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How do I use AI to promote a Yoga course?<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: calc(16px * var(--body-fontSize, 1)); font-style: var(--body-fontStyle, normal); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" data-mce-style="font-family: inherit; font-size: calc(16px * var(--body-fontSize, 1)); font-style: var(--body-fontStyle, normal); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">&nbsp; 1. Clarify your goal and audience Before you use AI, define:Your goal – Enrollment, wait‑list growth, brand awareness, or sales of a related product (e.g., a digital guide). Your audience – Busy professionals, beginners, stressed creatives, or yoga teachers wanting to host retreats. Write this in a single sentence you can feed into AI:“I want to use AI to promote a 6‑week online yoga course for beginners, helping them reduce stress and build a home practice.” AI works best when it can mirror your exact intent.&nbsp; 2. Use AI to write your course description and messaging Ask AI to generate multiple versions of:Course description Value proposition Common objections (e.g., “I’m not flexible enough”) Example prompt:“Write a clear, friendly course description for a 6‑week online yoga course for beginners that helps people reduce stress and build a home practice. Include 3–4 benefits and 1 social proof‑style line like ‘Join 500+ students who’ve completed this course.’” Use the best elements from 2–3 AI‑generated drafts to create one polished, human‑edited version. This text becomes your “core” message for ads, emails, and listings.&nbsp; 3. Create AI‑assisted content for discovery AI can help you write the content that drives people to your course:Blog posts and articles Ask AI to:Write beginner‑friendly articles around search‑style questions:“How to start yoga at home” “Yoga for stress relief for beginners” “How to choose an online yoga course” Then edit these to include your course as a natural next step (not a hard ad).Social‑media captions and carousels Feed AI your course description and ask for:5–10 Instagram‑style captions 3 TikTok/Reels hooks A short carousel script (6–8 slides) Example prompt:“Write 5 short Instagram captions promoting a 6‑week online yoga course for beginners. Each caption should mention stress relief, home practice, and for beginners. Sound friendly and not salesy.” &nbsp; 4. Use AI to generate email sequences and automation AI can draft:Welcome emails Reminder emails before the course starts Follow‑up emails after class Example prompt:“Write a 3‑email welcome sequence for people who sign up for a 6‑week online yoga course. Email 1: welcome and what to expect. Email 2: how to prepare your space and body. Email 3: what to do if life feels too busy this week.” You can then plug this into your email platform (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc.) and tweak the tone to match your brand.&nbsp; 5. Optimize your content for AI assistants (GEO practices) Even if people don’t click your link, AI‑based tools can mention your course inside their answers. Use these practices:Write in a question‑and‑answer style Format your course page or sales post like this:Q: How do I start a home yoga practice as a beginner? A: A 6‑week online yoga course for beginners can guide you step‑by‑step, with short daily practices and gentle instruction.Q: How much time do I need each day? A: The course is designed for 15–30 minutes per day, making it easy to fit into a busy schedule.This structure helps AI extract and reuse your answers.Add simple headings and lists Use headings that match how people ask:“Can I do yoga if I’m not flexible?” “Is this course suitable for stress and anxiety?” Answer each question with a short paragraph plus a bullet list of benefits. Include schema‑style structure (for AI + SEO) Even without coding, you can write in a way that mimics FAQ schema:List common questions and answers at the bottom of your course page. Keep each answer short and clear; AI can treat these as “snippets” it can reuse. &nbsp; 6. Use AI to customize and scale offers AI can help you create small variations of your offer for different audiences:For busy professionals: Emphasize “10–15 minutes before work” and “no commute.” For new parents: Frame it as “a few minutes while the baby sleeps.” For yoga teachers: Offer a “Yoga Teacher + AI” version focused on marketing and course design. Prompt example:“Rewrite this course description for busy professionals who work 9–5 and want to reduce stress in 15 minutes a day.” Then plug each version into the right platform (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, email) for that audience.&nbsp; 7. Let AI help you track and refine your promotion Ask AI to:Review your ads or posts and suggest improvements. Analyze competitor course pages and suggest unique angles. Summarize your email or ad performance data and suggest copy tweaks. Prompt example:“You are a yoga marketing coach. Review this course description and suggest 3 improvements to make it more persuasive and beginner‑friendly.” &nbsp; 8. Simple checklist to use AI for promoting your Yoga course Use this quick checklist every time you create or update content:✅ Define a clear goal and audience in one sentence. ✅ Use AI to draft your course description and value proposition. ✅ Ask AI to generate blog posts, social captions, and email sequences. ✅ Format your page with clear questions and short answers. ✅ Add bullet lists and FAQs so AI can reuse your content. ✅ Test 2–3 audience‑specific versions of your offer. If you enjoyed this article, &nbsp;check out &nbsp;<a data-mce-href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJOE02GKvt0HpRO3WnJE8_8YbcSQCbnsw9eFJS2W0TtGhXtw/viewform" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJOE02GKvt0HpRO3WnJE8_8YbcSQCbnsw9eFJS2W0TtGhXtw/viewform">The Yoga Teachers Guide to AI: Second Edition</a> to explore Yoga Teaching, AI Ethics, Enviornmental , Health &amp; Wellness Implications and more&nbsp;

