EVERY MONDAY

Looking ahead to next month, Joel and Jamaican-born DJ Corey Chase from Dubwise Miami are teaming up for a special Reggae on the Roof – Live Dub session on September 14, where Corey Chase will DJ live as Joel teaches gives instruction.

Every Monday at 8:00PM, on top of an inconspicuous warehouse, you can find a beautiful rooftop garden Yoga class in the heart of Little Haiti. The space has become an unassuming haven for cultural and artistic expression. The weekly Monday evening Yoga classes have been held since April 20, 2015. Organizers Sujal Patel and Joel Brierre of Skylight Yoga Miami encourage the Yoga community to ‘think outside the studio’ (or think above the studio) at their weekly Yoga gatherings called Rajas on the Roof & Reggae on the Roof.

“Skylight Yoga Miami is characterized and inspired by the vast physical, mental and spiritual benefits of Yoga, which are expansive, boundless and limitless like the sky,” says Patel.

Joel Karamdeep Singh Brierre and Sujal Sudarshan Patel alternate teaching every Monday; Joel leads Reggae on the Roof, a vinyasa flow sequence to the sounds of conscious, deep dub reggae music; Sujal leads Rajas on the Roof, a lesson in the ancient techniques of Raj Yoga, the all-pervading, scientific approach to Yoga accompanied by classical and devotional Indian music.

On this rooftop, for a moment, you forget that you’re in Miami; and that’s one reason students keep coming back. There is also none of the pretentiousness that Yoga studios can sometimes have. Skylight Yoga Miami creates a unique atmosphere where students are comfortable. The beauty and the serenity of the space enables the aspirant to more naturally and effortlessly relax into the practice. This specific setting, according to the backbone Yoga scripture, The Bhagavad Gita, is a essential precondition for Yoga practice.

Additionally, Sujal shares handmade agarbatis and dhoops (sacred scents) from India with his Rajas on the Roof classes, which also include the divine sounds of his native India. Joel’s Reggae on the Roof sessions feature dub reggae tracks intentionally selected to uncover the connections of Rastafarian faith to Yogic practices in India. More specifically, the teachings of Rastafari (think: equanimity, compassion and respect for all living beings, gratitude and praise) have their origin in the East. Looking ahead to next month, Joel and Jamaican-born DJ Corey Chase from Dubwise Miami are teaming up for a special Reggae on the Roof – Live Dub session on September 14, where Corey Chase will DJ live as Joel teaches gives instruction.

Providing the Miami community with the opportunity to experience Yoga in a safe and secluded environment, Brierre and Patel encourage students to feel secure and allow themselves to absorb the dense teachings of Yoga. Both instructors are able to draw on more than 20 years of combined Yoga experience to create unique practices, intelligent sequences and diverse Yoga experiences. For example, there has been live painting during class and students can take home the portraits that the artist made while they were in that pose.

With class starting at 8PM, outside, and at the time of sunset, you’ll find yourself gently melting into the velvety glow of the evening- yet another reason why this is the best thing to happen to your weekly Yoga practice.

Downstairs is a covered backyard area in case of rain. Classes are open to all levels of students from the novice to advanced practitioner. Donation is $10. By requesting a minimal suggested donation, Skylight Yoga Miami is hoping to remove the barriers against beginning and/or continuing Yoga practice. The only prerequisite is a desire for a healthier you.