When I had the chance to take a class with Lauren “Anu” Wolley, I felt like a piece had been put together in my yoga practice puzzle. It wasn’t until I took a second class with her at The Underground Museum, where she teaches free Kemetic yoga classes on Thursdays, that I had to share with her my gratitude. I mentioned that when I always thought of yoga in the past, I imagined it would be like this. I was referring to the restorative and grounding nature of the poses infused with her wisdom about Ancient Egypt, aka Kemet. Recently, she partnered with wellness practitioners Alli Simon and London Jones to create the South LA Wellness tour. They unveiled holistic resources right in our community, highlighting how Black and Brown people can take care of themselves spiritually, emotionally, and mentality right in the urban paradise of Los Angeles. It’s here if you look for it or, better yet, follow what these powerhouse women are doing.

Below is my interview with Lauren “Anu” Wolley, the co-creator of the South LA Wellness tour and organization.

What inspired you and other creators, Alli Smith and London Jones, to start the South La Wellness Tour?

I’ve known Allison for about ten years. We did our yoga teacher training together. We always wanted to do something that was for us and by us. It was just a matter of timing. Adidas found Allison through her work and wanted to fund a project. Our goal and intention was always to create spaces for us and by us to help contribute to fighting racism and white supremacy for Black people and other people of color. We wanted to infuse the healing modalities and a holistic mindset. It’s about reaching back for something that is from our cultural history. Also, we wanted to spotlight the people who are doing the work. Our classes and wellness modalities are accessible and no matter where someone is in their journey, our ultimate goal was to create this space.

Do you feel like now is a great time to do holistic practices in Black and Brown communities?

The time is always now. I just think that we had the capacity to come together and pull this off. It’s not that we weren’t doing it before, we were just doing it on another level. But, the time is now. You always have to show up and do the work however you can, wherever you’re at. It doesn’t stop.

People are open and the “acceptance” is of ourselves. As more people begin to accept themselves, everyone naturally will begin to accept them, even if it’s from a distance. It’s literally a vibration because we’re all connected. The stuff that we’re doing is old, it’s from our ancestors. It’s nothing new, people just forgot. There is so much programming that isn’t beneficial to us, so of course, we forget. There’s so much coming at us but in reality, this is something we’ve been doing for thousands of years.

For those who missed it, what was your Kemetic Yoga + African Dance session on the Wellness Tour like?

It was great! It was so special. I loved doing Kemetic yoga and being able to do [African] dance.  It really resonates with the postures in the Kemetic yoga practice. The yoga practice is the meditative part where your heart and mind are blessed together and the dance is the full physical embodiment of the meditative postures aligned with the beat. You’re letting the mind chill and feeling with the heart. In yoga, you’re telling your mind to be present with the breath and the heart. Something really magical happens when you combine the two because it’s not any dance, it’s African dance. We transformed the space, it was hot and sweaty and people loved it. We were purging and releasing.

Photo: Anu’s workshop / Photo via Instragram

What would you say to people wanting to keep connecting African dance to Kemetic Yoga?

Well, we’re doing it. This isn’t the first time we’ve done an experience like this. The dance teacher and I are continuing to do it. We were doing a mental health wellness series at The Tree South LA and in Leimert during May and part of June. We’ve done it in a lot of workshops. We just have to make sure people know when [these events] are happening. What I love is that you don’t have to go out of town— we’re here, we’re local.

This was a week that was not just about practicing yoga + meditation. But an intentional approach to center the experiences + history of folx in + around South LA.

– South LA Wellness

How do you feel since the tour was so well received with many workshops quickly filling up with registrations? What was it like to feel that people were noticing and wanting to be a part?

Naturally anytime there’s an overflow or abundance of attention, you feel gratitude. I do feel like next time we will have to let people know that no one really gets turned away. Unless we’re at capacity and we just can’t fit another body, just show up and we’ll make it work. If it’s in alignment with your journey and the space we’re creating, it’ll work itself out. That’s just one thing to work.

Will this be an annual event, what are the plans to keep this tour going?

We’re still looking into what would be the next best thing. I would say the intention is to have a space where we can consistently provide these types of programs on an expansive level of holistic wellness. I want to people be present within a community that looks like them. Also, to be a part of a community that is in alignment with un-programing and learn new things and doing things differently. 

Our collective mindfulness will inspire wellbeing for generations to come.

– South LA Wellness

Finally, can you expand on the idea of collective mindfulness? 

I would say we’re doing this for all those who come after this and all the shoulders we stand on and others. We’re thinking about the future. We’re really trying to have a ripple effect. The idea of being connected and present with one another that’s not through social media but actually through physical and spiritual experience. Things that help cultivate a sense of our beingness and think broader like planting a seed. We have to think outside the box and have to re-program a future that includes us and includes justice.

In conclusion, we need more visionary minds like Anu Wolley. Stay up to date on what she is doing my following her Instagram and blog Village Visions. Her partners Alli Simon and London Jones seem to have great healing opportunities in the works so keep the South LA Wellness tour on your radar. Expect great things and show up for your healing!

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Best,

Kai