Tucson Community Week 2026
Let’s jump timelines together! Three years ago, we gathered beneath the August Blue Moon to imagine what was possible. Since then, so much has happened.
Some dreams came true, others evolved. New opportunities appeared while unexpected challenges asked more of us than we imagined. Through it all, we've collected something more valuable than perfect outcomes. We've collected experience!
Whether you're returning from our original Blue Moon gathering or joining us for the very first time, this experience meets you exactly where you are. No previous workbook or experience is needed, only a willingness to get curious about your own life.
You'll leave with your very own Field Notes workbook, a handwritten letter to your future self, a personalized affirmation card, and the opportunity to choose a take-home practice that reflects what you're ready to nurture next: your wellbeing, a creative practice, or something living.
August 8 | 7:00–8:30 PM
Made in Tucson Market - 309 E 7the St
$26.88 per person
Jijivisha Promise: If you fully engage the modalities and workbook, you will begin to understand the last three years more clearly. You will see evidence of changes that have taken place. You’ll know which patterns have been shaping your choices, and how to redirect if necessary. You will decide what deserves your attention next, and how to consistently track it.
This event is part of Community Week Tucson (August 10–15, 2026), a citywide celebration of social connection. Explore all Community Week events and find your people at www.communityweek.co/tucson.
Join Paradigm at La Suprema onn Thursday Aug 13th for an interactive workshop exploring the foundational elements of hip-hop, the history behind the culture, and the ways local artists continue to carry it forward.
The first five participants that arrive will receive an Elements in Focus activity board . Completion will earn them a complimentary professional headshot with Cordero of Cordless Studios.
Limited paid headshot appointments available for $25 from 6:45pm - 8pm. They are first come first serve, so get there early!!
Come camera ready. There will be no outfit changes.
After the workshop, stay for food from a local vendor, music, conversation, and a chance to connect with Tucson’s creative community, even if you are not getting photographed.
Thursday, August 13
Workshop: 6 pm
Headshots + Social: 6:45 (last headshot appt 7:45pm)
La Suprema - 319 W Simpson St
Hip-hop education, creative visibility, good food, and community in one evening.
This event is part of Community Week Tucson (August 10–15, 2026), a citywide celebration of social connection. Explore all Community Week events and find your people at www.communityweek.co/tucson.
Tucson has talent, you already know this! But who’s next??
Wolfverine is bringing Hidden Gems to Willy’s Philly’s for a full night of live hip-hop featuring Tr3y, Cordero, $JB, Meek da Goat, Nahlej, Jay Reese, and himself.
Pull up, support local artists, find your next favorite performer, and be part of a night built around the people creating culture right here in our city.
Friday, August 14th
8 pm
Willy’s Philly’s - 4652 E Speedway Blvd
This event is part of Community Week Tucson (August 10–15, 2026), a citywide celebration of social connection. Explore all Community Week events and find your people at www.communityweek.co/tucson.
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
—Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
8/8 Lion’s Gate Activation
A Lion’s Gate yoga activation beneath a transformative sky. Every year on 8/8/25, the Lion’s Gate Portal peaks, a cosmic moment when the Sun in Leo aligns with the star Sirius, opening a window of clarity, courage, and new timelines.
This year, it lands inside Mercury Retrograde and right after the halfway point of the year. That makes this portal less about pushing forward, and more about choosing your next self with care, stillness, and truth.
We’ll move slowly.
We’ll breathe with intention.
We’ll create art from emotions.
We’ll write, release, and align.
Yoga | Breathwork | Art | Journaling | Visualization
Made in Tucson Market Space: 309 E 7th St
Saturday, August 8
6:00–8:00 PM
$22 w/ discount code LION
Bring your mat & an open heart - I'll provide the journal & pen, bolsters, blocks, and guidance.
Come as you are. Leave with clarity. See you there
August 8th
PAST EVENTS
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PAST EVENTS **
Made In Tucson Market
309 E 7th St
Purpose-Filled Pause
Purpose-Filled Pause: An Empowerment Summit is a community-centered experience designed to uplift and support Black women aged 30+. Through a day of insightful workshops and interactive sessions, we offer practical tools and deep insights to help you navigate life’s transitions, manage burnout, and redefine your path to success. This summit is a nurturing space where every participant is valued, inspired, and empowered to create their own path forward.
