Event Details

As Richmonders, we know our city has a long, layered history of racism and trauma. Each of us will arrive at this space with our own experiences, joys, and hardships. Let’s connect with our ancestral past, investigate our feelings, and process what arises in the context of yoga and meditation.

The location is the terraced lawn near the Rose Garden. We’ll move to the auditorium if it rains.

We welcome people of all racial backgrounds to practice together and contemplate how they show up in the community in this beautifully cultivated green space.

Yogis may arrive as early as 8:30 a.m. to set up their mats. (Scroll down for a complete schedule and more information.)

Register now — navigate to June 19th and click on the date!

Juneteenth Program Flow

9 am Board Welcome + Introduce Free Yannoh Bangura, Untold RVA

9:03  Untold RVA Ancestor Portal & Story Time (Free Yannoh Bangura)

9:25 Introduce Anthony + Mission Moment (Zamora Logan)

9:25-10:15 Asana Practice (Anthony Johnson)

10:15 Small Group Activity (Syd Collier)

10:30 Sound + Guided Meditation (Shanna Thorton/Free Yannoh Bangura)

10:50 Large Circle Activity (Syd Collier/Zamora Logan)

10:58 Board Closing + Thank you’s (Zamora Logan)

11 am Exit (distribute shells and letters w/ Free)

Speaker Bios: 

• Free Yannoh Bangura: Free Yannoh Bangura is an ancestor roots tourism expert and sacred place keeper from Richmond, VA—the final battleground where the South was defeated at the end of the Civil War.  In 2013, Free established Untold RVA to decolonize the untold stories of her city’s brave, bold changemakers who fought for Black freedom and deserve to be remembered.  Untold RVA curates interactive experiences for self-discovery in positive, non-traumatic ways that do not require anyone to read in order to know.  With a heart for ancestor remembrance, this tactical urbanism and sacred place-keeping installations are designed as a people-powered community memory and wisdom exchange.
• Zamora Logan: Zamora Logan is a Training and Curriculum Specialist for the Defense Logistics Agency in Richmond, VA where her work has primarily been in supporting teachers in the development and cultivation of children ages birth to 5 years old. A yoga student for over 20 years, Zamora is on a journey to actively practice the guidance of the Yamas and Niyamas while looking to make the world a better place for all ages, races, and identities. This journey has taken her and her mat all over the US and allowed her to meditate and practice yoga while meeting some amazing souls. Zamora is a member of several early childhood education organizations that include the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Zero to Three, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), and the Gold Key International Honor Society. As a student of life, Zamora is currently pursuing both a Doctor of Education with a specialization in Early Childhood Education from NCU and her RYT-200. She is also certified as a Children’s Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher. Zamora currently serves on the Board of Directors for Project Yoga Richmond.

• Anthony Johnson: Anthony was brought to yoga reluctantly when a good friend invited him to a class. He quickly fell in love with the practice and sought to become a teacher himself. As someone who finds himself at the intersection of the LGBTQIA+ community and the Black community, Anthony appreciates how yoga creates an internal space that allows for the love and healing of the authentic self, despite how the world tries to prevent this from happening. As a teacher, Anthony hopes to help his students locate and befriend their internal joy, their birthright as human beings. Anthony completed a 200-hour Mindfulness and Leadership Yoga Teacher Training With J Miles and the crew at Maha Vira Yoga. Anthony currently serves as an Ambassador for Project Yoga Richmond. 
• Shanna Thorton: Shanna’s first exposure to yoga was on a trip to Yogaville with her college professor for a class. She earned her 200-hour basic certification from Integral Yoga and became a level one sound and vibrational healer at the Atma Buti Sound and Vibrational School in 2018. She went on to earn her level 2 certification of sound healing with singing bowls in 2019.
  Shanna looks forward to being a part of your yogic development with the guidance of her down-to-earth perspective. She places particular emphasis on helping people of color create and maintain a yoga practice.
• Syd Collier: Syd is an educator and entrepreneur rooted in the practices of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. Their teaching style is one that explores mindfulness in movement with the intention of guiding people to re-connect with their physical and subtle bodies. Along with being a PYR Ambassador, Syd also works as the Community Coordinator for Project Yoga Richmond.