Chisme is truth telling in community.

Chisme, Spanish for “gossip,” has long been a way of coming together—sharing stories, building understanding, and weaving connections. While it often carries a negative connotation in many regional experiences of Mexican culture, The Chisme Chakra reclaims chisme as a practice of unity, truth‑telling, and collective care.

We are a collective of yoga teachers who believe that even in the worst of times, we can choose to liberate ourselves—together—from the chains that bind us. These chains show up as white supremacy, patriarchy, and violence, shaping how we disconnect from our bodies, each other, and our inherent worth.

For us, chisme is more than gossip. It is the courage to speak truth in community—to look into the eyes of those we practice with and know that what is being shared comes from care, honesty, and lived experience. Through yoga, meditation, chanting, and inquiry, we use chisme as a tool for remembering, reconnecting, and moving toward collective liberation.

Joey is the founding guide of The Chisme Chakra, holding the container for the collective’s shared learning, mentorship, and growth. As a survivor of sexual, physical, and systemic violence, Joey’s relationship to yoga and meditation has been shaped by a commitment to centering desire, pleasure, and self‑truth as pathways to healing. By reclaiming these experiences and learning to take the next right step—again and again—Joey has found ways to reconnect to the body as a site of wisdom, agency, and liberation.

Certified and trained in vinyasa flow and restorative yoga, Joey (RYT‑500, MPA) brings a trauma‑informed, adaptable approach to practice—meeting students and teachers where they are, and honoring the intelligence of each body. Their work emphasizes strength, flexibility, and presence while responding to the realities of lived experience.

Within the collective, Joey offers leadership rooted in care rather than hierarchy. They create opportunities for emerging and new teachers to learn together, teach in community, and be mentored through real‑time practice, reflection, and inquiry. Through shared study, co‑teaching, and ongoing support, Joey helps cultivate a practice space that is sex‑affirming, queer‑, trans‑, body‑, and ability‑inclusive—one that encourages teachers to trust their voices, deepen their skills, and lead with integrity.

The Chisme Chakra is not about perfection or mastery, but about learning in relationship—telling the truth, listening deeply, and growing into collective liberation together.