Brown Girl Joy // I Hope Your Flowers Bloom

"It was when I stopped searching for home within others and lifted the foundations of home within myself I found there were no roots more intimate than those between a mind and body that have decided to be whole."

- Rupi Kaur

In January, Sasha Finnell (pictured above), artist and facilitator of Restorative Yoga, led participants through a three-part workshop as part of Rest and Release - A BIPOC Art of Listening Series. Each session embodied exploration and connection through breathwork and restorative poses. As the supporting facilitator, I held each gathering with a sense of gratitude and relief. Listeners and truth-tellers shared themselves in transformational ways as Sasha gently led us through restorative practices and contemplative questions:

What does it mean to breathe in / breathe out and rest whenever you need to?

How do these practices fold into life off the mat?

In June, I found myself again in Sasha’s care, this time in an open field at the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. The series and processing space was called A Sense of Place, and Sasha’s invitation was simple: “You are welcome here. My teaching style is gentle and offers several options in most positions.” True to her word, I felt gently held by the earth and a loving ambience we co-created as BIPOC seeking balance in the sweet colors of dusk. We practiced wholeheartedly - tuning into our earth bodies. Grass, slugs, and tender earth rising beneath us. I’d never felt so graciously held, free, and connected in a yoga session.

Today, Sasha continues to embody and inspire this work of radical rest. Through her social media platform, private lessons, her work and teaching at Evolution Yoga, and art. She recently shared a print titled Brown Girl Joy // I Hope Your Flowers Bloom. It is a self portrait celebrating process and beauty. She writes:

“If the layers of paint could reveal themselves...you could probably see playfulness, anguish, pain, sorrow, joy, love, and healing. Part of my process is painting over what was there previously (sometimes to my friends’ dismay). The sunflower here represents a shift a few years back, toward reclaiming my joy and being just who I am.”

At WholeHeart, ‘living on the learning edge’ is often just that - reclaiming joy, and being just who we are. What does that look like for you today? this month?

As flowers continue to bloom and blossom, may we all continue to seek the courage that Wholeness calls for in this ever-changing world.

To follow along with Sasha’s work and offerings, visit her website sashafierceyoga.com. To order a print, contact Sasha at sashakfinnell@gmail.com.

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Sasha Finnell is a yoga teacher and currently offers private & group sessions. She is passionate about radical rest and is committed to teaching embodied ways of being through breathwork and growing relationships with the body. Sasha is located in Chittenden County in VT.

Natanya Vanderlaan is the Director of Development and Community Engagement at WholeHeart, Inc. She lives in Burlington, VT and is currently soaking up every last bit of summer hiking and swimming.