What is Afro Flow Yoga®?
Afro Flow Yoga® is an embodied practice that infuses dance movements of the African Diaspora with a meditative yoga sequence and live healing music. Afro Flow Yoga® promotes individual and collective healing in a compassionate, non-judgmental, inclusive and safe environment. We offer in person and virtual classes, workshops, retreats, discussions and teacher training programs. We cultivate community building and activism through the lens of embodied practices of the African Diaspora. We provide educational resources on the history of racism, deconstructing racism and healing our roots.
While we work with all people, we have a deep commitment to the heritage, empowerment, education, healing, spirituality, and wellness of BIPOC communities.
Mission
To make healing and transformation accessible to all individuals, communities and the world. By connecting to our roots, we inspire unity, love, harmony and interconnection to all beings and the earth while striving for social justice and equity.
Vision
We envision a world where nature has been restored back to a state of harmony. Through the traditions and teachings of dances of the African Diaspora, yogic practices, healing rhythms, love, and compassion, we celebrate our interconnection and honor and respect our shared humanity and cultural differences through the deep wisdom of our personal stories and stories and traditions of our ancestors, bridging cultural divides through ritual, healing, joy, nature and the recognition of our Oneness in the Divine.
Meaning of Our Logo
The Afro Flow Yoga® logo has within it several symbols representing our mission and vision. First, the tree which represents connecting to our roots and the energy of nature. The leaves of the tree are people in fetal position which represents new beginnings and the raising of consciousness. Then we have a woman in the middle, who is the dancer in all of us. The center of the logo is the drum which represents rhythm, like a heartbeat and has been used to call the spirit of our ancestors.
Use of Symbols
Afro Flow Yoga® uses several symbols from West Africa wisdom – the Adinkra symbols.
ADINKRAHENE is chief of the Adinkra symbols. It is a symbol of greatness, charisma and leadership. This symbol is said to have played an inspiring role in the designing of other symbols. It signifies the importance of playing a leadership role.
SANKOFA teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone, or been stripped of can be reclaimed, revived, preserved, and perpetuated.
SESA WO SUBAN signifies personal reflection and life transformation. It’s a composition of two symbols; the inner star which represents a new day and an outer wheel which implies initiative and moving forward. The symbol encourages people to make a positive change to the world by their actions.
MAKO is a symbol of inequality, uneven resources and uneven development. This proverb admonishes the greater ones to help the less fortunate with the implicit understanding that fortunes could reverse so that they would also need someone’s help. That is, “time changes” so any advantage one may have now may not persist forever.