The Yoga Bodi Magazine is an independently published international magazine and media company that was in the planning stages for three years, before launching in January 2020. Yoga philosophy, wellness, yoga practice, healing modalities, lifestyle, creativity, and nature feature in our content. We explore the mind, body, and spirit complex, our place in the cosmos; the inner & outer worlds, and how to live our Dharma according to these aspects of life.
We chose to not title our magazine a Black/Brown or “people of color” specific Yoga magazine because no other group on Earth has to insert their racial or skin tone identity at the beginning or end of titles & headings & we won’t either. But we are un-apologetically melanin-rich; black, brown, carbon, copper, indigenous people. Our content will reflect that self-love. It will celebrate our resilience, intelligence, grace, strength, creativity, and the abundance of life force energy we maintain through our connection to our ancestors, the vibration in our breath, and the power in our movement and our stillness.
Our yoga magazine is like any yoga and wellness magazine at its core; it’s about how Yoga enriches lives and that is something everyone can relate to.
We have joined with countless vibrant & beautiful black people globally who are on their self-healing journey. A plethora of black melanated yogis on the web, practicing from home, alone or in small groups or private workshops… away from the “industry” of Yoga, where the energy is often competitive, hostile, expensive & racially menacing. Yogis have instead chosen safe, self-love, inexpensive spaces, conducive to self-empowerment, growth & inner work which is naturally in keeping with the philosophy.
Our core mission is to shine a light on the diversity of yoga practitioners worldwide. The Yoga Bodi Magazine was inspired by a need, representation. We represent black, brown, copper, carbon – indigenous people who have been deliberately and systemically left out of the Yoga “industry” of what a person practicing Yoga typically looks like. This exclusion of black and brown bodies is contrary to the Yoga philosophy of removing ego.
The aim of removing all suffering & accessing the divine in ourselves through yoga is not exclusive to anybody. It cannot be generated through an expensive training course, or a weekend workshop, it is a lifelong journey of learning, mindfulness, love, compassion, discipline… Yoga at its core does not signify privilege and exclusivity. Those are limiting belief systems, reinforcing deception, and infringing upon people’s incarnated potential & value to human society. This prejudice is contradictory to Yoga philosophy.
Higher consciousness lives in the truth, joy & light, attainable for all people. When we work to expand our awareness & our heart, then we can truly explore our inner world. We allow the higher-minded version of ourselves, that by default we entered this realm already connected to, to take the reigns.
We are committed to celebrating all beautiful black and brown yogis and wellness warriors, who are navigating the terrain of consciousness expansion & making Yoga the way forward, often under extenuating circumstances. We are there right with you. Yoga every damn day! Namaste. Transform you career with Coursera’s online ui design course. Enroll for free, earn a certificate, and build job-ready skills on your schedule.
Founder/Editor
A long-time yogi, Ra has been immersed in Yoga & Pilates since the age of 5. The foundation of her classical ballet, contemporary & Jazz dance training; a core part of the stretching and warm-ups, before starting syllabus and choreography postures such as Tadasana, Vrikshasana, Adho Mukho Svanasana, Trikonasana, Kursiasana, and more…were practiced. Ra learned to bend and stretch out of dancer necessity, completing her Ballet R.A.D (Royal Academy of Dance), she went on to train in yoga over the next two decades -Hatha; Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, and later Kundalini yoga.
In 2006, Ra opened a Yoga, Dance & Performing Arts Studio which gradually morphed into a 7 day week roster of international teachers and classes until 2008 where she switched gears and focused on her other love, Filmmaking; Writing, Producing, Directing and Acting.
Working in the film industry, theater industry and the visual art world for several years in various leadership roles, her experience, expansive skill set and unwavering motivation and can do perspective, led to her natural progression as a teacher, creative coach, mentor and consultant.
Ra has worked with indigenous communities and at-risk, youth to find streams of wellness for the communities and inspire ways to navigate away from the impacts of the dominant culture’s many aspects of psychological violence. She has been a trailblazer and a tireless self determined renaissance woman, working unencumbered by convention.
