 Did you know that BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour?
If so, cool 👌🏽 If not, it's true! Did you know that Canmore Counselling & the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School is BIPOC-Owned and led? If so, cool 👌🏽 If not, it's true! Michael & I are both proudly part of the global BIPOC community and honoured to share our gifts! Something has shifted during the pandemic... FINALLY people are amplifying BIPOC businesses, practitioners, professionals & leaders. My heart is trusting that this shift can lead to nurturing and reciprocal relationships This requires a commitment to being the change... most often, BIPOC folks are tokenized or included once, to appear inclusive. Yikes. Nurturing & reciprocal relations takes time. It means dedicating time & space for BIPOC folks to have a say, to be heard, have their wisdom valued & invited back, again and again and again. Reciprocal & ongoing relations are the only way forward. We know that being business owners, practitioners & educators is a huge privilege that we take very seriously. We do a ton of advocacy & consultation, behind-the-scenes, and continue to dedicate ourselves to creating anti-oppressive spaces... Whenever possible, amplifying and empowering those who go unheard due to systemic oppression, racism & marginalization. We are so glad you’re here You are welcome here and we empower you to seek out, learn from & amplify other BIPOC-led businesses & organizations too! Please remember to give shout outs, tags & referrals any time you are inspired or have learned from what is being created & shared by BIPOC folks I have so much more to say... for now, I invite you to share with me anything that might have sparked curiosity or landed for you! With big love, Dr. Melissa Jay Some additional self-reflective prompts: From me: What does decolonization mean to you? From Michael: What does Black History Month mean to you?
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
About this Blog:I’m Dr. Melissa Jay, a registered psychologist, yoga therapist, and educator. Archives
December 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed
Canmore Counselling & Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School is an Indigenous and Black-owned family business, co-created by Melissa Jay and Michael Yudcovitch.
Our team lives across Turtle Island, and we honour the Nations who continue to nurture these lands. Our primary office is located in Châ Ûpchîchîyen Kudebi (translated from Îyârhe Nakoda as “shooting at the willows”), colonially known as Canmore, on Treaty 7 territory and the current and ancestral lands of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda), Tsuut’ina First Nation, and Blackfoot Confederacy. These lands are also home to the Rocky View Métis District 4 within the Battle River Territory.
We are grateful to be students, practitioners, and guides of yoga, an Indigenous wisdom tradition with roots in India and across South Asia and parts of Africa. We are committed to learning from and amplifying South Asian teachers and practitioners while continuing to learn alongside our own students, faculty, and alumni. We believe trauma-informed care requires an active commitment to community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, anti-racism, reciprocity, and meaningful care for people and communities who have been intentionally and historically marginalized.
As a team, we are committed to uplifting Truth, language, culture, and relationship as essential to right relations and to our ongoing work of reconciliation and decolonization. Thank you for being here :)
Our team lives across Turtle Island, and we honour the Nations who continue to nurture these lands. Our primary office is located in Châ Ûpchîchîyen Kudebi (translated from Îyârhe Nakoda as “shooting at the willows”), colonially known as Canmore, on Treaty 7 territory and the current and ancestral lands of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda), Tsuut’ina First Nation, and Blackfoot Confederacy. These lands are also home to the Rocky View Métis District 4 within the Battle River Territory.
We are grateful to be students, practitioners, and guides of yoga, an Indigenous wisdom tradition with roots in India and across South Asia and parts of Africa. We are committed to learning from and amplifying South Asian teachers and practitioners while continuing to learn alongside our own students, faculty, and alumni. We believe trauma-informed care requires an active commitment to community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, anti-racism, reciprocity, and meaningful care for people and communities who have been intentionally and historically marginalized.
As a team, we are committed to uplifting Truth, language, culture, and relationship as essential to right relations and to our ongoing work of reconciliation and decolonization. Thank you for being here :)