Change The World By Changing Ourselves with Oneika Mays

Oneika Mays has always been a seeker, even as a young child. She grew up in a stable family structure, went to good schools, and even landed in a fulfilling career she loved. But there was always something nagging at her, just below the surface: she wanted to trust herself, but couldn’t quite get there. Then, one day in yoga class, her instructor said “You can change or be comfortable, but not both.” As tears streamed down her face she realized she needed a change, and was ready to embrace the discomfort.  Fast forward to today and Oneika is still a seeker, learning and transforming as she teaches yoga and meditation to individuals and groups both inside prison and on the outside. She has an amazing story - please join us to hear Oneika’s perfectly imperfect journey. About Oneika Mays: Oneika Mays (LMT, E-RYT) transitioned to yoga and meditation from a 20 year career in corporate retail leadership over 10 years ago. Oneika used that experience to support social justice non-profits and teach meditation/yoga inside jails. Today, she is the first Mindfulness Coach at Rikers Island Correctional Facility. At Rikers she works one-on-one with community members in a therapeutic setting. Sessions are a combination of modalities and are infused with compassion. These sessions help people foster resilience and agency. She believes that our justice system needs to focus on transformation and restoration rather than punishment. This idea of liberation and compassion is woven into her work whether it’s in a jail, speaking to audiences or teaching meditation. In addition to teaching meditation and yoga Oneika facilitates workshops and trainings centered around resilience, liberation and compassion. She believes that meditation, movement and mindfulness practices can forge a path to freedom. Currently Oneika is working on a scripted project she created, Blur, a story about two atypical teenagers navigating their identity in the 1980s. Her co-writer is Steven Mclaine. Oneika is bringing meditation and yoga to Arizona as a featured presenter at the Sedona Yoga Festival. She is also the co-host of the soon to be released podcast, But You Don’t Sound Black with Rasheed J. Daniel. She can currently be seen on TBS’ Lost Resort. Instagram: https://Instagram.com/oneikamays Website: www.oneikamays.com Featured presenter at Embodied Philosophy’s conference, “Radical Teaching.” Oneika’s talk is “Disrupting with Love.” https://www.embodiedphilosophy.com/event/radical-teaching-roundup/ Board Member: One Love Prison Meditation Project: https://onelovepmp.org/ Projects in development: Creator/Writer - BLUR Production Company - TeamSheed Producer- Rasheed J. Daniel Consultant/Co-host - FREE SPIRIT Producer- Ben Dwork Creator- Becca Elrich Contributor Co-host Spiritual Citizenship Conference 2021- In Conversation with Cornel West Faculty- Interdependence Project - Meditation Teacher Training Featured NY1 Yoga Journal CNBC Aligned Magazine Tarka Journal