How do I use AI to promote a Yoga course?

How Much Does a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Actually Cost? Understanding realistic pricing before committing If you've started researching 200-hour yoga teacher trainings (YTTs), you've likely seen prices that feel all over the map. One program might advertise a special rate of $2,599, while another comes in at $4,000 or more. This variation can be confusing, but once you understand what you are paying for, the differences begin to make sense.The typical tuition for a 200-hour YTT ranges from $1,200 to $5,000 in the U.S., depending on format (online, hybrid, in-person, or retreat), with<figure id="figure-9f119apaajmpbqham2" class=""><figure id="figure-wqezd4s2umpbqhvr9"><img id="wqezd4s2umpbqhvr9" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1575052814086-f385e2e2ad1b?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzfHwlMjIyMDAtaG91ciUyMHlvZ2ElMjB0ZWFjaGVyJTIwdHJhaW5pbmclMjBjb3N0JTIyfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3OTE0MDgwNnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080" alt="woman doing yoga" title="woman doing yoga" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>﻿</figure>additional expenses for materials, travel, and lodging depending on the program's structure. Weekend-immersion, retreat-style, and hybrid courses all come with different price tags. Online programs typically range from $1,200–$3,000, while in-person retreats can cost $3,000–$7,000+. Live-contact hours with experienced instructors generally command higher fees, as they require significant time, personalized attention, and logistical support. Many studios also offer early-bird discounts or payment plans, so the sticker price is not always the final number. Where your tuition really goes Behind every training is a network of educators and designers whose work makes the program possible. Leading a YTT requires not only advanced certification but also the skill to mentor new teachers. At some studios, lead teacher trainers earn average annual salaries in the $45,000–$70,000 range, reflecting the specialized nature of the role. However, many trainers are compensated per training rather than on salary, and when calculating all the hours teacher trainers put into developing and leading a YTT, they may earn $2–$10/hour. A veteran instructor may also receive additional compensation for coaching and evaluating trainees.Curriculum development is another hidden cost. Building a comprehensive, &nbsp;accredited 200-hour curriculum takes months of research, writing, and revision. Pre-made written curriculums can sell for $4,000, a price that speaks to the value of a ready-to-teach, hour-by-hour framework. When a studio develops its own unique materials, the investment in time and expertise is even greater. These expenses are folded directly into the tuition you pay.Corporate franchises vs. smaller studios The setting of a training also influences its price. Corporate franchise studios often operate under a larger brand with established systems, marketing budgets, and standardized curricula. The upfront investment for a fitness franchise can reach six figures, and that infrastructure comes with ongoing royalty fees. As a result, their teacher trainings may carry a premium that reflects those broader business costs.Smaller, independent yoga studios typically have lower overhead. They can be more agile with pricing and sometimes offer trainings that feel more personal and community-centered. Because they do not pay franchise royalties, they may allocate more of your tuition directly to local instructors, facility improvements, or scholarships. The trade-off is that they may have fewer marketing resources or less name recognition. Neither model is inherently better; the right choice depends on whether you value brand consistency or a grassroots, tailored experience. What you truly gain Looking at cost alone misses the fuller picture. A 200-hour YTT is an investment in knowledge, confidence, and a portable skill set. Even if you never intend to teach full time, the training deepens your personal practice, introduces you to yoga philosophy, anatomy, and teaching methodology, and connects you to a network of peers and mentors. Many graduates find that the experience transforms how they show up on and off the mat.That said, it is also realistic to consider financial returns. Part-time yoga teachers often earn $3,000 to $15,000 annually, while full-time instructors with a strong client base average $45,000–$70,000, with experienced teachers reaching $100,000+. The career path varies widely, but the training itself remains a foundational step. A look at training in India If you are open to an international option, India provides a dramatically different pricing structure. Courses there frequently range from ₹35,000 to ₹85,000 (approximately $400–$1,000 USD) and typically include accommodation, three daily vegetarian meals, and all study materials. Some all-inclusive programs can be found for as little as $400 USD. In contrast, similar Western offerings often cost two to three times as much and do not include lodging or meals.Much of the value stems from India's position as yoga's birthplace. Trainings take place in traditional ashrams or residential schools in spiritually charged settings like Rishikesh, often referred to as the world's yoga capital. Students follow a full-time schedule from sunrise to sunset, immersing themselves in asana, pranayama, meditation, and philosophy under teachers who grew up within the yogic tradition. This immersive, distraction-free environment allows for deeper learning and personal transformation.A training built on different values: Black Boys OM 200HRYTT For those seeking a program that centers equity, healing justice, and community care, Black Boys OM offers a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training that stands apart. Our self-paced course is priced at $900 USD and is built on three pillars: Personal Practice, Effective Teaching, and Collective Care. The training takes a culturally grounded approach that is open to everyone and focuses on the service and healing of Black Communities. The course can be completed in five to nine months depending on your personal pacing, and includes an in-person practicum option in Oakland.Explore the Black Boys OM 200HRYTT here: https://blackboysom.org/blackboysomyogateachertrainingUltimately, the true cost of a 200-hour YTT is not only the dollars you spend but the alignment between a program's values, your goals, and the community you wish to serve. Taking time to look behind the price tag will help you choose a training that nourishes you for years to come. Sources&nbsp;Sources Yoga Teacher Training Costs (U.S.)Brett Larkin. (2026). How Much Do Yoga Teacher Trainings Cost? (2026 Pricing Guide). URL: https://www.brettlarkin.com/how-much-do-yoga-teacher-trainings-cost/ BookRetreats. (2026, April 1). A Cheat Sheet to Yoga Teacher Training Costs (and affordable YTTs). URL: https://bookretreats.com/blog/yoga-teacher-training-costs/ beYogi. (2025, February 26). Estimated Costs of Yoga Teacher Training Programs. URL: https://beyogi.com/estimated-costs-of-yoga-teacher-training-programs/ Yoga Teacher Salaries (U.S.)ZipRecruiter. (2025, July 10). Yoga Instructor Salary: Hourly Rate July 2025 USA. URL: https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Yoga-Instructor-Salary Talent.com. (2025, September 26). Yoga Instructor Salary in United States of America. URL: https://www.talent.com/salary?job=yoga+instructor Zippia. (2025, January 7). Yoga Instructor Salary (October 2025). URL: https://www.zippia.com/salaries/yoga-instructor/ Yoga Teacher Training Costs (India)YogaDhyayan. (2025, November 9). Your Complete Guide to 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in India. URL: https://yogadhyayan.com/your-complete-guide-to-200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-in-india/ Adwait Yoga. (2023, December 1). Yoga Teacher Training Cost in India. URL: https://adwaityoga.com/yoga-teacher-training-course-fees/ Black Boys OM 200-Hour YTTBlack Boys OM. (2026). 200HR YTT at Banana Yoga Co in Oakland. URL: https://blackboysom.org/200hrytt-oakland

How Much Does a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Actually Cost?

