[MD-AtLarge] Free Yoga Classes - Teaching For Equity

Thu Feb 10 04:13:29 UTC 2022

Hi Everyone,

I’m forwarding a message from my good friend, Aly Slaughter, who is a blind yoga instructor and also a member of the Illinois affiliate.  She is offering free yoga classes for blind and low vision individuals as part of a grant she received.  These sessions are virtual, and all are welcome, from very beginners to experts.

Please find information about this opportunity below.  Please feel free to share this message with others in the blind and low vision community who might be interested.

Yours,

Ronza

Ronza Othman, President

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

443-426-4110

Pronouns: she, her, hers

From: Aly Slaughter <alyslaughteryoga at gmail.com <mailto:alyslaughteryoga at gmail.com> > 
Sent: Wednesday, February 9, 2022 10:01 AM
To: Aly Slaughter <alyslaughteryoga at gmail.com <mailto:alyslaughteryoga at gmail.com> >
Subject: Free Yoga Details - Teaching For Equity

Namaste friends!

I am so excited that you are all interested in these yoga classes. Whether it be your first yoga experience, or your thousandth, I hope you will find some benefit and enjoyment from them!

Please bear with me, this email is full of information!

I will be offering 12 classes free of charge to the blind and visually impaired community. 6 classes will occur on Wednesdays and 6 on Saturdays, all at 9 am CST (GMT-6). I will be starting promptly at 9, so feel free to log in a few minutes early to get settled. I plan to guide the practice for 45 minutes, and use the remaining 15 minutes for cultivating community together through conversation. 

I will try my best to figure out how to best go about recording the class to share with those who cannot attend live. I plan to record the movement portion; and end recording before the conversation portion for the sake of privacy. I will also set the class to expire, either before the following class or perhaps after a week. We will see how it goes with the first one! 

Please know that you can leave your camera off if that makes you more comfortable. This is YOUR practice. I will mute everyone during the asana (movement) portion of the practice in order to eliminate background noise. There is also no pressure to stay for or participate in the community conversation. You are welcome to listen, or join in if you feel so moved. 

I plan to mix up the classes by offering different styles for you to experience - gentle, yin, chair, active, slow flow, etc. I hope that, as I encourage in all of my classes, you will find and do what feels right for you and your body and remember that this is practice, that there is no good or bad, that each of our shapes and poses should look, feel and be as unique as each and every one of us and that, above all else, we will extend kindness and compassion to ourselves and each other as we join together in this community. 

You do not need prior yoga experience, or official yoga props to join. If you do not have a mat, you can use a towel or a blanket. While I will be using a mat, you are also welcome to use a chair. Blocks are wonderful to help support your body, though any household items can be used - such as sturdy books, pillows, furniture, etc. Same goes for yoga straps - you can use a necktie, belt, long piece of fabric, etc. Pillows, rolled up blankets, extra towels, etc. are great to use as bolsters. You can stay close to and use a wall for support as well. Get creative in finding items to ensure that you have a beneficial and comfortable practice. 

As this is part of a grant, I would greatly appreciate it if you could answer a few brief questions before beginning this journey, and a few questions at the end. Results may be used to (hopefully) continue to finance such endeavors. Please know that your privacy is of utmost importance and no names or personal information that could identify you will be shared. This brief survey will be sent with the Zoom link prior to the first class. 

I am also requesting that you fill out this Google Form <https://forms.gle/jo3zpRkJgNJJuGmDA>  in order to officially register before joining your first class, particularly the required questions, as it contains general questions as well as a waiver and liability form. Please sign this form ASAP and, at the latest, 24 hours before you plan to join your first class in order to receive your Zoom link. 

If for some reason the Google Form is inaccessible to you, please let me know ASAP!

Also, please feel free to share and pass this along to anyone else in the blindness community who may be interested in joining us!

As we have all especially experienced over the past 2 years, sometimes, life happens. That being said, here is the planned schedule. If anything happens and I have to change a class, I will let you know and I will make it up to you. 

Wednesday, February 16 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Saturday, February 19 - 9:00 am-10:00 am CST

Wednesday, February 23 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Saturday, February 26 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Wednesday, March 2 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Saturday, March 5 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Wednesday, March 16 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Saturday, March 19 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Wednesday, March 23 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Saturday, March 26 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Wednesday, March 30 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

Saturday, April 2 - 9:00-10:00 am CST

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

Thank you all and I look forward to practicing with and growing in community with you!

In kindness and gratitude, 

Aly Slaughter (she/her), RYT-500

Yoga with Aly <https://www.facebook.com/Yoga-with-Aly-104494311712143> 

YouTube Channel <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDop_YGNlk9fSukWWOJHKQ> 

alyslaughteryoga <https://www.instagram.com/alyslaughteryoga/> 

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