In a small studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a University of New Mexico international education advisor is quietly transforming how immigrant and refugee communities access wellness. Fiore Bran-Aragón, who works with UNM’s Global Education Office by day, co-founded Kula Yoga ABQ to offer donation-based, multilingual, and trauma-informed yoga classes specifically designed for people who have traditionally been excluded from mainstream wellness spaces.
The initiative reflects a growing movement within the yoga world to address a persistent gap: while yoga’s roots lie in South Asian tradition, the modern Western yoga studio often feels inaccessible to the very communities that could benefit most from its therapeutic effects. Kula Yoga ABQ is working to change that, one class at a time.
What Kula Yoga ABQ Offers
Kula Yoga ABQ operates on a donation-based model, eliminating the financial barrier that keeps many people away from yoga studios where drop-in classes can cost $20 to $30 per session. Classes are offered in multiple languages, including Spanish and English, with instructors trained to create welcoming environments for people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
What sets the program apart is its trauma-informed approach. Many immigrants and refugees carry the psychological weight of displacement, family separation, and the stress of navigating a new country’s systems. Traditional yoga classes, with their emphasis on closing eyes, physical adjustments from teachers, and dimmed lighting, can inadvertently trigger anxiety or distress in people with trauma histories.
Trauma-informed yoga addresses this by giving participants maximum agency over their own experience. Teachers offer choices rather than commands, use invitational language like “you might consider” instead of “do this pose now,” avoid hands-on adjustments unless explicitly requested, and keep the room well-lit with clear sightlines to exits. These seemingly small modifications can make the difference between a class that feels healing and one that feels threatening.
Why Accessible Yoga Matters Now
The need for culturally responsive wellness programs has never been greater. Immigrant communities face disproportionately high rates of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, yet they are among the least likely populations to access mental health services due to language barriers, cultural stigma, cost, and lack of culturally competent providers.
Yoga offers a unique advantage in this context. It does not require fluency in any particular language, as the practice is fundamentally physical and experiential. It can be adapted to any fitness level, practiced in small spaces, and taught in community settings without expensive equipment. For people who may be hesitant to seek traditional therapy, a gentle, accessible yoga class can serve as a low-barrier entry point to broader wellbeing.
Research consistently supports this approach. Studies have shown that yoga reduces cortisol levels, improves heart rate variability, a marker of stress resilience, and can decrease symptoms of PTSD. A 2026 study published in JAMA Psychiatry even found that yoga accelerated recovery from opioid withdrawal, demonstrating the practice’s potential in some of the most challenging clinical settings.
The Meaning Behind “Kula”
The name “Kula” is a Sanskrit word meaning “community” or “clan,” and it speaks directly to the initiative’s philosophy. In traditional yoga philosophy, kula refers to a heart-centered community bound together by shared intention rather than shared background. For Bran-Aragón, the name reflects the belief that yoga’s deepest power emerges not in solitary practice but in collective experience.
This community-first approach extends beyond the mat. Kula Yoga ABQ also serves as an informal gathering space where participants can connect with others who share similar experiences of immigration and cultural adjustment. In a country where social isolation is a significant health risk factor, these connections carry their own therapeutic weight.
How Trauma-Informed Yoga Differs From Standard Classes
If you have only attended conventional yoga classes, you might be surprised by how different a trauma-informed session feels. Here are the key distinctions that make this approach effective for vulnerable populations.
Standard yoga classes typically use directive language and may include physical assists where the teacher adjusts your body position. Trauma-informed classes replace these with invitational cues, giving you full control over your movement and positioning. You will never be touched without explicit consent, and you are always free to modify, rest, or leave the room without explanation.
The physical sequences tend to emphasize grounding and body awareness over athletic achievement. Poses that build a sense of stability, like Mountain Pose, Warrior II, and seated forward folds, feature prominently. Calming breathwork sequences are integrated throughout rather than saved for the end, helping participants regulate their nervous systems in real time.Teachers also pay careful attention to the physical environment. Rooms are kept at a comfortable temperature with adequate lighting. Music, if used at all, is gentle and predictable. Participants are encouraged to keep their eyes open if closing them feels uncomfortable, and to position their mats wherever in the room feels safest to them.
A Model Worth Replicating
Kula Yoga ABQ represents a template that other communities could adapt. The donation-based, multilingual, trauma-informed model addresses the three biggest barriers to yoga access: cost, language, and cultural relevance. As the corporate wellness world invests billions in mindfulness programs for employees, initiatives like Kula remind us that the communities with the greatest need for stress relief are often the ones with the least access to it.
For yoga teachers interested in making their own classes more inclusive, the trauma-informed framework is an excellent starting point. Organizations like the Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga program at the Justice Resource Institute offer training and certification. Learning invitational language, understanding how to create physically and emotionally safe spaces, and recognizing the signs of trauma activation are skills that benefit every class you teach, not just those designed for vulnerable populations.
Key Takeaways
Kula Yoga ABQ offers donation-based, multilingual, trauma-informed yoga classes for immigrant and refugee communities in Albuquerque. The program was co-founded by UNM international education advisor Fiore Bran-Aragón to bridge the gap between yoga’s therapeutic potential and the communities that need it most. Trauma-informed yoga modifies standard teaching methods to prioritize participant safety, choice, and agency. The model addresses the three biggest barriers to yoga access: cost, language, and cultural relevance. Similar initiatives could be adapted by yoga teachers and studios in any community with underserved populations.