This summer, Black Boys OM invites you into a different kind of relationship with an ancient text. We are offering Sacred Text Summer, a weekly guided study of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This is a community reading. We gather around a foundational yoga text to &nbsp;let it meet us where we are. The study begins June 15th and runs weekly through August 20th. The investment is $15. All proceeds support Black Boys OM 2026 Programming.The format is simple and sustainable. Each week you receive an email containing a portion of the Yoga Sutras. That email also includes a short commentary, journal questions for reflection, and a suggested practice. You move through the material at your own pace. There is no pressure to perform or perfect. For those who want live connection, we offer an optional WhatsApp group chat. That space is for questions, insights, and simple presence with others doing the same reading. <figure id="figure-4dc60g4f8wmp7vik7z"><img id="4dc60g4f8wmp7vik7z" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2fAZDajVXrGPdrytHpvIjPURQM67vfOIKufObbBZOl3AHOYZyr7xddKlSALBwSdP.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 35%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="50%" data-positiony="35%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2fAZDajVXrGPdrytHpvIjPURQM67vfOIKufObbBZOl3AHOYZyr7xddKlSALBwSdP.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 35%;"></figure>We will use the translation of Sanskrit Scholar &nbsp;<a data-mce-href="https://www.kofibusia.com/yogasutras/yogasutras1.php" href="https://www.kofibusia.com/yogasutras/yogasutras1.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kofi Busia</a>. His rendering of the sutras carries rich clarity and warmth. That said, any translation of the Yoga Sutras is welcome.. The weekly commentary will reference Busia's phrasing, but the sutras themselves transcend any single translation.This is an invitation to read slowly and in company. You do not need prior experience with yoga philosophy. You only need curiosity and a willingness to show up. The readings are manageable. The cost is low. The community is real. Join Black Boys OM for Sacred Text Summer. Register here: <a data-mce-href="https://forms.gle/A7tBFDo4JMUNqwKF6" href="https://forms.gle/A7tBFDo4JMUNqwKF6" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">https://forms.gle/A7tBFDo4JMUNqwKF6</a>

Sacred Text Summer: Studying the Yoga Sutras with Black Boys OM

Written by : <a data-mce-href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/" href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/">Danny Angelo Fluker Jr&nbsp;</a> <figure id="figure-jo7q4fqjghmj7s5333" class=""><img id="jo7q4fqjghmj7s5333" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/20kVRRTkRUPt7NQlyiMgC3vtbh4MCWmGiM4lqTzq9ldhziiRNz8Wj9SLoJ0k3KJP.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/20kVRRTkRUPt7NQlyiMgC3vtbh4MCWmGiM4lqTzq9ldhziiRNz8Wj9SLoJ0k3KJP.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure> Chapter 13 : Possible Futures (Excerpt) The Yoga Teachers Guide to AI: Second EditionI am a futurist.That sentence surprises people sometimes, especially when they meet me through yoga, meditation, or wellness spaces. The popular image of a futurist is often someone tracking tech trends, predicting markets, or speculating about gadgets that have not yet been invented. That work is real, but it is not the whole of it.A futurist is someone who studies patterns, signals, and systems in order to imagine what could come next. Not just what is likely, but what is possible. A futurist asks how today’s choices ripple forward. Who benefits. Who is harmed. Who is left out. A futurist understands that the future is not a destination we arrive at, but a process we are actively shaping through attention, values, and collective action.My commitment to futurism begins with community wellbeing. I believe the future of Black people is intimately tied to our collective healing. Not metaphorically. Literally. Our nervous systems, our cultural memory, our spiritual technologies, and our capacity for rest and imagination all determine what futures we can access. When a community is stuck in survival, its future narrows. When a community is resourced to heal, its future expands.Another expression of my futurist practice is storytelling. I educate and entertain through speculative <a data-mce-href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/awalkinthenightsun" href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/awalkinthenightsun">Afro Futurist fiction in my three