Love, Liberation, and Showing Up

June is Pride Month, and I want to take a moment to speak directly from my heart—not as a business or brand, but as a human being, yoga teacher, and friend.

I’ve been fortunate to share space with, laugh with, cry with, and learn from so many beautiful souls in the LGBTQIA+ community. Some are close friends, students, teachers, chosen family. Their stories, creativity, resilience, and truth have shaped me in ways I’ll never stop being grateful for. Like everyone, they deserve to be treated with love, respect, and kindness. No exceptions. No conditions.

But love and kindness alone aren’t enough. Because the truth is, bias and mistreatment are still very real. Many people in the LGBTQIA+ community face barriers to safety, belonging, and basic human dignity—whether it’s in health care, housing, employment, family systems, or even spiritual and wellness spaces like yoga.

As someone who holds space for healing, I know it’s not enough to say “all are welcome” without doing the deeper work. Being affirming is an active practice. It means acknowledging harm. It means listening and adjusting. And it means educating ourselves and standing up when it matters.

If you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and you are struggling, please know you’re not alone. Below are some resources that offer support:

Support & Mental Health Resources

• The Trevor Project – Crisis support and resources for LGBTQIA+ youth

• Trans Lifeline – Peer support run by and for trans people

• LGBT National Help Center – Talklines, chatrooms, and youth programs

• Q Chat Space – Online discussion groups for LGBTQ+ teens

• PFLAG – Resources for families, allies, and LGBTQ+ people

Yoga as a Tool for Wholeness

Yoga is not a path of perfection—it’s a path of wholeness. It helps us turn inward, quiet the noise, and reconnect with our truth. For those who have been told they are "too much" or "not enough," the mat can become a place of radical self-acceptance.

As a teacher, I commit to creating classes that honor your full humanity, not just your physical form. I will continue to use inclusive language, offer consent-based adjustments, and ensure that my offerings are safe and affirming spaces for all.

How to Be a Better Ally

If you're not part of the LGBTQIA+ community but want to support, thank you. Your presence and voice matter. Here are a few starting points:

• Learn the language. GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide is a great primer.

• Educate yourself. Don’t rely on LGBTQIA+ folks to teach you everything—there are books, podcasts, and trainings available.

• Listen more than you speak.

• Speak up when something harmful is said or done, even if it feels uncomfortable.

• Center and support LGBTQIA+ businesses, creators, and teachers.

• Reflect on how your spaces—online, in-person, spiritual—are or aren’t inclusive.

I’ll be writing more soon about how to be a good ally in the yoga classroom, including real ways to make our practices more inclusive and affirming—from the language we use, to how we interact with bodies, identities, and experiences that may be different from our own.

Until then, I’m holding space for celebration and for truth. Pride is joy, and it’s also protest. It’s love, and it’s liberation. And it belongs to all of us who dream of a kinder, more just world.