Soothing flute music plays and sunlight streams into the room, highlighting the collection of plants, the only similarities being the pots in which they are planted. Scattered throughout the indoor garden are statues ranging from the Hindu god Shiva to a small seated Buddha. Soil in one pot.
Is this some kind of spiritual paradise?
Well, in a way. Oxford Community Yoga Studio.
Oxford Community Yoga (OCY) was founded in 2021 by Jessica Rowley, an Oxford-area native and University of Miami graduate who returned to town during the COVID-19 pandemic. She realized that Root Yoga (previously located in Oxford) had closed and saw the need for her own yoga studio.
“I thought [that] This is a place that needed a yoga studio, and we found one and opened in December 2021,” said Laurie.
Laurie is a strong believer in “decolonizing yoga,” a movement that aims to bring yoga back to its more traditional meditative roots and connect with one’s own spirituality. She explained that yoga was originally a spiritual practice, but Western influence transformed it into a more physical exercise.
“Of the eight limbs of yoga, only one involves poses,” says Laurie. “In the West, yoga has been marketed towards middle- and upper-class white women…Yoga’s origins lie with people of color, so the beginnings of yoga’s decolonization are about giving them a voice within their communities. It’s about empowerment.”
This goal is reflected on the front door of OCY Studio, where attendees can find a sticker proclaiming how the studio is a “safe space.” The studio also offers scholarships to BIPOC people and incorporates meditation and breathing exercises in addition to physical exercises, emphasizing that yoga can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their background or body type. There is. The studio also conducts annual trips to India for those interested in learning more about yoga’s historical roots.
Photo by Shr-Hua Moore | Miami Student
A sign that reads “Safe Space” indicates the intent of Laurie’s studio.
Laurie said part of creating an inclusive environment includes making sure no one feels too overwhelmed by her studio’s teaching methods.
“For example, even if someone is a devout Christian, I don’t want them to feel uncomfortable in my class,” Laurie said. “[In order] In order to accommodate my students, I also try to be sensitive to their beliefs.I’m trying to drop it just a little bit. [of spiritual practices] Please join the class so people don’t leave the class and think we’re the ‘weird yoga people’. ”
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Naborle Sackeifio is an associate professor of global and intercultural studies at the University of Miami and began her course to become a yoga teacher at the studio. Although she was already familiar with the idea of decolonization in other fields, she said she was surprised by how passionately OCY was working on this.
“[OCY] “It’s the most comprehensive yoga studio I’ve ever come across, including those I’ve attended in New York City and New Jersey,” Sacchiefio said. “[Lohrey] “I was really surprised by how carefully she created a welcoming environment… She really provided a space where we could work on challenging themes.”
Sackeifio hopes to apply the philosophy taught at OCY to her own classes.
“I like to incorporate some practices into the classroom. It might not be a yoga session, but it’s something that allows students to stop and reflect for a few minutes and get their bearings.” said Sacchiefio. “I often forget to take breaks while lifting.”
Although the Miami Recreational Sports Center has its own yoga program, there is no tension or direct competition between OCY and the university. In fact, we had the cooperation and participation of Miami students to join the studio and help it grow.
Liv Snow, a fourth-year art education major at the University of Miami, was part of a team in her entrepreneurship class that worked with Laurie on ways to increase the studio’s visibility in the community.
“Our initial goal was to increase enrollment in our teacher training programs. [to] Increasing Miami student engagement, [the project] We shifted to how to make OCY a diverse and equitable place where yoga is accessible,” Snow said.
Students made recommendations that included obtaining media appearances and having professional photos taken for the website. Throughout the process, Snow said Laurie was a great person to work with.
“[Lohrey] It’s amazing,” Snow said. She said, “She’s a very successful woman and she knows what she’s talking about, but she never makes her feel stupid for not knowing things.”
Other Miami students also take classes at OCY. Alexandra Leurck is a senior majoring in Theater and Arts Entrepreneurship and has been taking the class for two years, when she enrolled in her teacher training program last September.
“I was initially considering another studio, but when I learned more about Community Yoga, [that] They tap into the more traditional aspects of yoga, keeping the studio grounded. That’s how I want to train teachers and how they approach yoga,” Luluk said. “I’ve loved it ever since.”
Roorke emphasized how unique this innovative approach to yoga is at Oxford.
“The name emphasizes community belonging and meditative mindfulness, which are often prioritized in urban areas,” Lark said. “Having it in a small town in the countryside is unique and special in itself.”
moorese6@miamioh.edu
