A sacred, community-rooted practice weaving trauma-informed yoga, breathwork, and ancestral wisdom. Culturally centered, all bodies welcome, rooted in Gainesville, FL.
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Educator. Mother. Healer. Makeda Meeks is the founder of Yoga Sankofa — a practice rooted in the belief that healing is not a destination but a sacred return.
Based in Gainesville, Florida, Makeda’s path draws from Vhavenda spiritual traditions and the Tshivenda language — weaving ancestral wisdom into every breath, every pose, every moment of stillness. Her teaching is not clinical. It is not transactional. It is an invitation to remember who you have always been.
She came to yoga the way many do — through exhaustion, through searching — and found in it something she hadn’t expected: not flexibility, but freedom. Not perfection, but presence. That discovery became a calling, and that calling became Yoga Sankofa.
Sankofa — from the Akan tradition — means to go back and fetch what was left behind. It is the practice of reclaiming. Of remembering. Of coming home.
Yoga Sankofa brings free, outdoor yoga to the heart of Gainesville every week. Culturally rooted, trauma-informed, and open to everyone — no experience needed, no mat required, no cost.
Led by Makeda Meeks. Drop-in welcome. Bring a mat, water, and sun protection. All bodies, all levels, all backgrounds. Come as you are.
These are not courses. They are not certifications. They are doorways — invitations to meet yourself exactly where you are.
Grounded in compassion, our practice meets you where you are. We never push past the body’s wisdom. Every pose, every breath is an invitation — never a demand. Because healing doesn’t happen under pressure. It happens in safety, in softness, in the patient unwinding of what the body has held.
Your nervous system holds the story your mind may not remember. Pranayama practices calm the body’s stress response, restore balance, and create space for clarity. This is the yoga most people never learn — and need most. The breath is always already here, waiting for you to return.
Rooted in ancestral knowing, somatic movement reconnects you with the intelligence your body already carries. We honor the traditions that understood: the body remembers, and the body can release. You don’t need to explain the story for the body to begin its healing.
Healing isn’t only physical. Through sacred ritual, journaling, and guided reflection, we create containers for the deeper work — naming what needs to be named, releasing what no longer serves, and honoring the journey back to wholeness. The work beneath the work.
Whether you’re at home, in the room, or on the ground — there’s a way in.
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A joyful summer experience for young people ages 6–10 — June 19–21. Movement, breathwork, and self-trust through play. Free yoga mat included.
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Free
Mon & Wed at 9 AM at Bo Diddley Plaza. Free, drop-in, all bodies welcome. Donations appreciated but never required.
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In-person and virtual yoga for individuals, groups, schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams. From $75. See full pricing.
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Teaching kids yoga is pure magic — one moment they're giggling and wiggling, and the next they're grounded, breathing deeply, and connecting with themselves in beautiful ways. Kidding Around Yoga camp gives children the freedom to shine.
Yoga Sankofa creates a space where healing, movement, and community come together. Every class leaves me feeling grounded, empowered, and deeply cared for.
Yoga Sankofa is more than a yoga class — it's a healing space. From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed, seen, and supported exactly as I am. Makeda creates an environment that blends movement, mindfulness, community, and genuine care in a way that feels accessible to everybody and every body.
Partnering with Yoga Sankofa has been a beautiful experience. Makeda brings authenticity, compassion, professionalism, and a truly trauma-informed approach to her teaching. Her ability to create inclusive community spaces while making yoga accessible to people from all walks of life aligns deeply with our values at Higher Ground Hot Yoga.
Get early access to courses, workshops, camp registration, and wellness resources — and be part of a community that believes healing is collective, not just personal.
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