Sit back and relax Here readers, Ashley Williams is our guest editor this week and she knows a thing or two about appreciating and showing gratitude for this place we call home. Ashley is the founder of BareSOUL Yoga & Wellness. She is a certified yoga therapist and advocate for self-care, social justice and community building. Take it away, Ashley...
Offering yoga and mindfulness practices in community spaces such as schools, health systems, juvenile detention and correctional centers, government agencies, I am given the opportunity to engage and to truly get to know others in Richmond. Yoga is a practice that begins by going within, and can be practiced on the mat through movement, yet it’s essence is taking the practices learned off of the mat and into the world. Here are my three tips for appreciating and loving our home.
Front Porch
Cafe
Front Porch Cafe is a Church HIll neighborhood gem and community hub that is a great place to meet new people or invite people for meetings, food or events. They are owned and operated by Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT), a nonprofit whose mission is to serve the youth of Richmond’s East End with the heart, head, and hands to make transformative life decisions and offer workforce development for students to become staff. The culture of community is present in their comfortable interior layout with photos of community members mounted on the walls and menu items named after Church Hill staples. Most importantly, there is so much space and opportunity to build relationships with their staff and through events that they host on a monthly basis. Not to mention, they are attached to the Bon Secours Sarah Garland Jones Center, which is available for community use and is host to weekly BareSOUL Yoga classes, health-related small groups, and skills trainings.
I am absolutely thrilled that Richmond Night Market is happening on the 2nd Saturday of each month right in the center of the city in Shockoe Bottom. Created by Adrienne Cole Johnson and Melody Short, the Richmond Night Market is enhancing the vibrancy and sense of community to the 17th Street Market by bringing together local business owners, independent artists, musicians and DJs, and more. They've created a maker space and venue for both youth and adults to enjoy! Each month serves as an opportunity to see the diverse culture of Richmond from a creative lens. Don't miss the next Richmond Night Market this Saturday to learn about new artists, businesses, and community programs.
Sure, Richmond Black Restaurant Experience already hosted its week-long celebration of black-owned restaurants earlier this year—but that doesn't mean we can't keep supporting the region's growing culinary tourism scene. Richmond Black Restaurant Experience was created to celebrate and support black-owned restaurants, food truck vendors, caterers and local chefs during a special week each spring. But their mission is something we can all get behind every day of the year! Get out there this weekend and plan a visit to one of our city's black-owned restaurants for a meal! Check out this passport filled with restaurant names to help you experience the diverse food scene in our area and support black businesses.
Bonus Tip: Once you've finished tasting some of the best food in all the land, come visit me for CommUNITY Yoga at the 17th Street Market to experience the true essence of our city-community. This is a pay what you can class hosted by BareSOUL Yoga and One Drop Yoga every Wednesday at 6:00 pm through the end of September. Richmond neighbors of all backgrounds and ages are invited to practice individual awareness and build community through breath, movement, and meditation. All proceeds support building sustainable yoga and mindfulness school and community programs in our city.
Made Here.
Check out these Old Fashioned glasses that are anything but old fashioned! And there are two varieties by Richmond artists! For the first glass, Richmond Grid magazine and artist Emily Herr teamed up to create cocktail glasses that celebrate Emily's Girls! Girls! Girls! portrait series. And the second glass, features Hamilton Glass and his famous #Whosham RVA logo. Both glasses are laser-etched by Richmond based Big Secret.
