Today we’d like to introduce you to My Comunidad Foundation Yoga And Wellness Non-Profit.
My Comunidad Foundation, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My Comunidad was born from a longing of not just physical healing, but for belonging. Clarissa Cota, the founder of My Comunidad Foundation, first came to yoga seeking relief from a back injury. What she discovered was something far more expansive…a tool for mental health, emotional processing, and ancestral restoration. As her practice deepened, so did her awareness. Yoga studios were often expensive, located in already privileged neighborhoods, and lacked representation across race, age, ability, and background. At the same time, a more personal truth began to surface: the experience of feeling unseen was rooted not just in the wellness industry, but in her own story of cultural dilution and assimilation.
The daughter of an immigrant father from Sonora, Mexico, and a mother with Indigenous roots shaped by colonization, Clarissa was raised between worlds. Like many second, third, and fourth-generation People of Color, she never felt fully “enough” in either identity. The name My Comunidad became a reclamation: a healing blend of Spanglish roots, ancestral echoes, and the layered identities that make up the BIPOC experience. As My Comunidad grew from small pop ups to shared spaces, it found many homes to adapt to meeting the needs of its community. In 2023, Clarissa met Amanda, a wellness advocate and seasoned teacher, who began teaching and supporting the board on the operations side. With a strong background in administrative and community programming, as well as a shared story of being whitewashed by the American dream, Amanda quickly became a vital partner in the evolution of My Comunidad. Together, they found common ground in their lived experience of healing from assimilation and reclaiming identity through community care. Their collaboration deepened, and officially became business partners, merging heart, vision, and skill to expand the reach of My Comunidad’s work. Today, My Comunidad Foundation stands as both a wellness space and a love letter to those raised in the hyphen between languages, cultures, and histories. Here, community isn’t defined by borders or binaries, it’s nurtured by connection, visibility, and care. At My Comunidad, everyone belongs, exactly as they are.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been an easy journey. pop ups and shared spaces have been such a gift, as they’ve allowed us to reach new communities and stay adaptable. However, when the space isn’t truly yours, you’re also at the mercy of shifting circumstances: landlords changing their minds, rising rental rates, and simply put: the unpredictability that comes with temporary arrangements. Each move has come with its own set of challenges, and it’s been difficult to fully plant roots because we didn’t have a place to call our own. The lack of a consistent home has, at times, worked against our ability to build the continuity and stability that community work really thrives on. Still, those experiences have taught us resilience, and how to create belonging wherever we land. We’ve learned how to keep our mission alive even without a permanent address, and truly appreciate the community that has stuck with us through every location.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
As the only yoga studio located in Southgate, CA, My Comunidad’s strategy centers on making yoga and movement practices culturally relevant, trauma informed, and financially accessible for individuals who have historically been excluded, specifically BIPOC, LGBTQ+, youth, elders, disabled individuals, and those living with injuries.
To achieve this, we offer sliding scale and no cost classes in both English and Spanish, by trauma informed teachers. Our programming is led by instructors who reflect the communities we serve, creating environments rooted in cultural pride, and representation. Every class integrates physical mobility with mental health tools, mindfulness, breath work, and communal care practices that foster healing from individual and collective care. Ultimately, our strategy is to shift the narrative of who wellness is for and how it’s accessed. We envision a future where movement, mindfulness, and healing are not a privilege for the few, but an embodied right for all.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Our mission statement would best answer this question as it embodies what we care about and why. At My Comunidad Foundation, we are committed to creating an authentic, safe, and inclusive space where all identities and abilities are seen, valued, and empowered. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we work to expand equitable access to yoga rooted in its South Asian origins as a holistic tool for mental health, mindfulness, and community healing. We believe wellness and collective care belongs to everyone.
Pricing:
- 10.00-20.00 sliding scaler per class
- 60-80.00 pay what you can membership
- 100.00 supporter membership
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mycomunidad.org
- Instagram: @mycomunidad
Image Credits
Juli Perez, Oswaldo Beatriz
