"My journey of working with children began in 1992 while I was a 19 yr old college student. I facilitated an after school program for Spanish speaking children at a homeless shelter and volunteered in a local elementary school working with students who were reading below grade-level
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In 1994 and 1998 I pushed two amazing souls through my body, now all grown up. Fast forward to 2009, I started teaching yoga in Charlotte NC
. ⚜️In 2011 I read about a Harvard research study in Baltimore city schools. The study discovered that mindfulness and meditation practices disrupt the school to prison pipeline for black children
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In 2014 our country was rocked by the St. Louis (Ferguson) murder of Michael Brown. Then in Sept. 2016 Charlotte was brought to its knees after the police shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. Overwhelmed I scheduled 3 weeks off, sat in quiet meditation, & developed Yoga Pipeline
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In Feb 2017 I returned to St. Louis to launch YP. The intention? To create sustainable St. Louis-centered yoga programs at underserved public schools in addition to incarcerated women
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Before covid 19, I had established yoga programs in 8 public schools and the St. Louis Juvenile Detention Center. I also briefly taught yoga to incarcerated women for a university research study. I have 3 other teachers who support our school programs. Your support matters! Collectively we WILL disrupt and dismantle systemic racism. But we must commit to the LONG-HAUL. This ain’t a fad. This is a rough and tumble lifestyle. Let’s work!
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This work is messy & draining. It is also full of love and it is my dream. I won’t stop until every public school in St. Louis has a yoga program & BIWOC are no longer the fastest growing population being incarcerated"
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Happy Juneteenth to all our Fierce Calm family in the USA 💚 Lee .
As Stacy said "Let's Work!" .
