Monee Chavon: Albany, New York, USA

I was introduced to yoga in the early 2000’s while in college. I needed to take a yoga course to prevent me from going on academic probation. I found the physical aspect extremely challenging and completely disregarded the mental and the spiritual aspects of the practice. I just really wanted to master my own body weight and strength. Later into my senior year of college I was introduced to the whole yoga experience in one of my graduate classes and fell in love, only to get injured a year later. I was told by my physical therapist that I would need yoga for the rest of my life to keep from having chronic back pain the rest of my life.

As I continued to use yoga to help reshape my health and lifestyle, I began to become very fond of my practice and was seeing very drastic changes in my health. I’d always wanted to work in the world of medicine, but for the first time I was considering the world of alternative medicine and eastern practices. Prior to graduating college I’d thought about getting into sports medicine, specifically athletic training due to my heavy knowledge in an abundance of sports. I eventually had a breakthrough after seeing one of my favorite basketball players go down for the season after having just returned. I realized I wanted to combine my knowledge of sports with my knowledge of yoga to help athletes prevent major injuries and prolong their careers. I had no idea how to approach it, but then I stumbled across Gwen Lawrence and her Power Yoga for Sports program. I wanted to help Black athletes who feel like sports may be their only way out to travel their journey as healthily as they possibly could while also assisting them in becoming their highest truest selves.

I want to use the knowledge I’ve gained to not only help athletes, but also children and those who may not be able to afford the average class but need a stress reliever. I feel that children are our future and the easiest minds to mold and the best forms of inspiration. I feel all children want a place where they are allowed to explore their inner selves with unconditional support, and I want to be an outlet for children as they continue to find themselves in this world. I also want to spread awareness that Black people can do yoga too without being ashamed or feeling uncomfortable to attend classes. I want to help Black communities understand that yoga is a necessity to help us continue to break these generational curses and surpass what our ancestors had to endure. I want to focus on Black children so that they have the opportunity to see themselves in the yoga world as they continue to grow and develop, having these coping mechanisms to aid them throughout the rest of their life.