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Mila K.

@kelstheyogi

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Yogi to the pros @thechicagowinds

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Being featured on the cover of @chicagonewsweekly is both humbling and affirming. There’s something powerful about simply doing the work with a heart of service and allowing the work to speak.

I love being a scientist. I love working with water. And I know I wouldn’t be able to do all that I do, or have done, without the practice that grounds me.

Yoga is part of who I am. It saved my life and helped me become the version of myself I am today.

We are allowed to be fully human. Some have even thought I earn my living teaching yoga and meditation. Well… yoga and meditation are the foundation of how I move through a world filled with ego, selfishness, envy, malice, manipulation, tokenism, clout-chasing, and greed.

I practice so I can remain grounded enough to thoughtfully do the work I love.

That work is water.
Follow my work at @iamdrmars

Check out the Vibes edition.
#blackgirlyoga #blackscientist #blackphd #blackandstem by @kelstheyogi

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16 days ago

Come kick it with Dj Tasha and Kels the Yogi for a morning yoga practice to kick off your weekend. Class is all levels and 60 minutes. Yoga mats and props are provided and included but you are welcome to bring your own. Class explores connecting the breath with the body with a soundscape that turns up mindfulness and lays to rest limiting thoughts. Doors open 15 minutes before class time and participants must remove shoes and silence phones upon entrance. All participants will be required to sign a waiver after registration.#balanceandbeats #yogalove #weekendflex by @kelstheyogi

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2 years ago

There’s a bit of preparation to hold myself up. I’ve learned to be ok with building the strength and using the things. It can feel like cheating using props. I wonder where that even comes from? If you need support to experience, to be safe, to build the muscles why is that a bad thing? I guess I am more ok with me taking time than others. Impatience can be dangerous. Sometimes we meet people juuuuuuust as they are building the muscle. Folks aren’t fully formed and we can be so inconvenienced by it that we become intolerant and unkind. I don’t want that to be me. At the least I can keep chipping away at that part of my personality. I don’t need to judge where someone isn’t and I can be certain that my energy is directed towards honoring their way of being through minding my own.

#blackgirlyoga #chairyoga #yogaprops taken in Cleveland, Ohio by @kelstheyogi

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15 days ago

You can be physically flexible and still rigid in your thoughts and actions.

We say that yoga lives OFF the mat.

Be aware of what the practice TEACHES you.

Enjoy learning yourself. Study your own mind. Be curious about your own habits and patterns.

Yoga and meditation don’t magically disappear drama it helps you witness your relationship to it.

Loneliness. Inconsideration. Projection. Envy. Social unfitness. Emotional distress. Fantasy addiction. Inaccurate understanding. Poor attention management. Chronic complaining. Attachment.

These are just some of the things I’ve used my practice to build the energy and courage to address to have a lighter and more intentional and interesting human life.

Practice on purpose to face the realities of YOU. To survive YOU. To stop lying to YOU. To build a better understanding of YOU.

#blackyogateacher #blackgirlyoga taken in Lake Michigan Chicago Side by @kelstheyogi

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a month ago

I wish @ldrs1354 made swimsuits or maybe swim caps now that would be a dope @chicagoriverswim collab

#openwaterswimming by @kelstheyogi

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a month ago

Pre sail beach yoga. Someone told me “slow down you don’t want to do too much in life….pick a thing.”

I realize folks that say that are fixated on perfection and mastery. What is this addiction or obsession with doing ONE thing to the point of having such a singular identity without that one thing you become invisible?

My one thing is living to the fullest.

I find myself happy everyday with a life that reflects my passions and curiosity.

I don’t need to master anything but my consciousness. My success isn’t defined by a figure in the bank, nor by an award or recognition by others that I’m the best at a thing at a given time.

Be well enough to remember your physical body can only do what you keep it in shape to do. Your mind is only as nimble or resilient as you practice for it to be.

Today’s beach practice was my reminder of what o do well…. Take time to be ready for what I choose.

Have a dope day yall! taken in South Shore Beach by @kelstheyogi

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a month ago

Apparently advocating for clean water wasn’t enough… now I have to SWIM IN IT.

On September 20, I’ll be one of just 500 swimmers taking on the 2026 @chicagoriverswim a one-mile open-water swim through the heart of Chicago.

And listen… I have spent YEARS talking about water quality, Clean Water Act protections, safe recreation, environmental justice, and why our waterways should actually be swimmable.

So I guess it was only a matter of time before somebody said:
“Okay Mila… prove it.”

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

But this swim is about much more than me checking “swim the Chicago River” off my bucket list.
I’m swimming:
For clean water.
For healthier Chicago waterways.
For communities that deserve access to them.
For a cure.
For every kid that dreams with their eyes wide open for a life in the open waters.

The @chicagoriverswim supports ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and local learn-to-swim programming at the @krocchicago , bringing together two things I care deeply about: healthy people and healthy water.

My fundraising goal is $1,250, and I need my village!

And because there are a lot of us on here I did some math.

25 people × $50 = DONE.
50 people × $25 = DONE.
125 people × $10 = DONE.

And yes, $5 counts too. I am not donation-shaming over here.

If you’ve ever heard me talk about clean water, environmental justice, outdoor access, swimming, boating, the Great Lakes, or why Black folks belong on, in, and around our waterways this is that work in motion.

