Jivana Heyman’s ( he/him) Accessible Yoga journey began in the early 1990s when he found himself in San Francisco, embracing newfound freedom and self-acceptance after coming out as gay. However, amidst the joy, their community was plagued by the devastating impact of AIDS. Immersed in activism, Jivana dedicated themselves to protests and civil disobedience, fueled by their anger and desire to serve those who were suffering.
In the midst of this turmoil, Jivana stumbled into a yoga class and experienced the transformative power of the practice. As weeks turned into months, they realized that anger alone could only go so far in their quest for healing and supporting their friends. A deep longing to help others find peace amidst pain arose within them. This realization led Jivana to share yoga with their community, recognizing that yoga is ultimately rooted in love, service, and the empowerment of individuals as peaceful warriors.
30 years later, Jivana blesses us with his new book Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion. Jivana shares the ways that yoga is truly revolutionary—creating an inner revolution in our heart and mind, as well as an outer revolution in the form of service and social justice. He provides us with a framework he calls “Rainbow Mind” to bridge this gap and share a new vision of what yogic enlightenment can look like.
We are hosting a FREE book club leading up to Jivana’s Webinar. You can RSVP for book club here as well: https://community.prisonyoga.org/event/spring-book-club-2023-yoga-revolution-building-a-practice-of-courage-compassion/2023-05-09/
