J Miles, the creator of Maha Vira Yoga, is a yoga teacher who has been dancing to the rhythm of life since childhood. Yogi, martial artist, bodyworker, retired breakdancer, community activist, and the son of a Baptist minister, J Miles has been learning and studying eastern arts and philosophy for nearly two decades. Over the years, J has crafted a style tempered by real life experience and humor, yoga philosophy, and the importance of breath as a guide and strength source. His classes aim to create a fluid, sustainable, and enjoyable practice for each person that hopefully will prove to be beneficial over a lifetime. He lives in his hometown of Richmond Va, loving on family and friends, while working to improve the community through his co-founded organization Project Yoga Richmond (PYR), the paradigm-shifting virtual platform The State of Union Yoga, the Maha Vira Yoga Mindfulness and Leadership training, and by partnering with other leaders in the wellness community for positive change in the world. J can be found teaching classes Virtually for Project Yoga Richmond, The Sanctuary in the City, and for Maha Vira Yoga.
Shankari Goldstein is an E-RYT 500 and Regenerative Black Farmer. She has spent years connecting to breath, body, strength, movement, and energy to best cultivate a holistic approach to being with the land. She is a Program Manager and host of the “Inspiring Minds Series” at the Mind & Life Institute, a Certified Yoga of Recovery Instructor, and an Accessible Yoga Ambassador. In 2020 she co-founded the State of Union (Yoga) Address, a groundbreaking six-part series that uplifts and amplifies the voices and experiences of Black and Brown Yoga teachers. She is the Director and Program Curator of Shensara Yoga, Music & Art Festival. Shankari also established the Black Yogis of Virginia and Black Female Farmers groups on Facebook. In 2016, she released her debut Kirtan album titled Virgo Meets Libra, with The Ascendants. An avid race and environmental activist for over a decade, Shankari is an advocate for propelling the voices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) or the Global Majority forward to share their embodied practices and wisdom. She is educating her contemplative community on food sovereignty and food justice. Being one of a handful of Black farmers in the mid-Atlantic region uplifts her to share techniques that create a nourishing approach for beginning gardeners, homesteaders, and practitioners. With these tools, they can begin to understand the cycle of responsibility for our ecological wellness systems. Shankari lives on a regenerative farm, with her husband, Dan, and more than 70 animals, a medicinal herb garden, and edible landscapes.