Press & Media
Wellness belongs everywhere, and so does this story. This page is for journalists, podcasters and event hosts covering Ebony Smith, "The Ghetto Guru," and YNDH / Yoga N Da Hood Wellness.
About Ebony Smith
Ebony Smith, known as "The Ghetto Guru," is the founder of YNDH / Yoga N Da Hood Wellness, which she started in Oak Cliff, Dallas, in 2014. She is an E-RYT 500 and a Yoga Alliance continuing education provider. She leads live online trainings for yoga teachers and, as a TEA-approved CPE provider, for Texas educators.
Credentials
- E-RYT 500: Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (Yoga Alliance)
- YACEP®: Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider
- Texas Education Agency-approved CPE provider, No. 910108
Also listed on yogandahood.org:
- RYS® 200: YNDH Wellness as a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School.
- In 2019, Ebony Smith delivered the keynote at Pure Actions, the second annual yoga research conference at Harvard (an ongoing conference).
Two ways we train
YNDH runs two separate training tracks, each for its own audience. They are listed separately here, and they carry different kinds of credit.
Track 1: Yoga teacher trainings & continuing education
For yoga teachers, studios and communities
Live online trainings led by an E-RYT 500 and YACEP®. They cover trauma-informed cueing and sequencing, Yin yoga, Yoga Nidra and guided rest, restorative yoga, and accessible chair yoga. Participants receive a certificate of completion, plus Yoga Alliance continuing education documentation when eligible. YNDH Wellness also offers an RYS® 200 pathway. Dates and enrollment information are not available at this time.
Current schedule: https://yogandahood.org/trainings
Track 2: Texas educator CPE
For educators, schools and districts
Live online professional learning for Texas educators from a Texas Education Agency-approved CPE provider (No. 910108). Topics include nervous system regulation for educators, trauma-informed classrooms, embodied teacher wellness, co-regulation for children, burnout, restorative practices, grief-sensitive schools and inclusive classrooms. CPE hours and certificates are awarded only when attendance and course-completion requirements are met.
Current schedule: https://yogandahood.org/continuing-education
Note: CPE provider status means YNDH is approved to offer CPE. It does not mean TEA endorses any specific course. Educators should check how hours apply to their own certificate renewal or district requirements.
The one training in both tracks: 50-Hour Trauma-Informed Children's Yoga Teacher Training
This is the only YNDH training that crosses over between the two tracks, and the only one that carries both kinds of credit.
- Texas educators can take it for 50 hours of Texas CPE from TEA-approved CPE provider No. 910108. CPE hours are awarded only when attendance and course-completion requirements are met.
- Yoga teachers who want to teach trauma-informed children's yoga in communities can take it for Yoga Alliance continuing education credits.
Story angles
- Caring for the people who care for kids. Educator wellness, and why teachers need practices for their own nervous systems, not just more strategies for their students.
- Wellness for people who don't usually see themselves in it. How YNDH brings yoga, mindfulness and rest to people and places that traditional wellness spaces have often left out, and why culture is part of the practice.
- Training the people who hold space. What trauma-informed facilitation looks like in practice: invitational language, choice, and the person as the expert on their own body.
- From a park in Oak Cliff to a Pegasus Prize. How a community-rooted idea from 2014 grew into school programs and professional training, and won The Dallas Foundation's 2019 Pegasus Prize.
Selected press & appearances
- Wanderlust: "How the Ghetto Guru is Changing the Face of Yoga" (https://wanderlust.com/journal/how-the-ghetto-guru-is-changing-the-face-of-yoga/) and Ebony's Wanderlust artist page (https://wanderlust.com/artist/ebony-smith/?gf_page_41=1).