Holding a Bachelor of Communications (B.C) with a double major in Film & Public Relations, she has initiated, developed and produced a comprehensive body of social, performing and visual arts projects/work…
In 2018, Ra commenced the foundational work for her next project the Yoga Bodi Magazine based on the lack of representation in yoga content publishing, in 2020 launching both the Yoga Bodi Magazine and the Yoga Bodi Magazine Brazil.
She is also a long time DJ, Roller skater, beach lover, photographer and traveler, visiting family across the United States & across the world. An ethical vegan, specifically because of her inherent activism and love of animals, she grew up in coastal city regions, by the ocean a blessing she says, “it keeps me grounded and connected to nature”. When she’s not practicing Yoga, she is practicing Qi Gong, reading or listening to books, writing film scripts, tending to her vegetable garden, developing, creating, and producing her many ideas and helping people to explore an invest in their own talents.
The Team
Aerielle Sampson
Aerielle has received her M.S. in Therapeutic Herbalism with a concentration in Clinical Herbalism at MUIH. She also has received a B.A. in Biology at McDaniel College. She comes from a long line of healers, who have taught her the importance of holistic heart-centered healing. She combines her knowledge of plant medicine, yoga, nutrition, and science to create a space for overall healing. Aerielle created AerieWell as a space for holistic healing for everyone.
Follow this amazing Therapist on Instagram.
Sophia Morris
Sophia ‘Glow’ Morris is a certified Personal Performance and Life Coach and her specialty is in Lifestyle Transformation. Sophia has a heart-centered approach to her services; Bespoke Coaching, Group Coaching, and a Public Speaker.
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Somi Igbene
Somi Igbene is a plant-based foodie, biomedical scientist, nutritional therapist, fitness lover, wellness enthusiast, wife and mama of two. She love all things natural and plant-based.
She started a lot of self-improvement journeys in the last ten years and learned the hard way that to making lasting habits, she need to change one thing at a time and continue to do it consistently.
Somi’s plan is to share progressive [health-focused] knowledge and her ever-evolving wellness journey, and to hopefully inspire her audience to create a well-rounded, meaningful life that they love.
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Emaye Ama Mizani
Emaye Ama Mizani is a sacred Brazilian dancer and a Kemetic Yoga instructor from Brazil, who teaches about the African origins of yoga. She recently collaborated with Barrio Manouche that plays music inspired by the places they come from and the places they have lived, those that have come before, and the nomadic spirit. Emaye is also a raw food chef.
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Salome Omanya
Salome Omanya lives in the U.K and is a consultant, writer and lover of astrology. She had an intense fascination with the cycles of the sky and the relationship with earthly events ever since she was very young, being blessed with a sharp intuition along with her fascination has brought her to the unique path of balance. Astrology is her consultation practice and offers consultations guidance internationally. Also offers calendars and a book based on astrology and numerology. Salome is also a SmaiTawi yoga teacher that is inspired by movements, sounds and principles from Kemet, now know as Egypt. The poses and sounds are tools to help guide you into self awareness and aliveness.
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Philip Curry
Phillip Curry is an aspiring novelist, poet, reviewer and spoken word artist based out of the Las Vegas, Nevada area. Curry has previously studied as a Creative Writing major at the College of Southern Nevada, leading to a short story and several poems being published in three college literary publications.
Genre-wise, he has an affinity for social commentary and satire, afrofuturism, steampunk/steamfunk, period pieces, noir, dark/black comedy, generally campy and over-the-top literature and coming of age stories, but is always up for a challenge.
Having been recently signed on as an author with an independent publisher, Vital Narrative Press, his first novel, Calliope Of Atalan: The American Dream (the first of a series) will be published in 2018.
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Other members of our team include Geraldine Demiar (Marketing Coordinator), Emmanuel Amoateng aka Rokz Art (Illustrator) & Karlo Bujanec (Photo Artist)
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