Published June 6, 2026 03:03AM
I’m standing on my yoga mat in Warrior 2 with Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” blaring in the background. I’m also air guitaring. Not because I’m feeling bored or rebellious. Because the teacher is cueing it.
He’s also demoing it. Not in a subdued, rigid, forearm-twitching riff. It’s a dynamic, arm-sweeping, commanding air guitar that’s approaching performance art. The unique scene is unfolding at a “Prince Practice” led by yoga teacher Reggie Hubbard. Although the concept of single-artist tribute playlists isn’t novel (we’ve all witnessed yoga classes dedicated to Britney Spears and Tay Tay), Hubbard’s approach is…different.
It’s a defiant vibe that’s equal parts a celebration and a running monologue from Hubbard as he imparts encouragement to everyone as they feel into intuitive movement, shares little-known insights about Prince, and belts out select lyrics. It somehow manages to border on reverence and irreverence at once.
A former political activist, Hubbard started practicing yoga as an outlet for his rage at societal inequalities. “That turned into a deep-breathing thing that gave me clarity and compassion,” he explains. Yoga taught him the capacity to turn toward and process everything he wanted to run from or rage at in life. In his words, “I was like, ‘Cool!’”
After yoga teacher training, Hubbard was asked to teach his first online class during the pandemic. The date happened to coincide with the birthday of the late musical icon, so Hubbard themed it accordingly.
“That first class had 120 people,” said Hubbard, still incredulous that the attendees happened to include Prince’s nephew, President LenNard Nelson. “We were all just jamming and people were throwing Headstands in their living rooms. It was this crazy thing. I was like, ‘What did we just unleash on the universe?!’”
Thus began Prince Practice.
Each year, the classes begin on April 21, the date when the artist known as Prince transitioned in 2016, and extend until June 7th, the date of his birth. Some classes are online. Others are in person. All are designed as an exercise in self-liberation.
Hubbard regards Prince as an icon of active, peaceful protest. When Hubbard later founded an organization to make yoga “more accessible, regardless of race, gender, body type or practice level,” he named it Active Peace Yoga. Through the organization, Hubbard aims to continue Prince’s work toward “collective liberation and consciousness.” Its classes connect people across diverse “ages, skin colors, and bank accounts.” Dance is commonly incorporated into his classes, something he considers a form of “black joy,” and “disruptive to systems of oppression.” The organization also supports Black males through retreats that support learning how to navigate rage and find rest. He considers Prince one of Active Peace Yoga’s patron saints.
“Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is have fun in community,” is a refrain Hubbard frequently repeats. “It’s all about helping you feel a little more aligned in body, mind, and spirit.”
The Prince Practice Experience
So, what is it like to experience yoga set to Prince?
There are shimmy intermissions and dance breaks. Kneeling Wild Things and dynamic Goddesses. Students swaying and impromptu Side Planking. The suggestion to emulate Prince in the “When Doves Cry” video as he crawls out of the tub and admonitions to sing the lyrics if you know them.
Poses are cued hatha style rather than a quick vinyasa pace. There’s ample time to find a version of the shape that works for you. Hubbard suggests specific poses, such as seated stretches and standing backbends, arm balances and Upward Planks, although there are always encouraging words around the poses. “Find a posture that’s meaningful for your body, whatever is clever,“ and “Whatever this needs to be for you.” The entire time, Hubbard is there, making shapes, clapping and occasionally shouting out “Freedom” and “Peace” in sync with the soundtrack, sweeping his purple cape out of the way as needed. I find myself constantly glancing at him for pose inspo and mentally taking notes to try different transitions the next time I teach.
And there are the expected as well as unexpected yoga teacherisms.
“Build some heat. Have a bonfire with all the stuff that no longer serves us.”
“Arms in the air, wave ‘em like you just don’t care.”
“Take note of how your energy feels from the crown down.”
“Be resplendent.”
“Don’t go hard if you don’t want to, but do something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Become comfortable with being uncomfortable. And do it in a playful way.”
“Shaking your asana is a spiritual practice.”
“Move your hips in a sassy and lowercase nasty way.”
“Power. Liberation. And ease.” (Said as the song ends with arms outstretched and facing upward.)
After years of teaching, Hubbard is well-versed in coaxing people out of their self-imposed boxes. He accomplishes that, in part, by example. He’s constantly setting the vibe by demoing poses, jamming out, shaking his hips, playing his belly like a bongo drum, and chanting lyrics as if they’re mantras.
Throughout class, there’s an integration of dance with yoga. “We don’t move like this in everyday life,” says Hubbard. “And that’s a problem.”
When the initial notes of “1999” come on, he cautions it’s the last upbeat song. “Do what you need to do,” he cautions before practicing Reverse Warrior, Extended Side Angle, Wide-Legged Standing Bend Twist, and Dancer. As “Seven” comes on, Hubbard suggests that now’s the time to settle down if an extended Savasana is desired. He dims the lights, takes a seat, and falls into silence for the next 12 or so minutes, with class ending on the final notes of “Purple Rain.”
Why Dancing During Yoga to Prince Matters
Hubbard also understands seriousness. Out of respect for yoga lineage, he considers his role to be that of translator. “As a teacher, you have got to teach to the times. If I’m trying to teach you philosophical principles to have a clear mind and connection to purpose, the Upanishads might mean nothing to you,” he explains. ”We have to offer tools to those who are in our path that helps them navigate life with more grace, peace, ease, and clarity. And my path is wild.”
Wild, yes. Although it’s an approach that draws on the wisdom of ancient tradition and what’s been touted lately by contemporary science as the power of somatic release. Underlying it all are the familiar shapes and the various therapies of intuitive movement, body awareness, breath, presence, non-judgement, community, and liberation of self. It’s all yoga.
“It’s essentially about having fun, whatever that means for you,” he says after class. “Just be free. We’re living in times that are so serious. For people to experience fun in times of terror, that’s the radical generosity that I seek to practice.”
For more information on Prince Practice, follow Reggie Hubbard and Active Peace Yoga.
