Kalamazoo Backyard Yogis exists to build community, foster well-being, and provide an equitable space for those most often left out of yoga. Celebrating all bodies.
You are good.
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Inclusivity
Inclusivity for varying body abilities and levels, as well as for individuals from various backgrounds including women, the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC, and neurodiverse individuals. We achieve this by offering unique classes tailored to support their specific needs. Learn more.
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Equity
We strive for equal access to yoga by offering affordable or donation-based classes, as well as meet-you-where-you're at plans for a variety of student needs. We have plans for students, educators, single parents, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals, seniors, and social workers. Additionally, we are committed to making our studio physically accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities, by providing alternative movements in each class's flow.
Learn more.
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Well-being
Wellness starts within ourselves and within our community. We offer classes that nurture our bodies, minds, and emotions. Through yoga, meditation, mindfulness, pilates, and more, we connect with one another to grow in wellness. Learn more.
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Community Empowerment
We create a supportive and welcoming atmosphere where individuals feel connected to each other and to a shared purpose. We do this by fostering a sense of unity through the organization of community events, workshops, and classes that encourage connections between our students.
We provide opportunities for KBY members to make positive changes in the Kalamazoo community through the empowerment and fundraising of local non-profits. The KBY community is created by and for its members. Learn more.
How to find us
kby studio!
enter!
We are located in the South building at Jerico. Park on the south side of the building and enter through the front entrance of Jerico, and we are the 2nd door on the left in Suite 2!
How we started
Backyard is the name… because this started as friends and neighbors doing yoga in my backyard in the summer of 2021. I managed an Instagram account that had a small following. Including my best friends…and my mom. On Sundays, I posted a schedule of classes and for the first few weeks, we did yoga in my backyard to raise money for the First Day Shoe Fund. And then we started popping up at local parks and on the beaches of South Haven. And in fancy barns, and historic buildings, breweries, coffee shops, wineries, farmsteads… if we can put a mat down, we will be there to help bring some awareness and additional income to your business—all while giving back to the greater Kalamazoo area…and our dream is to move into other communities like ours within Michigan.
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So, while it was “Backyard” in the literal sense and has since expanded beyond that…the word “Backyard” has grown into an adjective or maybe just a feeling. My backyard is a place of familiarity, safety, and a place to show up authentically. And as the pandemic unfolded and the extrovert in me found some relief in the simplicity of just being outside of my home (to the best of it’s ability)…the backyard became the place where I began to challenge myself. I was upset with the state of…humanity and the injustice and the devastation. I recognized my privilege and decided to use the skills I had to try and bring some good. Because, at that point, I had only a vote and a social media account and very little money as my only mediums for engaging in real change. So, I improvised. Now we’re here. Backyard isn’t literal anymore. But it sure as hell is a vibe.
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​We are here to have some fun, move our bodies & breathe. Participants find inclusive community & help make our community an even better place to call home. Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo and we love it here.