In Good Relation: 108 Sun Salutations on National Indigenous Peoples’ Day

National Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Sunday June 21st) is a time to recognize and engage with the cultures, histories, and ongoing presence of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

For many people, the intention to acknowledge the day is there. The question is how to do that in a way that feels thoughtful, grounded, and real.

This gathering offers a way in.

The morning is built around a guided 108 sun salutation practice. In yoga, 108 is traditionally used to mark moments of transition and reflection. It creates a steady rhythm that allows you to stay present long enough to notice your thoughts, your body, and your attention as they shift.

Here, that practice is placed within a broader context.

The gathering opens with a welcome from a local Knowledge Keeper, grounding you in the land you are on and the space you are entering. You are given context, so you understand what you are part of and how to move within it respectfully.

From there, you move through the practice at your own pace. There is no expectation to complete all 108. The structure supports your attention, your learning, and your awareness of how you’re participating, both in relation to the land you’re on and the cultural roots of the practice itself. Teachings are shared in a way that feels natural and easy to follow, so you’re not left trying to figure out when to move or when to listen.

June 21 also marks the Summer Solstice and the International Day of Yoga. For many participants, this brings an added layer of awareness. Yoga comes from a lineage and culture that may not be your own. Holding that awareness while practicing can shift the experience from something familiar into something more intentional.

What tends to stay with people after this kind of experience is not just the movement, but the shift in how they relate to it. The land is no longer just where you practiced. The teachings are not separate from the experience. There is a greater sense of context, and a different level of attention you carry forward.

You are not expected to arrive with the right words or a clear understanding of Reconciliation. You are entering a space where you can listen, participate, and take part in something that is held with care.

For many people, Reconciliation feels distant or abstract. This special day offers a way to engage with it directly, in a way that is embodied and shared.

At the close of the practice, there is an optional cedar brushing opportunity. It is explained clearly, and you can choose your level of participation with full understanding. Participants will also be provided their own locally-harvested cedar bough to have at their mat during practice and to take home after the event.

The gathering is intentionally limited to 30 participants to keep the space personal and well held.

Suggested donation is $30, with contributions supporting local Indigenous initiatives, including Elder support and youth programs.

If you want to mark this day in a way that is active, guided, and grounded in shared experience, we invite you to join in.

The space has been graciously donated by Epic Yoga who is situated on these lands and has served the community of Maple Ridge since 2007. The goal at Epic is to provide down-to-earth, all-levels classes that support real people through movement, mindfulness, and connection. We hope to achieve this here today and always.

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We encourage our community to support the businesses and artists who chose to support this event: Marisa Plasterer, Sherri Lynn Gobeil, K'pure Naturals and more to come.
Your Hosts:
This gathering is being held by Alison Reaume through the support and guidance of Jaimee Stokes.

Jaimee Stokes is a yoga teacher of Cree (Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation, SK), Métis (Green Lake, SK), and fourth-generation settler ancestry. She is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 200) and has enjoyed leading yoga to a wide range of participants since 2004. Jaimee works as an Indigenous Liaison for a local school district and volunteers with I-SPARC on their Regional Action Team for the Fraser region as well as with BCRPA on their Fitness Advisory Committee. This event brings together everything that Jaimee holds close to her heart.

Her guidance helps ensure that this gathering is held with cultural awareness, respect, and a clear connection to both place and community.

Alison Reaume is a registered yoga teacher with over 17 years of teaching experience leading public classes and training teachers as well as a lululemon Ambassador. She holds space for practice in a way that is steady, accessible, and attentive to the people in the room. Her teaching supports participants in staying present in their bodies and moving with intention, rather than performance, creating an experience that feels both grounded and sustainable for a wide range of practitioners.

In her own ongoing effort toward Reconciliation, Alison recognizes that it feels incomplete to acknowledge the International Day of Yoga without also honoring the Indigenous lands and communities in which the practice is taking place. This gathering has been created as a way to bring that awareness into practice, with greater care, context, and respect.

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Host or Publisher Alison Reaume