- WFAA (ABC 8 Dallas): "Better self-care: Yoga in Da Hood," February 10, 2022. Watch: https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/health/better-self-care-yoga-in-da-hood/287-c6d12b71-4027-40d2-97d1-487526197bcf
- WFAA (ABC 8 Dallas): "Cultured: 'Yoga N Da Hood' founder Ebony Smith talks Diversity & Inclusion in wellness industry," April 22, 2021. Watch: https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/local/cultured-yoga-n-da-hood-founder-ebony-smith-talks-diversity-inclusion-in-wellness-industry/287-628182f1-1b31-4e63-8abb-03bf3e224f33
- Studio Grow podcast: Episode 439, "Ebony Smith and Making Yoga Accessible (Part 2)," September 2020. Listen: https://studiogrow.co/episode439/
- BET Networks (YouTube): "The Healing Power Of Yoga Described By Ebony Smith, Founder of Yoga N Da Hood, and LeJoseph Johnson," June 8, 2020. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr5uwyjLDMM
- ELOQUII (YouTube): "Spotlight Series: Ebony Smith," February 15, 2020. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl3_oDqJBgo
- The Aliah Henry Show: EP 006, "Let's Talk Wellness," November 7, 2019. Listen: https://thealiahhenryshow.podbean.com/e/aliah-henry-show-ep-006-lets-talk-wellness/
- D Magazine: "Ebony Smith Is Bringing Affordable Yoga to All," August 2019. Read: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2019/august/ebony-smith-is-bringing-affordable-yoga-to-all/
- Yoga Journal: first-person essay by Ebony Smith, June 21, 2019. Read: https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/trauma-and-sexual-assault/
- Advocate Oak Cliff: "'Black people don't do yoga': How to heal a neighborhood," May 2019. Read: https://oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2019/05/black-people-dont-do-yoga-how-to-heal-a-neighborhood/
- WFAA (ABC 8 Dallas): "#UpWithHer: Yoga N Da Hood," April 9, 2019. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRyOJ2hysWk
- NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth: "$50,000 Grant Will Help Yoga N Da Hood Expand to More Dallas Elementary Schools," April 3, 2019. Read: https://www.nbcdfw.com/local/dfw-morningnews-50000-grant-will-help-yoga-n-da-hood-expand-to-more-dallas-elementary-schools/250905/
- The Dallas Foundation: "Yoga N Da Hood Receives $50,000 Pegasus Prize," March 28, 2019. Read: https://www.dallasfoundation.org/in-the-media/yoga-n-da-hood-receives-50000-pegasus-prize/
- Visionary Lifestyle Podcast: "VLP S8 3 Ebony Smith the Ghetto Guru," March 12, 2019. Listen: https://visionarylifestylepodcast.libsyn.com/vlp-s8-3-ebony-smith-the-ghetto-guru
- SXSW 2019: speaker. Listing: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2019/speakers/1934917
- TEDxOakCliffED: speaker, August 4, 2018, Dallas. Event: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/27567
- Voyage Dallas: "Meet Ebony 'The Ghetto Guru' Smith of Yoga N Da Hood," May 23, 2018. Read: https://voyagedallas.com/interview/meet-ebony-ghetto-guru-smith-yoga-n-da-hood/
- Telemundo Dallas: "Llega novedoso programa de yoga al norte de Texas," February 7, 2018 (Spanish). Watch: https://www.telemundodallas.com/video/videos/llega-novedoso-programa-de-yoga-al-norte-de-texas_tlmd-dallas/36327/
Worked with, presented at, or featured by
Yoga N Da Hood has worked with, presented at, or been featured by these organizations:
- BET: featured Ebony Smith (see BET Networks under Selected press & appearances).
- The Obama Foundation: Ebony Smith taught and spoke at the Obama Foundation's 2018 youth conference in Dallas, Texas.
- adidas: Yoga N Da Hood and adidas hosted Let Us Play in 2018, an employee-wide community event. adidas employees came to South Dallas, gave away tennis shoes and partnered with Yoga N Da Hood on a community event for over a thousand children.
- Walmart: Yoga N Da Hood hosted an employee and customer appreciation yoga event inside a Walmart store. Video on Yoga N Da Hood's YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxCszY2zr4), July 25, 2019.
- ELOQUII: featured Ebony Smith in its "Spotlight Series: Ebony Smith" video (see Selected press & appearances).