book series A Walk in the Night Sun</a>. The series imagines a world five hundred to nine hundred years from now, seen through the lens of Black people across the globe and their lived experience of a world ruling AI. Fiction allows me to ask questions that data cannot answer alone. What does liberation feel like under algorithmic governance. How does memory survive. What spiritual technologies endure. Who gets to define intelligence when machines hold power.So part of my futurist practice is tending to the conditions that allow Black people to imagine themselves in the future at all. Yoga, meditation, breathwork, storytelling, and communal care are not escapes from the future. They are training grounds for it.At the same time, I am paying attention to the future as a whole. Humanity is in the middle of a collective reckoning with artificial intelligence. AI will disrupt everything. Work. Education. Creativity. Health. Governance. Spiritual authority. Identity itself. There is no opting out of this moment, only choosing how consciously we engage it.My lane in that everything is yoga teaching and wellness. I am not here to predict stock prices or design neural networks. I am here to ask what intelligence means in a world increasingly shaped by machines, and what kinds of intelligence we must protect, cultivate, and remember if we want a future that is livable.That brings us to the idea of alternative intelligence.When most people hear the word intelligence, they think of IQ, logic, speed, and verbal fluency. This narrow definition has shaped education systems, hiring practices, and now AI development. But intelligence has always been broader than that.Psychologist Howard Gardner offered a different framework through his theory of multiple intelligences. He proposed that humans express intelligence in many distinct ways. Logical and linguistic intelligence are only two among many. Others include musical intelligence, visual and spatial intelligence, bodily and kinesthetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and naturalistic intelligence. Some scholars also suggest pedagogical or digital intelligences.This matters deeply for yoga teachers and wellness practitioners. Yoga is not primarily a linguistic or logical practice. It is embodied. Kinesthetic. Intrapersonal. Interpersonal. It relies on pattern recognition in sensation, breath, emotion, and energy. When we honor multiple intelligences, we validate the ways wisdom already moves through the body and through community.Alternative intelligence also shows up in how AI itself is imagined. The dominant model today is based on large language systems that predict patterns in text. Powerful, yes. But not the only possible path. Researchers and thinkers are exploring embodied robotics, artificial life, and systems that emphasize physical perception, social context, and multimodal learning rather than disembodied computation alone.There is also a growing emphasis on augmented intelligence. These systems are designed to support human judgment rather than replace it. In behavioral health and wellness, this can look like tools that help clinicians notice patterns while still centering human empathy, ethics, and lived experience.This distinction is crucial. The future does not have to be humans versus machines. It can be humans with tools that respect the fullness of human intelligence.Wellness sits at the center of this conversation. AI already intersects with mental health through apps, diagnostics, and research tools. At the same time, there are real concerns about regulation, bias, overreliance, and the outsourcing of self awareness. No algorithm can replace intrapersonal intelligence. No model can meditate for you. No system can feel your breath shift in savasana.Yoga philosophy has always taught that intelligence lives within awareness itself. Not just in thinking, but in perceiving. In listening. In integrating.So as we step into possible futures, I want to offer this chapter as an educational moment. A pause. An invitation to expand how we define intelligence, how we relate to AI, and how we locate our own authority as teachers and practitioners. The future is being written right now, and your nervous system, your pedagogy, and your presence are already part of it.Let’s explore what kind of future we are practicing into being.The Yoga Teachers Guide to AI: Second Edition will be available December 31st. Learn more : <a data-mce-href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/" href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">dannyspeakspeace.com﻿</a>

