Ubuntu: I am because you are
a clip from Kim Jameson’s film documentary working title “Empowerment Within”
Gabrielle Oglesby, MSW, RYT
Gabby Oglesby (she/her or they/them) is a Black, non-binary, queer and disabled survivor committed to our collective liberation. She comes from a long line of fierce and unapologetic Black women and walks this path in homage to them.
Gabby considers herself a breaker of generational cycles of violence and trauma. It was their own unmetabolized trauma that led them down a path of healing and self-recovery. It has been through deep introspective + inner child work, mindfulness + body-based practices, radical friendships and her time living in the Kingdom of eSwatini, Africa that Gabby was able to find their way back home to themselves.
She has spent the last decade working in the non-profit sector with various populations including people with substance use and co-occurring mental illness, folx living with HIV/AIDS, survivors of domestic violence + sexual assault, and individuals + communities experiencing incarceration. It’s been through her work and her owned lived experiences that she’s realized herself as a healer and community organizer.
After realizing the benefits of mindfulness and yoga, Gabby has made it a point to share these practices with her community. She believes that centering wellness is an act of resistance and is a way for us to all get free.
In her free time, she likes to travel, spend time in nature, engage her senses, laugh with loved ones, use plant medicine, read, make jewelry, create art, sing and dance. She’s been to multiple burning man events and co-founded the Ekasi theme camp. Gabby loves fashion and lives for putting together a lewk! Due to her various disabilities (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS + c-PTSD), Gabby places an emphasis on rest and restoration as a means to having a balanced and fulfilling life.
Gabby’s Experience
Leadership:
Co-Executive Director (Yoga Behind Bars - Seattle, WA) - 2023
Survivor Advocacy Services Manager (LifeWire - Seattle, WA) - 2022
Youth Development Volunteer (United States Peace Corps - eSwatini, Africa) - 2019
Embrace Director/BIPOC Affinity Group (United States Peace Corps - eSwatini, Africa) - 2019
Substance Use Clinician (Recovery Network of Programs - Stratford, CT) - 2017
Certifications:
Seattle Central College Life Coaching Certification - 2023
Ashe Yoga Restorative Yoga Teacher Training - 2023
HEAL Curriculum Facilitation Training (Collective Justice Project) - 2021
Heal2Action cohort (Collective Justice Project) - 2021
Collective Resilience (Trauma-informed Yoga Certification) – 2021
Certified Vibrational Sound Therapy Practitioner - 2021
Advocates and Accountability/Transformative Justice cohort (CEGBV) – 2020 and 2021
Violence Prevention Learning Cohort - 2020
Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher (200 hours) -2019
Yoga facilitation:
Taught adults and youth in various carceral settings in Washington State
Facilitated weekly trauma-informed yoga session for BIPOC at Mother Yoga Seattle
Contracted with Spoonfed Training (Renton, WA) to teach a 1-hour Hatha yoga class once a week
Coordinated and taught 6 donation-based community yoga classes for all levels
Participated in a panel discussion around health and wellness in the Black community hosted by the Museum of Pop Culture
Facilitated a dialogue about yoga to 3 health classes at Washington Adventist University
Partnered with a local Black-owned coffee shop to educate the community about wellness
Contracted with the Seattle Coalition for Ending Gender-based Violence for a 6-week yoga series
Taught a yoga class to deaf and hard of hearing advocates at Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services (ADWAS)
Trainings/Workshops:
All About Grief Gathering - 2023
Somatic-based Leadership Workshop (Rooted in Vibrant Communities/RVC, Seattle) -2023
Grounded Feedback (Yoga Behind Bars, Seattle) - 2022
White Dominant Culture Norms (LifeWire, Seattle) - 2021
What is Oppression? (LifeWire, Seattle) - 2020
Features:
Essence Magazine - 2023
Afrikaburn/ Ekasi camp organizer - 2022
Empowerment Within - 2022
