By Tania Isaac

​I have long been an advocate for social justice. As a female of mixed ethnicities I have been able to view and experience the world from the outskirts. Despite the “two strikes against me”, I know I am privileged in other ways. I am a passionate ally for Ableism. Ableism, per the Center for Disability Rights, is defined as a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other.

From the beginning of my career as a yoga instructor, I worked with elders, the ill and various abled individuals. As part of this journey, I was invited to join a team of teachers in providing an accessible yoga class affiliated with an established community rehabilitation center. One of the teachers was Brianna Pettit, founder and executive director of Blind Fitness. During one of the classes that she guided, we were invited to experience it wearing a nightshade (blind fold), from beginning to end. I accepted and in doing so assumed the role as a student and someone who needed assistance. This is my experience:

I was guided into the room and to a chair. Mindfully I moved into my seat, determined to get my bearings and fully understand where I was and what I was with. Chair, check. Feet on the floor, check. The yoga props available to me and where they were located, check check. Various voices in the room and what direction they were coming from, check. When class began, I zoned in on Brianna’s voice like sonar.

As the class progressed, I felt my body awareness deepen: I was less connected with the world and more connected within on every level. As a result, many of my movements were slow and intentional. When class neared the end, we were given the option of moving down to the ground for a restorative pose. I decided to get down on the floor and accepted it as a challenge. I had to trust my team mate with my sense of safety. I felt cared for as I was assisted down and into a restorative pose, for I didn’t exactly know where my bolster and yoga blocks were due to the transition. Once I was laying down in a reclined butterfly pose, my team mate covered me and very gently tucked a blanket around my ankles and feet, creating a cocoon. As I lay there, entrusting her and allowing myself to be vulnerable, I cried. They were not fears of feeling inept, but of feeling respected and loved. The experience was tenderizing, humbling and heart opening.

When one of our human senses is reduced, there is a tendency for one or more of our other senses to increase. This was true for me when it came to my hearing and sense of receiving touch. When my teammate mindfully enfolded my feet and ankles, I was very aware of her hand motions and how they registered such respect and thoughtfulness. As I rested, I went deeper into my physical and emotional body. Moved to tears, my insight reached a new level of compassion and appreciation. I realized how much I rely on my vision for balance, bearings and bronze. Mind you this was a space I was familiar with, with someone I knew and doing a form of exercise I know like the back of my hand. I wondered, “What about individuals who are not familiar with a space, the movements, instructions or people??"

Though I felt shy of confidence and certainty, I felt more intimately connected within myself and my colleague. As the tears gathered behind my nightshade, I began to fully comprehend the gift given to everyone who assists another individual. In order to receive support, you have to offer your trust and a percentage of your self autonomy. When you offer assistance, you are greatly entrusted. It is a truly reciprocal relationship.

I have always considered it an honor when any yoga student or client has entrusted me, but I now recognized how precious a gift it can be. Let me be clear, the gift of one’s trust is not recognized as a “hand-up”; they are not less than me. However, as a fellow human, we need to value what it means to trust one another. It is like giving someone a piece of your heart; we all have a heart we are afraid it can be broken.
This experience gave me greater insight and appreciation, not merely of the difference in physical abilities, but of the intricately that connects us all; our humanity.​

Welcome to our Blind Fitness blog! We would like to start by sharing a letter from the parent of one of our long-time participants that was sent to a donor:

June 9, 2023
I hope this letter finds you healthy and in good spirits. I am writing to you today on behalf of Blind Fitness, a new startup charity dedicated to empowering blind individuals through fitness, outdoor exploration, and community engagement. With its unique approach and dedication of its founder, Brianna Pettit, Blind Fitness aims to transform the lives of visually impaired individuals in the Santa Barbara community.

Brianna Pettit, the visionary of Blind Fitness, is a well-respected figure in the Santa Barbara community. As an experienced Orientation and Mobility trainer, she has been a very important part of my son Maxx’s life for the past 15 years. Brianna’s passion for her work and her deep-rooted knowledge of the community make her the perfect leader for this initiative.

One of my most vivid memories of Brianna’s commitment is when she took Maxx out on the streets for one of his first orientation lessons. She not only taught him about navigating with his white cane but also made each experience memorable and meaningful. She would stop by significant landmarks, such as the tiled wall near Pirate Park, and share the history behind it. Similarly, when passing by the Motel 6 hotel, she enlightened Maxx about its historical significance as the very first Motel 6 in the country. She also helped Maxx with his dream to make dinner for our entire family. Brianna spent months with Maxx navigating from the grocery stores to the kitchen. It was a huge success and that accomplishment for Maxx was a turning point for his maturity.

It is Brianna’s ability to incorporate the rich culture and heritage of Santa Barbara into the training process that sets Blind Fitness apart. Blind Fitness is more than just a fitness program; it is a movement for community involvement and the cultivation of empathy and understanding. What I am most attracted to is Blind Fitness inclusivity, welcoming participants of all ages, from 5 to 100. By bringing together sighted and visually impaired individuals, Blind Fitness promotes diversity and togetherness. It encourages a mutual exchange of perspectives, allowing the sighted to gain insights into the challenges faced by the blind and vice versa.

Blind Fitness gets people outside, exploring their surroundings, and rediscovering their own community. Through engaging activities and immersive experiences, this charity facilitates being actively involved in fun outdoor endeavors while participants gain a deeper appreciation for the different ways people experience the world.
I hope you can appreciate the positive impact Blind Fitness is already making in the lives of individuals like Maxx. I would love to see Blind Fitness grow strong in Santa Barbara and then be replicated in other communities across the country.
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Thank you for your time and consideration.
Regards,
Darcy Christal

We will have ongoing stories from our Blind Fitness participants, volunteers, and supporters as well as highlights from our events. Stay tuned!