After their first round finished last weekend, organizers Bhavani Britt McDougall, Emily Bryant, and Ocean Georgelin are getting ready to start Sm’algyax Yoga again in April.
Each class starts with a period of the Tsimshian Sm’algyax language taught by Bryant and Georgelin followed by a traditional yoga practice with McDougall.
“It’s really a project of exploration and seeing what can happen when you combine these two ancient practices together,” McDougall said on the aim of the class.
Both McDougall and Bryant shared their thoughts on the correlation between practicing traditions and Truth and Reconciliation.
“How are we reviving Sm’algyax as we share? And how are we trying to encourage people to step into this really delicate place of vulnerability and a lot of love and a lot of patience for yourself as you learn and reclaim what our ancestors spoke… you know, that’s what makes it so powerful,” Bryant said on what she feels is the importance of learning a traditional language.
“It’s amazing that simply having an authentic practice can be perceived as a protest in our culture that we live in,” McDougall said while recounting a conversation between the three organizers.
According to McDougall, attendance varied each week though there were 27 people who were signed up for the class.
Round two starts on April 8, and runs every Saturday until April 29 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Terrace Sportsplex for anyone aged 12 and up.
Listen to the CFNR story with McDougall and Bryant below:
