Since its launch in the fall of 2019, the Otter Creek Yoga Equity Project (YEP) has continued to provide a meaningful and welcoming space for BIPOC students and Middlebury town residents alike to relax and forge connections. Over the years, it has grown to be more than just an affinity space for recreation. It has also fulfilled the vision of co-founders Joanna Colwell and Natasha Chang of creating an environment built on social justice and mutual care.
Colwell — who is also the director of Otter Creek Yoga — said the idea for a BIPOC-specific yoga class emerged from an anti-racism workshop held at the studio in 2019. Chang, a mental health professional and then an instructor at Middlebury College, approached Colwell afterward with the idea for a class designed intentionally for BIPOC participants.
Chang also proposed offering to pay attendees as a tangible incentive to join.
“If you pay people, it’s just a little extra incentive,” Colwell said. “We thought most of the people who would come would be Middlebury College students because Natasha was teaching there at the time.”
To fund the first YEP session, Colwell and Change taught a sun salutations workshop.
While Covid-19 initially forced YEP to temporarily shut down, it also brought along an anonymous donor willing to fund the project, allowing Colwell to re-start classes over Zoom with the help of instructor Sasha Finnell. Finnell continues to teach the BIPOC classes on Sundays at 4 p.m. at the studio’s location in the Marblework’s building.
Now entering its sixth year, YEP remains a meaningful presence for students who have participated throughout their college career.
“I went to the graduation last spring and I was just so proud of [the students] because they’ve been in the studio all four years,” Colwell said. “The feedback has honestly been amazing and we will usually pass cards once a year and have people say what the class has meant to them which has been really nice.”
Keeping the equity project running whilst also continuing to pay all attendees a stipend has not come without its challenges. So far, the project has thrived due to generous donations from their anonymous donor and support from the Vermont Community Foundation who are the administrators of their grant.
However, Colwell is now looking to diversify YEP’s funding to keep the project going long-term.
“I think any non-profit has this experience and the project has expanded so much that it takes about $5000 a month to run, which includes paying the teachers and of course the stipend,” Colwell said. “We just did a fundraiser called ‘the sacred nap’ which is just an hour of relaxation where people can come in, lie down and get sung to for an hour.”
The sacred nap fundraiser raised $3000 towards funding the project, with Colwell emphasizing that a repeat of the event is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 18. Students interested in signing up should contact joanna@ottercreekyoga.com for more information.
Reflecting on the growth of both YEP and Otter Creek Yoga overall, she emphasized that at the heart of it all lies a strong commitment to social justice.
“We are always working hard to make our space as accessible and inclusive as possible and I guess the equity project is just one example of that. People who are not a racialized minority can also attend other classes for a very low cost or no cost at all, which is just our commitment that everyone deserves to relax their minds,” Colwell said.
She further advocates for social justice by using the space for film screenings and conversations in support of Palestine, and screening documentaries to raise money for people actively working at the grassroots level.
“We are very grateful that our business continues to thrive and the marble works is a great place for our studio, which is accessible by both students and town residents alike plus the rent is affordable. I’m very excited to celebrate 20 years of the studio in the marble works building on January 1st,” Colwell said.
