History of the Project
The purpose of the Black Girl Yoga events are to help Black women reconnect with the inherent wisdom of their bodies and breath—essential tools for healing trauma and navigating everyday stress. These gatherings are designed with intention: they are somatic, evidence-based, culturally responsive, and grounded in the belief that healing happens in community. This collective approach stands in contrast to the dominant, individualistic models of mental health care that too often ignore systemic harm, reinforce inequities, and burden individuals with the task of healing alone.
These spaces remind us that rest and play are not luxuries but imperatives—especially for Black women. They are essential to our health, our liberation, and our practice of building the world we envision and deserve, a world where our ways of being are aligned with our health, where we are no longer invisibilized, but deeply seen, honored, and free.
Get to know our team
Dr. Mishelle
Dr. Mishelle Rodriguez is a psychologist and founder of Collaborative ChangeMakers, a counseling and consulting practice in Washtenaw County, Michigan. She has more than 15 years of experience providing counseling in university counseling centers, community mental health settings, and private practice. Her work focuses on empowering people to break patterns and create change in themselves, their relationships, professional field,s and their communities. She specializes in Black mental health and wellness, trauma, and helping people excel in high-achievement settings. Dr. Rodriguez served two years as the president of the Metro Detroit chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists. She has been featured on national platforms, including the Wall Street Journal and Therapy for Black Girls Podcast. As a speaker, trainer/educator, and author (book chapter in Why Wakanda Matters) Dr. Rodriguez loves to integrate art and pop culture, and bring community together for discussions that cultivate healing and growth. IG @dr.mishelle
Domnique
Ann Arbor native and a trauma sensitive yoga teacher. She works 1- on-1 with clients with a combination of breathing and specialized movement, providing an avenue by which individuals can begin to feel connected in every aspect of themselves and understand their body’s sensations and rhythms.
IG @dominiquetheophilus
Nerissa
Nerissa Legg is a Licensed Counselor (LPC) and founder of Black Girls Crowned,a nonprofit organization geared towards ending the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black Community. Born and raised in Ypsilanti,MI, she credits her authentic and laid-back approach to therapy to her studies at Wilberforce University, an HBCU. Nerissa has a passion for supporting and empowering the Black communities. Nerissa currently facilitates individual,couples,family and group therapy in the Detroit/Metro Detroit area. She specializes in trauma, relationships,depression, and anxiety.