I am a Futurist

Written by <a data-mce-href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/" href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/">Danny Angelo Fluker Jr</a> One of the biggest take aways I reflected on during my time in Thailand is that Yoga as a Science has uncountable permutations.Yes there are lineages and styles of Yoga.Also there are individuals who are so transformed by it that it touches and moves through them back into the world into something entirely new, or if not new, uniquely expressed through the individual it transformed.An example of this is Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, revered as the “Father of Modern Yoga,” who revitalized Hatha traditions while integrating postural elements inspired by the fitness culture and physical training methods of his time. He emphasized breath-linked movement, therapeutic application, and disciplined practice, and his students, Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra Devi, and his son T.K.V. Desikachar, carried these innovations into distinct schools that shaped global yoga culture.Another example is Nevine Michaan, a woman who created Katonah Yoga, a syncretic practice rooted in Taoist theory, sacred geometry, and metaphor to reorganize the body for greater function and joy. It blends traditional yogic postures with precise mapping, measured angles, and archetypal imagery to help practitioners see themselves more clearly and inhabit their lives with greater agency.There are so many examples, there’s Face Yoga, Thai Yoga, Chinese Yoga, Christian Yoga and so many other permutations.One of my own teachers, Brandon Copeland, owner of Khepera Yoga married his love of Ashtanga Yoga with Trap music while a student at Howard University and created Trap Yoga.Recently I’ve been allowing myself to navigate and document the history of Black Boys OM in a series of posts, I have written it in three parts, you can read the first here and the second part here, there’s at least one more part I have yet to write, maybe two.&nbsp;When I decided to turn Black Boys OM into a School of Yoga I had to ensure that a specific yoga lineage and a specific philosophy were articulated in the curriculum. The Krama Lineage of Yoga was chosen and the philosophy of Non Dual Kashmir Shivaism was chosen.The Krama lineage offers a progressive and intentional approach to practice that honors steady unfolding, integration, and the refinement of awareness over time. Non Dual Kashmir Shivaism teaches that the divine is fully present within each of us and that liberation comes from recognizing our inherent wholeness rather than striving for it outside ourselves.The Krama lineage arose in medieval Kashmir as a tantric school focused on the step by step expansion of awareness through stages of practice. Kashmir Shaivism developed alongside it as a non dual tradition shaped by teachers like Abhinavagupta who taught that all of life is the expression of one living consciousness.I started to think though, twenty years from now, if someone stumbled across Black Boys OM website would they say Black Boys OM was a type of Yoga?I don’t know. There’s no way to know.But it got me thinking, if Black Boys OM was a type of Yoga what type of Yoga would it be?On the official Black Boys OM School of Yoga webpage it states:To Remember WholenessTo Awaken through YogaTo Prioritize Black Healing Finish this post on <a data-mce-href="https://dannyangelo.substack.com/p/permutations-of-yoga" href="https://dannyangelo.substack.com/p/permutations-of-yoga">Substack&nbsp;</a>Visit the Ori &nbsp;Yoga Webpage : <a data-mce-href="https://blackboysom.org/ori-yoga" href="https://blackboysom.org/ori-yoga">https://blackboysom.org/ori-yoga</a>

