F
riends, family and members of the local yoga community filled the Center for Spiritual Living, in Mobile, on June 2, to celebrate the life of Dana Goudie. A yoga teacher, animal advocate and well-respected educator in the early childhood community, Goudie died in a tragic accident, together with her companion, Scott Burchard, May 26, in Las Vegas. Goudie and Amanda Brenner founded Kula Yoga Community to offer “pay what you can” yoga classes in shared spaces throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties. Kula, the sanskrit word for community, was the inspiration for their unconventional yoga venture. By removing financial barriers, yoga becomes available to a wider demographic, and in doing so the founders hoped to grow and unite the existing yoga community. Fostering a sense of community was more than a vision of Goudie’s, it was a daily aspiration in her life. She did whatever it took to make someone feel welcome and comfortable. Brenner says, “From name tags, to the props 8
Mobile / Baldwin Edition
nner Ben Bre
Dana Goudie
y of Courtes
Remembering
we used, to the music and the hands-on adjustments in class; Dana’s focus was on the individual student. She believed in the power of community 100 percent, and she believed that a successful community was built on personal relationships. I am proud to say that she truly accomplished that.” Because she was well-respected as a teacher who was genuinely interested in fostering the Gulf Coast yoga community as a whole, Natural Awakenings approached Goudie last summer for feedback on the idea of organizing a large yoga event, in collaboration with all the local yoga teachers and studios. Despite the short timeline, her response was optimistic and without hesitation. “This is doable,” she said. "Let's talk next week, then approach all the studios.” Two months later, with help from a dozen of the area’s studios, the result was the area’s largest yoga practice. More than 150 people came together for an hour-long public yoga class in Cathedral Square as a part of the inaugural annual Mobile/Baldwin Yoga Week. Goudie said of the event, “There has been so much
www.HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com
support for this event. I am so proud to see the whole community working together.” On June 8, yogis came together to honor Goudie in a memorial yoga ceremony. Led collaboratively by the area’s meditation and yoga teachers, Goudie’s sense of community was reflected in the event, which included mantras, a practice of 52 sun salutations (one for every year of Dana’s life), guided meditation and a vegetarian potluck. Kula yoga teacher Wendy Rush says, “It was a beautiful evening and a testament to how many people Dana touched in her life. I think Dana would have been so proud of the Kula family she was instrumental in helping to create.” The week before the accident, Goudie and Brenner began paperwork for establishing the Kula Yoga Foundation. One mission of this newly forming nonprofit organization is to generate financial assistance for those that desire to pursue a higher yogic education. The Dana Goudie Memorial Scholarship Fund has been created as a result, and will serve individuals that demonstrate both financial need and a commitment to the community. “Kula Yoga Community was our shared vision, and I want Dana’s legacy to live on through it,” says Brenner, who will continue operating Kula Yoga Community and the Kula Yoga Foundation. Fairhope Yogi Bridget Tate reflects, “Dana was a wise and deeply soulful woman. Her wisdom, her love, her humor, her lightness and sweetness are an epic loss for this community. She was one of the most deeply devoted people I've ever met in her mission of promoting and strengthening the very new yoga community in this area." Although her physical presence will be missed immensely, Goudie’s contributions and spirit will continue to resonate throughout the Gulf Coast for years to come. For more information about the Dana Goudie Memorial Scholarship Fund, visit KulaYogaCommunity.org. Rosie Bluum, in Fairhope, will be hosting a meditation and celebration in honor of Goudie. Details will be available at Facebook.com/ KulaYogaCommunity.