Movement as Liberation is a monthly yoga and meditation session guided by local instructor and social justice educator, Soraya Latiff. Each session is unique, but always includes a focus on grounding meditations written and spoken by Soraya. The theme for meditations may draw from the exhibition on display, current events, or her own work in social justice and anti-racism. Offerings and tools for classes may include tarot, card pulling, mantras, breathwork, resting positions, and incense.
BRING YOUR OWN MAT + WATER BOTTLE
Union Hall is located inside The Coloradan at 1750 Wewatta Street, Suite 144, Denver CO.
There are a limited number of spaces available and capacity varies depending on the artwork on display at the time. Register in advance for the session on Tuesday, May 7th from 6:15 - 7:45 PM, below.
Soraya Latiff
Soraya returned to yoga as a way to find her breath again and as a means of connecting back to her roots and her ancestors. There are so many ways in which the world challenges your capacity to breathe as a Black, Indigenous, and woman of color and there are so many women before you who have worked so you have your breath.
She is Indo and Afro-Caribbean from Trinidad and Tobago. Many of her ancestors come from India by way of indentured servitude, from different parts of the Caribbean by way of the transatlantic slave trade, or were indigenous to the lands taken through colonization.
She currently lives in Denver, CO on Arapaho land and co-leads a youth-civic engagement and organizing program and non-profit and co-teaches university courses on social justice and education as a tool for social change. She is pursuing an MPA with a focus on Environmental Policy and Law at CU Denver. Soraya completed her beloved RYT 200 studying Ashtanga and learning to teach Vinyasa yoga in 2020 and currently teaches at Urban Sanctuary in Denver. Soraya believes that if we are to put the 8 limbs of yoga into action and do the work to see that all beings are interconnected, then we must engage in anti-racism work and that anti-racism work is the work of radical love. She navigates the ways she herself has learned aerobic and power yoga in the West and works to make her classes a balance of valuing exercise in the physical body but challenging the Western appropriation of yoga and centering our breath, decolonizing yoga’s roots, and dismantling white supremacy. Her vinyasa and asana practice engages students to reflect on their own commitments to waking up in a more just world and encourages us each to dream and act deliberately towards radical love and liberation.
Location, Parking and Accessibility
We value your time with us. If you have specific needs or requirements that would make your experience more comfortable at Union Hall please reach out to us at info@unionhalldenver.org with accommodation requests.
Union Hall is located inside the first floor of The Coloradan in downtown Denver at 1750 Wewatta Street, Suite 144. There are two entrances to the building equipped with power assist doors and all public areas are wheelchair accessible. Street parking is available along Wewatta Street. Paid public parking is located in the building garage on the corner of Wewatta & 18th Street with wheelchair accessible spaces. Union Hall is located directly next to the Union Station train tracks, providing access to a variety of public transportation options including the bus, light rail, train, and ride shares. If you have trouble locating us on the day of the event call us at (720) 927-4033.
Soraya’s pace in movement is slow moderate, with time for movement and time for meditation; and all levels are welcome. Union Hall's space will be lit by spotlights and natural lighting. Soothing music playing from a playlist provided by Soraya. The sound element will be playing at a low volume. Artwork on display should not inhibit your ability for movement on your yoga mat. Artwork will remain accessible for viewing after the yoga session. A preview of the exhibition is available at UnionHallDenver.org/the-obstacle-is-the-path.
Please bring any items that will support your practice: a mat, water bottle, yoga block or straps, a blanket, etc.