THE FREEDOM COLLECTIVE

Jacquie Brown

With over two decades of experience in yoga, mindfulness, and Buddhist studies, I've discovered solace and empowerment in these practices. My passion lies in guiding and reminding people, especially people of color, how to have a deeper connection with themselves and the world. I teach from experience, with love, and through embodiment. I teach because I believe that in this time, awakening happens together.

Charlene Cambridge

Charlene is a Mindfulness Meditation teacher and she is a Practice Leader at the NYIMC-Harlem Sangha. Charlene Cambridge was introduced to meditation, hatha yoga, tantric yoga and some transcendental meditation in Trinidad and Tobago as a child. Charlene believes that teaching about joy and happiness, especially mudita, is a way to interrupt the toxic individualism that indoctrinates people into a culture of grasping. Charlene is a writer, a published poet, and a visual artist.

Tia Sherèe Gaynor

Tia Sherèe Gaynor, Ph.D. is an associate professor in leadership and management at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at University of Minnesota. Tia is also a trained and certified (International Mindfulness Teachers Association) mindfulness facilitator with a justice-oriented practice focused on guiding individuals of the global majority through embodied practices to help heal the harms caused by systemic trauma. Prior to joining the UMN faculty, Dr. Gaynor was an associate professor of political science and founding director of the Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Gaynor is a community-engaged scholar immersed in equity and inclusion. Her work explores the intersection of social justice, local government, and identity. Her recent work sits at the nexus of mindfulness, meditation, and public affairs to explore healing pathways for people, policy, and organizations.

Olivia Orta

Hi my name is Liv and I'm a mindfulness practitioner in the Plum Village tradition. I've been teaching for over 15 years and I'm a published researcher. I believe strongly that mindfulness practices are accessible to everyone, and that they can fit into your already busy day. My mindfulness teachings weave together everyday ease, scientific concepts, and Buddhist teachings in an attempt to challenge you to find the extraordinary in the seemingly mundane. It is my hope that when we can establish such daily reminders, we can more easily act from our shared nature of empathy and freedom.








 

Nathan Baptiste

Nathan Baptiste is a certified mindfulness meditation instructor, team development specialist, and founder of EDI Mindfulness Consulting LLC. He guides team leaders, professionals, and care-takers who are dedicated to serving others to cultivate mindfulness skills for greater calm, clarity, and compassion. He's also a facilitator and specialist in organizational change advancing racial equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. As a meditation practitioner for over 25 years, mindful compassion is integral to his approach.