While the eight limbs of yoga continue to inform all of the work behind SPOOKISERVICES — the asana, or movement practice, is no longer at the forefront.

In 2020, when the world came to a halt with the COVID-19 pandemic, Riot found themselves stuck at their desk for more hours than a human being should be, working more and more hours at their corporate hellscape of a job, trying to keep the anxiety at bay.

They decided it was time to find something keep themselves sane, to tap into their breath, the very thing that had been weaponized during this pandemic.

Turning to online yoga classes, Riot began to feel more and more whole. They could breathe a little deeper, stand a little taller, and looked forward to the reprise that came to them within the four corners of their mat.

But, there was something missing…someone missing.

The fat ones. The queer ones. The disabled ones. The trans ones. The Black ones. The Brown ones. The ones who didn’t look like the instructor at the front of the class in their Lululemon gear.

Noticing the lack of diversity in the westernized yoga space, Riot went on to enroll in a 200HR Yoga Teacher Training, 300HR Teacher Training, and 35HR Yoga For All Bodies training, to teach specifically to the folks who did not quite fit “typical yoga student” mold (whatever that means…).

They taught online classes from 2021 until 2023 when they shifted to an in-person teaching schedule for part of 2024, before untimately pausing their class offerings and role as instructor and return to a personal practice.