Come As You Are: A South Asian Sangha

A sangha is a beloved community who comes together in practice.

Come As You Are: A South Asian Sangha is a yoga circle for South Asians to come together, connect, move, discuss and practice yoga beyond physical asana, and simply be.

Forget toxic positivity and leaving your issues at the door. Forget fitting into a 'yoga aesthetic.' Forget being a monolith. We all approach yoga differently, and it's important to make space for each truth. Bring your authentic lived experience to the mat. Your rage, your sadness, your joy, your hope. All of it is valid, and all of it can be held in a practice that feels right for you.

Why is this sangha only for South Asians?

Yoga originates from the Indian subcontinent, yet many from the South Asian diaspora only know yoga through its Westernized, sanitized, whitewashed, and inaccessible forms. Yoga being gatekept, misappropriated, and morphed far from its original intention.

How many times have you walked into a class and been the only person of colour? How many times have you cringed at your class being ended with 'namaste'? How many times have you avoided yoga because you've been uncomfortable with how it has been presented?

And how many times have you been able to talk about your relationship to yoga in a safe container, and truly be honest?

The word yoga means to unite. And the purpose of this sangha is to unite South Asian folx together in a more representative, accessible, and culturally safe practice.

Yoga can be sitting together in contemplation. It can be having meaningful, truthful conversations. It can be constructing boundaries for emotional safety. In this sangha, the practice is yours to shape.

Things to bring:

• Yoga mat and any props you have and need (blocks, straps, bolsters)
• Journal
• Water bottle

Accessibility:

• Pay what you can (PWYC): Please select a payment amount that makes sense to you.
• This space is not wheelchair accessible (there is a small set of stairs that lead down into the space).
• If you have an injury, illness, or anything that makes yoga asana less accessible to you, please let me know so I can offer you variations. You are also more than welcome to come and move (or not move) in whatever ways feel good to you.

About the facilitator:

Roshni Riar (she/her) is a Punjabi poet, writer, and interdisciplinary artist based on the unceded and stolen lands of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam nations colonially known as Vancouver, British Columbia. As an artist and community organizer, her focus has been on authentic representation of marginalized identities, and cultivating safety and cultural understanding. As a student of Susanna Barkataki, she is currently completing her 200 hour yoga teacher training in the Hatha Yoga tradition.

IG: @arekayare

https://www.roshniriar.com/

About the space:

Hosted at AO Studio space where art, healing, and radical community is shared.

554 Clark Drive
Vancouver, BC
V5L 3H7

IG: @aostudio.space

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

554 Clark Dr, 554 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada