Have Fun and Get Relaxed with Twerk Yoga
Since Oct. of 2019, Aja Janay and Chardéa Julaun have taken their yoga experiences and provided a space for Black women to relax, have fun and learn the art of practicing yoga with their “Twerk Yoga” classes.
Janay is the owner of the lifestyle brand Heal + Glow and Julaun is a yoga instructor and contributor at Heal + Glow, and owner of God Body Creations and Conjure Closet. Together, they “lead” Twerk Yoga on a monthly basis for an hour and a half. Classes are currently closed but start again in June 2020.
Aja Janay and Chardéa Julaun. (Picture provided by Twerk Yoga)
“We know how much yoga has done for our lives,” Julaun said.
When women come to Twerk Yoga, they are asked to leave their regular selves at the door, and instead pick a Twerk Yoga Tribe name. Along with a new name comes a new personality, so every time you enter Twerk Yoga you become a new you. Each class starts with a warming up of the hips then the class alternates between yoga and twerking.
“It starts with the inner dialogue you have with yourself,” Janay said. Yoga has taught her that everything begins with self.
In high school, Janay was diagnosed with Scoliosis and she was recommended to do yoga. But, it wasn’t until her time at Marquette University that she decided to dedicate her life to yoga.
“It saved me,” but not in a religious way Janay said about yoga.
Julaun started practicing yoga five years ago at home until she got the fundamentals down. Then she moved onto practicing in bigger groups, which she highly enjoys. Yoga taught Julaun how to become one with herself.
“When you tap into that, it’s so fun to do with other people,” Julaun said.
Both women agree that one of the most important lessons they’ve learned from yoga is the power of breathing. According to Janay, most people don’t think twice about how essential the breath is.
“The breath gives you life. We take our breath for granted,” Janay said. “How often do you think about your breath? We use it with everything we do.”
“Breath literally feeds the spirit. It allows us to clear space in our body, both physically and energetically,” Julaun said. “Taking time to breathe with intention keeps us present.”
The ladies stated that currently yoga is a white, female dominated practice even though they feel Black women need it the most.
“I want people to know that there are Black yoga instructors that look like and think like you,” Julaun said.
Twerk Yoga will resume classes in June of 2020. (Picture provided by Twerk Yoga)
“Black women, we’re here. It’s really our time to step into who we are,” Janay said. “It’s time to even the playing field.”
All classes are being held at Center Street Wellness and the space is open to vendors, such as Sacred Love Yoni Steaming and Wellness, MaShe’s Shea and Botonicals; Lamaj Vintage Vanity, Fruit Styles, Intuitive Reader and Owner of Made by a Sunflower Soul, Love. Love. Mode and Queen of Chocolate.
For more information, contact Janay and Julaun at healglowinfo@gmail.com.