jeremy, Barb and Mary, three members of Queen Street Yoga who came to an average of 182 classes each in 2014! Their combined total? A staggering 548 classes. They get the “Highest Attendance Award” from us. Congratulations!

Leena, the studio owner, joked “That’s definitely more than I practiced last year!”

Leena and Emma caught up with these avid yogis after an Hour Flow class last week. We took a photo, and they chatted about their favourite poses.Continue reading “Student Spotlight — Who Came to the Most Classes in 2014?”

Unearthing Ideas of Privilege in Yoga

DSC_3578Kristina recently graduated from our 2014 Yoga Teacher Training Program and will be sharing her laughter and love of yoga at Queen Street Yoga, alternating teaching the Friday 5:30pm Hour Flow with her fellow YTT graduate Marta! Kristina wrote this piece about privilege in the yoga community after our October 2014 Yoga Teacher Training Weekend, in which we looked at the various ways that folks with different kinds of privilege (because of their race, gender, body type, sexuality) might experience a yoga studio (and the world) differently. 

Cath in Dorset- Assistant Gardener
Assistant Gardener by Cath in Dorset

I’ve been practicing yoga for about five years now.  As with anything new, in the beginning, I felt a little bit out of place.  I was uneasy about getting dressed in the change room with everyone else, uncertain of where to place my mat in the class room, and sometimes embarrassed about my inability to move with strength or grace through many of the postures that everyone else seemed so comfortable with.  Those fears were quickly dissolved by realizing that I wasn’t alone – others around me seemed to face the same fears, and those who had been around the block a few times were generally friendly and welcoming.  All was good.  What I didn’t realize was that this quickly-found comfort was, in many ways, a product of my privilege.

Continue reading “Unearthing Ideas of Privilege in Yoga”

Yoga and Action – Beginning to Bridge the Gap

This blog was written by Emma as a reflection on the Sacred Justice Workshop from last weekend, and thoughts on where to go next as a community.

Leena and I have long contemplated the intersection of yoga and world issues. We have asked ourselves, how can spiritual practice be an integral part of working towards a more beautiful and inclusive world? How can it support and sustain us in growing our awareness and understanding, and how can it energize us towards action? And how might we view outward action as necessary and integral to spiritual practice? Continue reading “Yoga and Action – Beginning to Bridge the Gap”

SACRED JUSTICE – Exploring Yoga, Awareness and Social Action as a Community

One aspect of our vision statement at Queen Street Yoga is “Growing Community”. By this we mean that we are committed to seeing our practices as a bridge to awareness and action in our local community and our wider world. We also endeavour to support intelligent change-making and social responsiveness, and to co-create inclusive, diverse, and playful spaces.Continue reading “SACRED JUSTICE – Exploring Yoga, Awareness and Social Action as a Community”

Reblog: The Gift of Community

Reblogged from QSY yogini, Juanita Metzler’s post about Queen Street Yoga in the 12 Days of Good campaignImage.

The Gift of Community – Thursday December 13, 2012

When I think about community, I think about my street, my neighbourhood and my network. But I also think about community in the biggest sense and how I’m probably connected to people I don’t know, in ways I can’t even fathom.Continue reading “Reblog: The Gift of Community”