December 7
VIRTUAL
Light The Mic returns for Fall 2024
ALL forms of art are welcome: musical & visual art, dance, poetry and spoken word, come play your instrument, comedians, you name it! We’ve even had a collective psychic channeling!
Arizona, we are looking for the best local talent to Light The Mic!! Mo Laflo is hosting the show!
Catalyst Creative Collective is inside Tucson Mall. Enter through the mall doors between Sears & JCP!
Second Sundays
Yin Yoga sessions
60 min yoga class set to R&B music $25
Sign up in advance to help curate the playlist!
Jijivisha Holistic’s Art & Yoga retreat
Healing Through Blues
We had an absolute blast!! Thank you ladies for trusting me. I am looking forward to what we can dream up!
We finished the Labyrinth trail.
Grounding together.
Communal Art Session
Dr. B praising Candy on her artwork
Centering into the yoga space
They were all sleep by now lol
Hot Tub Talk Sessions
After sharing a meal
Healing Through Blues is a multidisciplinary course that will explore the body as a living altar and culminate in an installation based group painting. In my cultural tradition, blue represents protection, a long memory, and the medicine of the voice. With four generations from Detroit, the medicine of music runs through my veins. Through meditation, music, abstract art, and movement, you will learn to process your emotions using the principles of the mind-body connection.
We will commune right outside the Saguaro National Park in the lush, inspiring landscaping of JTH Tucson!! 40 acres of desert land for hiking, Hotsprings hot tub and canyon swimming pool are just a few of the amenities you get to enjoy. So don't forget your swimsuit and hiking boots ;-)
Complete the interest form now!
Let Me In: Conversations with Your Self
Saturday Feb 4th 10am PST | 11am MST | 12pm CST | 1pm EST
Through meditation, music, abstract art, and movement, students will learn to process their emotions using the principles of the mind-body connection. In doing so, students are empowered to tap into their inner wisdom in order to flow from a place of peace and ease.
REGISTRATION IS closed!!
Session 1
Saturday Feb 4
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
1 hour 30 minutes
Session 2
Sunday Feb 5
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
1 hour 30 minutes
Want to support me but can’t attend the workshop? Donate here!
Every bit helps!
BlaxFriday hosted the First Black Owned Business Fest on Small Business Saturday
November 26, 2022 @ MSA Annex
This was my first tabling event. I learned so much. It was such an amazing experience!
BIPOC Yoga
I’ve partnered with SAGA to bring you 5 free yoga classes!
The following Saturdays: October 29
November 5, 12, 19
December 3
@ 9am pst, 10am mst, 11am cst, 12pm est
Art & Yoga Retreat Coming Soon
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Art & Yoga Retreat Coming Soon 〰️
In June 2022, I was awarded the stART Project Creosote grant from The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona!
I did a thing....even though it was hard, even though it was last minute, even though I had no idea what I was doing, even though I struggle with calling myself an artist -
I decided to apply for an art grant. And I fuckin got it!!! Like, who tf do I think I am?? 😂😂 I'm grateful for this opportunity and can't wait to bring this retreat into fruition! It feels good to be rewarded for a thing I never thought I would do, let alone host an event for others. Be on the lookout for my art and yoga retreat!
I had the honor of being the photographer for Southern Arizona Gender Alliance’s Trans Day of Visibility Festival on May 22, 2022
Check out a preview below!
Head over to SAGA’s IG to check out the rest of the pics!
DREAMSchool’s KindeziCare
I had the honor of being a Teaching Artist for the after school program
March - June 2022
I was a teaching artist at DREAMSchool's KindezCare after school program! It was by far one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life!
A collage of photos from an outdoor event called KIINDEZICARE, showing children in green shirts participating in craft activities and socializing, with a focus on creating and decorating a green t-shirt with the word 'KIINDEZICARE' written on it.
Collage of outdoor photos showing people doing yoga and meditation in a park under a clear sky, with trees and a full moon visible, and the word "KINDZICARE" in bold colorful letters at the bottom, indicating a wellness or community event.
We made KindeziCare t shirts
Group of people at an outdoor table engaged in a craft activity with a green T-shirt, scissors, paint, and letter stamps.
A young woman with curly hair and glasses smiling outdoors on a sunny day, sitting on a yoga mat in a park, wearing a denim jacket and jeans.
Person standing on a yoga mat in an open field with trees, sunlight, and blue sky, wearing overalls with shoes and a water bottle nearby, and objects like a backpack, phone, and papers on the ground.
