In the heart of Oakland, a quiet revolution in wellness is taking place. Banana Yoga, a BIPOC centred yoga studio founded by the visionary Latinx teacher MARLO MILLER, is redefining what it means to hold space. Far beyond the traditional studio setup, Banana Yoga is a sanctuary—a deeply intentional space prioritising healing, empowerment, and radical inclusivity for marginalised communities, especially those identifying as LGBTQ2IA+ and BIPOC. With soulful offerings ranging from live-music vinyasa flows to Full Moon Femme Circles and Tension Trauma Release Exercises (TRE), Banana Yoga approaches wellness as both a personal journey and a collective act of liberation. Its affordable classes and diverse programming make well-being not just accessible but affirming for all who enter. In this exclusive interview, YOGA Magazine speaks to Marlo, the owner, about the origins of Banana Yoga, the philosophy behind the studio, and how community rooted practices are reshaping the future of yoga.
Q. Banana Yoga centres the LGBTQ2IA+ and BIPOC communities — why is this focus important to you, and how does it shape the studio’s mission?
This is hella cheesy but it’s true, it is my dharma to make these practices accessible and take care of my people. When you create things with the most marginalised communities in mind, everyone benefits.
Q. What role does community – building play in your work, and how does Banana Yoga foster connection beyond the mat?
For our studio community buildings based on the two mantras 1) Community Requires Consistency 2) Community is an Act of Service. We host events every week that are low cost and free in order to create space off the mat for gatherings, and try things again if we are building something.
Naturally though there is a friendly energy. I think it’s a lot to do with our teachers. They are kind, welcoming, and attentive. The community is also super sweet! There’s often chatter of neighbours catching up before and after class.
Q. How do your offerings — such as the Full Moon Femme Circle and Trauma Release Exercises — support emotional and physical healing within marginalised communities?
Coming together in sangha (spiritual community) is essential to healing deep wounds held in our communities. Thich Nhat Han always said that when the weight of your pain is too heavy to manage alone, as it often is, coming together is necessary for healing.
Q. For people who may feel excluded or hesitant to enter yoga spaces, what would you like them to know about Banana Yoga?
You don’t need to be a “culture fit” because you are a “culture add.” All bodies are welcome at Banana Yoga, the mighty, the meek, the bones that creek. We encourage you to have your practice the way your body needs, even if it looks different than the yogi next to you. We don’t have mirrors and we won’t force you to do anything.
Q. What’s next for Banana Yoga, and how can people get involved or support your mission?
We are super grateful to be moving into a larger space up the street here in Oakland! It’s great to be growing as a small business in this day and age. Come on by if you’re in Oakland California, 5827 San Pablo Ave. Also support our mission by starting your own accessible wellness space. I want us to be a catalyst for more! I want them to say not everyone has heard of Banana Yoga, but everyone who has started their own community wellness venture.
Q. Can you tell us the story behind the creation of Banana Yoga and what inspired you to start this journey?
Like most things I’ve done, I fell into the opportunity of opening a studio bass-awkward. I was one of the many people in 2023 who was laid off. I was working at a large non-profit organisation at the time doing HR and I decided then to lean into my side-hustle of teaching yoga and make it my main focus. Of course I live in the Bay Area so I also worked at the Farmers Market to make ends meet.
A studio I was teaching at for a few months needed someone to take over management and sublet the space because of a family emergency. That’s when I threw my hands up and said let’s give it a go and see if we can make something that aligned with my ethos. After the pandemic hit, I saw a lot of the more affordable and accessible yoga places close down. I might not be doing yoga if it weren’t for Dharma Shakti’s free yoga on the bluff in my hometown of Long Beach, California back in 2013. Making yoga accessible has been our mission since day one with sliding scale pricing for classes and a diverse set of teachers. Honestly it’s been a ton of fun! I’ve never felt alone in this, our community has always been willing to offer support.
I chose the name Banana Yoga because Banana Trees are resilient and create communities. As a Banana Tree grows a banana bunch, the tree will usually fall over because of the weight of the bunch. Then one to two new trees will grow in the same space. They are the Phoenix’s of the natural world.
Q. In what ways does Banana Yoga challenge the traditional perceptions of yoga and wellness spaces?
I’m hoping we can go back to more traditional perceptions of yoga. Not everything we do is transactional, not everything we do makes the studio money. I wish we could do 100% donation based yoga, but Westerners aren’t quite used to that model so sliding scale pricing helps us keep the lights on and the instructors paid well.
Q. What does representation in wellness look
like to you, and how have you seen its
impact within your studio?
I’m really sensitive to tokenisation; I’ve been the token brown person in the room and it’s not a fun experience. What I want more than representation is the decolonisation of wellness and Yoga. I want us to get back to the root of all of these practices when Mahatma Gandhi asked Krishnamacharya to spread Yoga Asana in order to change the hearts and minds of the world and see the beauty of their culture, so that India could be decolonised. We think a lot about how we can break down the barriers to access and spread this yoga. As a result we organically have a really diverse community.
Q. How do you ensure that Banana Yoga remains a safe and affirming space for all identities?
At Banana Yoga we have a set of shared agreements between all the teachers that cover everything from scent consent to inviting folx into sacred practices. There’s no pleasing everyone of course, but we all do our best to by all agreeing to practices which are inclusive. We didn’t make this up and I’d like to acknowledge the movement builders and community organisers who use these frameworks everyday to create progressive change.
We also offer scholarship memberships for the QTBIPOC community to make sure we support a community that has seen too much heartbreak and needs a healing space. We love you and will always remember you Sasha.
Q. Can you share any personal stories or moments that have reaffirmed your mission with Banana Yoga?
Many folx consider Banana Yoga to be a third space for them. I’ve had multiple people get offered jobs or gig opportunities because of conversations that happened in the studio. Things like music lessons and therapist referrals have all happened in our little one room studio. That feels tangible, but there are so many connections and friendships beyond money that have formed in our little 500 sqft studio.
