By Wyatt Sameulson
“For most people, yoga is a luxury, but it shouldn’t be,” said Erika Hawks, the attorney-turned-yogi and owner of the Key West Yoga Sanctuary, 612 Fleming St., Key West.
On June 20, the Key West Yoga Sanctuary held its Summer Solstice in the Garden event to raise money for Yoga Gives Back, a global organization that supports impoverished young girls and women in India, providing services ranging from scholarships and microloans for higher education to helping girls continue their primary education and sponsoring feminine product manufacturing. The event offered locals the chance to practice yoga, enjoy sound bath therapy with live music and sip on mocktails. (Sound baths use resonant music to create an immersive sound that fills the room and the body, aiming to help people relax.) A silent auction was also a part of the event, and though a $33 donation was encouraged, donations were entirely optional. The event raised over $3,000.
Hawks has run the Yoga Sanctuary in Key West since 2020, always keeping the “people first” mantra close to her heart. She has been practicing yoga for over 25 years, even during her time as an attorney, but later decided to quit law to teach yoga full time, following her true passion. During her tenure in Key West, Hawks has participated in many events that give back to the local community and impoverished areas of the world.
“Last summer, through our community classes and events through Yoga Gives Back, we sent 10 women to college in India. This keeps them out of arranged marriages and it literally changes the trajectory of their lives,” Hawks said. “To participants, it might just be $30, but to a woman in India, it’s incredible how far that can go.”
Throughout the week, the Yoga Sanctuary offers occasional free yoga classes to Key West residents and visitors through their community yoga program. Participants are encouraged to donate in these classes, with 100% of the funds raised given directly to Yoga Gives Back and other charitable causes throughout the year. Hawks describes her yoga practice with the Sanskrit word “Sevā,” meaning “service,” which is central to her and the mission of the Yoga Sanctuary. Every quarter, Hawks rotates among organizations and charities the Yoga Sanctuary sponsors. During the summer, proceeds from events like Summer Solstice in the Garden and the community yoga program are donated directly to Yoga Gives Back. The rest of the year, proceeds support local causes such as Reef Relief, Bravo Theater and Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition.
“For me, yoga has been this life-changing experience,” Hawks said. “I love sharing the practice with people because I benefited from it so much. I was raised in a household that valued service, and because I have the platform, I think it’s important to give back to the local community that supports me.”
More information is at keywestyogasanctuary.com.