We tried food fresh from the Olguin Family Farm during one of Adia's teaching weeks
Five people sitting on colorful benches outside, holding yoga mats and smiling, with a young girl and four women in casual clothing during daytime.
A woman wearing glasses and a pink hoodie takes a selfie in a farm or garden area with several women in the background standing near rows of plants, under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Woman in black tank top and yellow shorts standing in a vegetable garden under a sunny sky with fluffy clouds.
Two women gardening in a field with blue sky and clouds overhead, one is wearing a denim vest and a camouflage hat, while the other is tending to plants in the soil.
Three women gardening in a vegetable garden with rows of lettuce, marigolds, and other plants, under a blue sky with some clouds, in a rural area with trees and a greenhouse in the background.
We helped Adia plant some seeds in the greenhouse
Group of six smiling diverse people outdoors on a sunny day, posing for a selfie with a dirt field and some plants in the background.
Adia showed us how to use garden tools to get the seed into the ground
A person holding a sunflower seed head in front of a pink tray filled with sunflower seeds, outside in a backyard with plants and a house in the background.
Person planting seedlings in a garden bed with shredded paper mulch.
Person practicing yoga outdoors on a sunny day, balancing on one leg with arms extended, standing on a green exercise mat.
Taught yoga along with the mind body connection this week
A young man practicing yoga outdoors on a bright, sunny day in a park with palm trees, wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a galaxy-patterned jacket, balancing on one leg with the other leg extended back and arms outstretched in front, on an orange yoga mat.
A woman practicing yoga outdoors on a black mat in a park, performing a Warrior III pose with trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
Person lying on a black exercise mat outdoors in a park, wearing sunglasses, a black t-shirt with 'NAP QUEEN' printed on it, and a yellow towel covering their legs, with a water bottle, a notepad, and a black bag nearby. Trees and open space are visible in the background under a clear sky.
Reading a meditation while everyone else naps
A woman with braided hair painting an abstract colorful artwork on a canvas outdoors during daytime.
Person smiling and showing off a colorful abstract painting on a canvas, holding it with both hands in an art studio.
Abstract art!
A young girl holding up an abstract painting with a black background, yellow, blue, and green paint splatters and drips, and a white feather attached to the top left corner.
Two women planting seedlings in trays inside a greenhouse, with gardening tools and plant labels on the table.
In this nearly 90 min discussion, we explored the following:
What does slavery have to do with reproductive justice?
Global and Indigenous Birthing Practices
The Grand Midwife Birthing in Arizona
Why the Rooted Doula Collective is important.
Slavery, Reproductive Justice, Birth Work: Know Your Roots
In October 2021, Rooted Doula teamed up with Arizona Birthworkers of Color to present a free, virtual workshop as part of a series hosted by the Arizona Reproductive Justice Coalition, which was funded by the National Institute for Reproductive Health.If you missed the powerhouse that is DeShawn Taylor, you need to check it out neeooww!!Here is the link to the doc of definitions and resources that were shared during the live presentation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lx4vKe12F_PPv59V5WVWzGafif1cVtRTi837ZP2rqoA/edit
I held a 4-week intensive for trauma-informed yoga Aug 2- Aug 23, 2021
We worked to unpack and process the last 18 months of emotions through intentional movement and introspection. That will always look different for each client so never worry what other people in class are doing. We utilized yoga, journaling, meditation, as well as my knowledge as a doula to create a container of safety where we could just BE. At the end of class, participants said they felt feel refreshed and centered, ready to take on the rest of their week.
WeRise Graduation was July 31, 2021!!
Thank you Local First Arizona! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have participated in this program! I learned so much. Unfortunately I couldn’t attend in-person graduation due to COVID but they mailed my certificate. The pictures from the ceremony looked nice. Congrats to all my cohort peers! I am proud of myself too! It was a grueling 6 months of learning brand new things while being rundown by grief. I didn’t give up. I’m not where I want to be, but I’m not where I was. Progress is a slow process sometimes. I’ll count my blessings in the meantime.
On The Importance of Doulas
My girl Jay Ross of Delta Sigma Theta Inc invited me to participate in the Macomb Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc May Week's Women's Health Forum 2021. Click PLAY to see the presentation I did on the importance of doulas!
Jijivisha x NAMI Dekalb
I partnered with NAMI Dekalb to offer a trauma-sensitive yoga series. David interviewed me about mental health and how yoga can complement other modules of healing. Watch below.
