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As a black queer femme, Ive found so much strength, healing, and self-discovery throughyoga.
The author doing yoga in Antigua. Photo by Scott Bond-Theriault
But at first, finding a studio where I felt comfortable was no easy task.
Yoga classes can be expensive, yall!
And childcare usually isnt provided, which can make it doubly hard for parents to attend.
Photo by Sarah Lynn
Finally, in my experience, yoga instructors rarely acknowledge social and political happenings in the outside world.
That’s not to say they never do.
It’s just that this isn’t commonplace enough.
Seeing black women celebrating their bodies in a yoga-themed music video was revolutionary.
While the line may strike some as funny, Monaes declaration of ownership over her body resonated with me.
Yoga and therapy have worked together to help me heal from many societal and cultural wounds.
It was through yogic meditation that I was able to see the beauty and power in my queer identity.
Thats why my dream is to create a yoga studio of my own.
I envision the classes as a place where students could come to decompress and move forward with purpose.
I would challenge them to use the class to transform their negative feelings into something more positive.
This kind of opportunity can be especially important for black women like me.
When I first read these words, I felt like they were plucked from my own heart.
Gender identity would be respected, and LGBTQ people would feel at home.
Women of color would have a respite from microaggressions of the outside world.
Ultimately, I hope to build a community of survivors of all stripes.
Together, we could learn how to catch our breath, then use it for power.
Candace Bond-Theriault is a writer, yogi, lipstick enthusiast, and aspiring optimist.
Candace received her LL.M.
degree in politics and legislation from the American University Washington College of Law, her J.D.
from North Carolina Central University School of Law, and her B.A.
Her writing has appeared in the Advocate, the Grio, and the Huffington Post.
She lives in northern Virginia with her husband and the cutest yorkie you’ve ever seen.
