Honouring Connection: Indigenous Peoples Day, International Yoga Day & the Summer Solstice
Sara Villamil | JUN 16, 2025
Friday, June 20, 2025
12:00–12:50 PM
Elbow Park Community Centre – 800 34 Ave SW, Calgary (lots of free street parking)
Enter on the west side of the building, facing the hill
Donation-Based | All Are Welcome
Please join us for a special noon-hour yoga class held in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, International Yoga Day, and the Summer Solstice—three powerful observances that align this year on Saturday, June 21.
We’ll gather the day before, on Friday, June 20, for a yoga practice rooted in reflection, gratitude, connection, and honouring the traditional roots of yoga. This class is by donation, with 100% of the proceeds going to support the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary—an organization providing restorative, Indigenous-led justice and healing initiatives.
While this class is a fundraiser, you do not need to donate to attend. Your presence matters just as much.
If you’re unable to contribute financially, please still sign up—we’d love to have you with us.
This gathering honours both the land we practice on and the lineages we draw from:
National Indigenous Peoples Day invites us to recognize and celebrate the strength, knowledge, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. We live, teach, and practice on the lands of Treaty 7—home to the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina Nation, Stoney Nakoda Nations, and Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.
International Yoga Day invites us to pause in reverence for the ancient teachings of yoga, rooted in India and gifted to the world. These practices offer profound tools for connection, unity, and transformation.
The Summer Solstice, the longest day of light, is a sacred seasonal turning point of reflection, renewal, and clarity.
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary supports women, girls, and gender-diverse people who are criminalized or marginalized—many of whom are Indigenous and affected by poverty, violence, trauma, and systemic injustice.
EFry’s work is shaped by deep respect for Indigenous ways of knowing and healing, including:
By supporting EFry, we contribute to a future grounded in healing, justice, dignity, and Indigenous leadership.
At its core, yoga is a practice of unity and liberation—not just personal but collective. The word yoga itself means “to yoke” or “to unite,” pointing to a deep interconnection between self, others, and the world around us.
The ancient roots of yoga, emerging from South Asia over 2,000 years ago, offer ethical and spiritual teachings that extend far beyond the mat. Central to yogic philosophy are principles like:
When practiced in its fullness, yoga invites us not only to tend to our own healing but also to acknowledge injustice, dismantle systems of oppression, and create space for equity, dignity, and inclusion.
Supporting Indigenous communities, honouring the land we practice on, and redistributing resources through donation-based offerings are just a few ways we can embody yoga off the mat.
This class is one small way we unite these values in action—offering healing, standing in solidarity, and building a more just world, together.
Join us after class for tea, light treats, and connection. Browse handcrafted, ethically sourced yoga props from Ruva Enterprises.
Those who donate $20 or more will be entered into a draw to win a beautiful bolster from Ruva. They have sourced many of their products from India, the birthplace of yoga, and celebrate traditional artistry and intention.
Let’s come together in community and practice—not only to move and breathe, but to honour the land, the teachings, and the people working for equity and healing every day.
Sara Villamil
Yoga & Meditation Teacher | Treaty 7 Territory, Calgary
Sara Villamil | JUN 16, 2025
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