top of page

Culturally Rooted: Yoga, Psychology, and the Power of Representation in BIPOC Healing

  • Writer: Kula For Karma
    Kula For Karma
  • Jul 25
  • 2 min read

As we honor BIPOC Mental Health Month, we reflect on the strength and resilience cultivated through healing practices in challenging times. This month, we celebrate the powerful work of healers whose lived experiences infuse their yoga and meditation practices with deep fortitude. These teachers don’t just transform themselves—they equip their students with tools to carry healing far beyond the mat and into daily life.


Originally from Argentina, Kula teacher Lisy Espindola, blends clinical psychology with yoga and breathwork to support healing in BIPOC communities. Through her work in schools, recovery centers, and senior programs, she creates safe, culturally responsive environments that prioritize rest and healing. She offers accessible, bilingual classes in both Spanish and English, honoring the language and culture of every student she serves.



Lisy Espindola


Lisy Espindola
Lisy Espindola

‘Yoga came to my life by chance and created an unexpected and beautiful metamorphosis; it opened my mind and my heart and made me a better person. I see yoga as the path to self-discovery and emotional stability. When practicing yoga, you embark on a journey where you learn to dance (asana) with beautiful music (pranayama). This incredible path will lead you to a perfect destination: stillness and the capacity for mental clarity (meditation). I love teaching yoga because of the power that it has in transforming people’s lives.’  


‘It took me some time to be at peace with the fact that I was a therapist and a yoga instructor, I needed to figure out how I was in each situation, and how to integrate them. After some time, I was able to understand that they complemented each other beautifully. That day, I became a better therapist because of my yoga training and a better yoga instructor thanks to my understanding of human behavior.’


Follow along to Lisy’s beautiful breathing and visualization exercise.


Please find a comfortable position and gently close your eyes. Start inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Visualize your favorite beach, the sound of the ocean, the warmth of the sun. 


Connect the circular motion of your breath with the motion of the ocean. Breathe in harmony with the waves. 


Continue breathing like this for a few minutes. Then, with each inhale and each wave think about something that you need and inhale that into your life; and with each exhale think of something that doesn’t serve you anymore and let it go back into the ocean and out of your life.


Do this exercise for a few minutes visualizing yourself enjoying the healing power of the ocean.


Breathing and visualization exercise with Kula for Karma teacher, Lisy Espindola.

By centering trauma-informed care and honoring the resilience of BIPOC communities, healers like Lisy Espindola remind us that true wellness is rooted in dignity, respect, and cultural affirmation. These practices do more than soothe; they empower, transform, and help entire communities rise together.

 
 
 

Comments


  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Soundcloud
  • LinkedIn
  • icons8-mail-50

PO Box 820

Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 

info@kulaforkarma.org

candid-seal-silver-2024.png

Copyright ©2025 Kula For Karma.

All Rights Reserved.

Web Design by Carol Todd Media.

Join the Mental Health Movement:

Thanks for joining us!

bottom of page