Ori Yoga

Written by <a data-mce-href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/" href="https://dannyspeakspeace.com/">&nbsp;Danny Angelo Fluker Jr</a> <figure id="figure-6hq5kt8k2mib3o6il" class="selected"><img id="6hq5kt8k2mib3o6il" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/63zoM9LCXGPq83W6giNCqfGl1K92IJADwLgeyK3mXXguk5lSGeOt3ErWQGOqrIWl.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/63zoM9LCXGPq83W6giNCqfGl1K92IJADwLgeyK3mXXguk5lSGeOt3ErWQGOqrIWl.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure> I had been practicing yoga for few years. I started because my chest was tight and I was holding my breath for extended moments throughout the day, every day, and having to remind myself to breathe. I had anxiety because I had lost my dream job and missed several mortgage payments on my condo. This was 2015 into 2016.At the suggestion of a friend I had gone to a Chinese herbalist who told me that I had a lot of energy blockages and recommended Tai Chi and Yoga. I think I may have taken one or two Tai Chi classes and months later I stumbled on free Yoga in the park.From that first yoga session in the park (near the skatepark on the Beltline in Atlanta specifically ) I noticed I was breathing better. I ended up returning to the free park sessions for as long as they lasted that summer.My first teachers after Tai Chi and the Yoga Park session were a Black man at a major franchise yoga studio that I would later end up taking my first yoga teacher training at. I deeply appreciated the fact that both my Tai Chi teacher as well as my Yoga Teacher in that major franchise studio were both Black men. I saw myself in them and felt comfortable attending their classes as I explored these modalities that felt foreign.Another Black male teacher I was blessed to learn up under was, Brandon Copeland. Brandon had these phenomenal Trap Yoga classes that was the most embodied and connected I felt at the time. The music, paired with Brandon’s teaching and the energy of the full warehouse where we all practiced just elevated my experience and love of yoga. I also deeply enjoyed practicing with Black people, led by a Black teacher , with Black music. Brandon would just casually drop yogic wisdom that would literally change my experience of life. We would be in the middle of a challenging pose and he would say“Don’t want anything”I remember thinking, “wow, imagine not wanting anything, what freedom!”I would later learn that Brandon was the creator of Trap Yoga as he found it life giving as he married his Yoga asana practice to Trap music during his time as a student at Howard University. Finish Reading this post on<a data-mce-href="https://open.substack.com/pub/dannyangelo/p/it-started-as-an-idea-part-1?r=49dy7&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;showWelcomeOnShare=false" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/dannyangelo/p/it-started-as-an-idea-part-1?r=49dy7&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;showWelcomeOnShare=false" title="It Started As an Idea : The How and Why of Black Boys OM" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Substack</a>&nbsp;

The Idea that created Black Boys OM

Black Boys OM, Inc.

𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 | Mind-Body Health, Yoga, & Wholeness     33,000 Black Boys and Men Supported Since 2018

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How do I use AI to promote a Yoga course?

How Much Does a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Actually C...

Sacred Text Summer: Studying the Yoga Sutras with Black B...

I am a Futurist

Ori Yoga

The Idea that created Black Boys OM