- Girls Inc.: Yoga N Da Hood provided after-school programs and yoga and wellness programs with Girls Incorporated. Video on Yoga N Da Hood's YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhXv3uNiFm4), January 16, 2018. Girls Inc. and Yoga N Da Hood were also featured together by Telemundo Dallas on February 7, 2018.
- Vibe Village: the organization founded by Ebony's husband, Xavier, and a partner on all of Yoga N Da Hood's work. Xavier also provides sound healing for YNDH's classes in Bali.
- Girl Scouts: Yoga N Da Hood led staff trainings for Girl Scouts in 2017.
- YMCA: Yoga N Da Hood led trauma-informed training for YMCA staff.
- YWCA: Yoga N Da Hood led trauma-informed training for YWCA staff.
- United Way: Yoga N Da Hood was part of the 2019 United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Social Innovation Accelerator (https://unitedwaydallas.org/programs/social-innovation-accelerator/).
Yoga Journal, Wanderlust, The Dallas Foundation, Harvard University and Yoga Alliance appear elsewhere in these materials.
Media assets
- YNDH / Yoga N Da Hood Wellness logos:
- Horizontal wordmark "YOGA N DA HOOD", red with black outline, PNG (299×183). Download:
- Stacked wordmark "YOGA N DA HOOD", red with black outline, JPG (318×318). Download:
- Photos of Ebony Smith:
- Lead image. Studio portrait, full length, pale blue backdrop (720×1080). Download:
- Lead image. Seated meditation, side profile with headphones (1365×2048). Download:
- Seated meditation, face lifted and smiling (1365×2048). Download:
- Seated meditation, wide shot in red tee (2048×1365). Download:
- Reclined on red bolsters (2048×1365). Download:
- Headstand outdoors by an ivy wall, with her husband Xavier, founder of Vibe Village, on hand drums (3500×2800). Download:
- Seated meditation, front facing, black YNDH tee on a maroon mat, greenery behind (225×225). Download:
- Laughing in round sunglasses, multicolor YOGA N DA HOOD tee with ankh necklace (190×266). Download:
- Seated twist on a mat in front of an ivy wall, multicolor YOGA N DA HOOD tee (235×213). Download:
A separate project: Yoga di Desa (Indonesia)
Yoga di Desa is a separate project from YNDH / Yoga N Da Hood Wellness. It is presented here on its own and isn't part of YNDH's trainings, CPE or programs.
In Ebony's words:
"Yoga di Desa is a project in Indonesia. Bali is one of the major wellness hubs in the world, yet it also leads in the highest suicide rates amongst Indonesians. It is a sad state of affairs that people can come from all around the world and participate in so many healing modalities, yet the people who are here and indigenous to this land don't have access to yoga and wellness. They don't have access to it within their communities, through their language, or through their culture. Yoga di Desa is hoping to help rectify that, bringing wellness to local individuals and creating a space where they can fairly participate in what's going on around them. The project will train a hundred Indonesian citizens in 200-hour yoga teacher training."
About the statistic: Bali has the highest recorded suicide rate of any Indonesian province, according to 2023 Indonesian National Police data. That year's rate was 3.07 per 100,000 people, from 135 reported cases, about double second-place Yogyakarta at 1.58 (Detik Bali (https://www.detik.com/bali/berita/d-7415945/tingkat-bunuh-diri-di-bali-tertinggi-se-indonesia-ini-penyebabnya), June 2024; CNBC Indonesia (https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/lifestyle/20240703082257-33-551312/bali-catatkan-tingkat-bunuh-diri-tertinggi-di-indonesia-ada-apa), July 3, 2024). A 2024 peer-reviewed study in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia also ranked Bali highest, at 1.821 per 100,000, using police data from 2017 to 2021 (Lancet study (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2024.100368)). These are police-recorded rates, and suicides in Indonesia are heavily underreported. Bali ranks highest by rate, not by total number of cases.
Website: https://yogadidesa.org
YNDH / Yoga N Da Hood Wellness · Accessible. Unapologetic. Rooted in love.
#YNDH #YNDHWellness