Scan the QR code or sponsor my swim here and read more about my water world and why now...why me: https://runsignup.com/MilaSwimsTheChi

#OpenWaterSwimming #EnvironmentalJustice #WaterIsLife Chicago SwimForACause CleanWaterAdvocate taken in Chicago River by @kelstheyogi

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a month ago

I’ve missed the water. Some folks know I’m a swimmer. Not like a regular Salish splash but FRFR swim swimma. I race.

Not a triathlon swimmer a professionally trained athlete. I swore I was going to the Olympics lol. I stopped swimming for so many reasons.

Being a woman athlete in a sport that your own community doesn’t really understand or vibe with was lonely. I spent 17 years in the pool. Flip turn drills. Stroke mechanics. Relay starts. Stroke counting.

I put in the work but it never brought out friends to cheer me on. Not like those that ran track or played ball.

Thank you @behasnem for getting me into the water and introducing me to Pebble Beach and all the dope swimmers at the Point and enjoying the open water. I’ve even started training and racing again.

Yeah I know this is my yoga page but the reality of the practice isn’t just to bend and be flexible it’s healing in so many ways.

Having a body that can swim 3 miles isn’t because I’m in the gym. It’s because I’ve learned to listen to what my physical body needs and what to even nourish it with.

I’ll be sharing more of my life in the water and on the mat.

This is the wreck off Pebble Beach. About 300 or so yards off the shoreline. Easy swim. It went down in 1914.

#SilverSpray #Shipwreck #ChicagoSwims #lakemichiganshipwreck by @kelstheyogi

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a month ago

Been quiet, been still, been on the mat and on the water. Some seasons ask you to turn inward before you show back up. You can’t teach what you don’t practice. You can’t give what you don’t have. There are nearly 20M images with the hashtag yogalife, 132M with yoga. I think what’s magical is there are parts of this practice you’ll never be able to articulate in a post and can’t be shared online. You can hit a hashtag and be inspired but nothing from that account can force you to physically move or meditate. Maybe someone’s life well lived would inspire you more but how would one know that’s real? People present one way to get from you what you are unlikely to give freely. We want certainty and validation and attention among other things. I do hope if you’ve found this practice or even this very page something in you wishes to exist in a way that is more heart centered and present. I hope you’ve experienced the living benefits of your boundaries be it to protect your knees or protect yourself from yourself. by @kelstheyogi

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2 months ago

Happy March good people! 🌿🌱🌿🌱

Spring is near and we are welcoming the Equinox with a whole day of specially curated community ritual and ceremony.
It’s a choose your own adventure kinda Equinox.

Because this Fire Horse year did not come to play, it’s time to align with the greatest version of ourselves and be on purpose about these lives we are living. Join us for an energizing day or a grounding night of devotional practices.

DAY ☀️ Shake off the winter doldrums as
you step out of the darkness and UNFURL toward lighter, brighter days ahead.

On Friday March 20th from 9am-2pm retreat with us at HAJI to ritually activate your highest self with a devoted practice of 108 Sun Salutations (Yoga Mala). Lovingly paced with periods of rest and guided by the Haji Yoga Tribe: You got this! Set your own personal goal to honor your capacity and know we’ll always encourage you to prioritize self care. We’ll also be sharing some supportive content on IG leading up
to our practice. Trust- you will be HELD. 💞

Post Mala we’ll move into meditation,
guided by celebrated meditation teacher Mila Marshall @kelstheyogi. The practice will culminate in a METTA meditation for developing greater compassion + loving kindness. 🙏🏽

We’ll share a nourishing vegetarian (catered) meal, with herbal tea pairings. Because the apothecary will be closed for our special event, folks can linger and enjoy resting, reflecting or shopping in the space.

NIGHT 🌚 On the evening of the equinox we’ll step into a circle of tradition to experience our first authentic Mayan Cacao Ceremony! Since Cacao is one of my personal allies and my Spirit immediately recognized Ricardo as a brother on the path, this ceremony feels beautifully aligned. Facilitated by beloveds Ricardo and Gaby of @despiertarostronawal this evening promises to deliver power and purpose through this potent medicine.

“Despierta Rostronawal is a living, pulsating path that abides in sacred communion with the forces of existence that permeate and bestow the primordial breath + nourishment of the Self.” By facilitating Cacao ceremonies across Chicago Ricardo intends to support a collective awakening.

hajihealingsalon.com by @kelstheyogi

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7 months ago

Space Share Lab is pleased to welcome back one of our original resident practitioners @kelstheyogi for her infamous partner yoga series! This series honors relationships in all their forms—romantic, platonic, professional and communal thru intentional movement, breath & touch.

Join her every Sunday eve, 7-8p (doors open at 6:30p) for this unique way to connect with the special people in your life.

Registration required
Link in Bio taken in Space Share Lab by @kelstheyogi

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8 months ago

It’s exciting to be back teaching at @spacesharelab!

It was amazing to welcome all the couples for class this past Valentine’s Day. Touch returns monthly for the partners that are looking to practice working together to strengthen connections and support each other in new ways.

#PartnerYogaChi #YogaChicago taken in Space Share Lab by @kelstheyogi

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8 months ago