A Latina-owned yoga studio in East Harlem, New York, prioritizes community health and wellness by offering bilingual classes in Spanish and English.

 

After nearly a decade of teaching yoga, Jazmin Tejada, 42, opened Ofrenda Yoga Studio last month on 111th Street between Second and Third Avenues.

 

Ofrenda is the only yoga studio in the area that offers bilingual yoga classes. East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, has one of the largest Latino communities in New York City, consisting of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans and Mexicans.

 

“It really is a dream come true to have a space in the community that raised me,” Tejada, who was raised in the neighborhood by her Dominican parents, told PIX11 News.

 

 

Ofrenda Yoga Studio offers weekly beginner, slow flow and hot yoga classes in Spanish and English. More than 8% of the U.S. population does not speak English “very well,” according to the Census. Lack of proficiency in English can impede access to health care, education and social situations.

 

“I think it’s really important to have spaces where we feel represented, where we feel seen, where we feel heard, where we feel safe,” Tejada said.

 

 

Ofrenda means “offering” in Spanish. Indeed, the mind-body practice of yoga offers numerous health benefits, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

 

Many Latinos experience high stress due to systemic disparities, limited access to health care and food insecurity. When people have severe or long-lasting stress, their bodies respond by raising levels of stress hormones, particularly cortisol, and keeping them raised, which over time  can give rise to high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

 

Yoga relaxes the mind and alleviates stress, which can decrease the likelihood of a cardiovascular event.

 

 

“I’m hoping that by opening this yoga studio, we have a place now where we can go to take care of ourselves,” she said.

 

Click #Yoga to learn more about its benefits. There, you’ll find headlines such as “New Guideline Recommends Integrative Therapies for Cancer Pain,” “Yoga for Cancer” and “NIH Analysis Reveals Rising Use of Complementary Health Approaches.”