Why CHINGONA?
A Spanish term historically prescribed to “overly aggressive women”, a CHINGONA was a label used to identify and criticize, reminding women of their secondary place in society.
But in true Chicano style, the term has been reclaimed and transformed.
Now, a CHINGONA is someone who is smart, strong, independent, confident, and fierce! The word itself represents power and someone that gets things done!
This is the spirit we embody at Chingona Yoga KC and hope to enable all of our students in finding their best selves.
Our Story
Chingona Yoga KC is an inclusive yoga and pilates studio providing short, in-person, affordable classes that are accessible by all body types and levels of athleticism. We are a limited liability corporation (LLC) located in the Volker neighborhood of Kansas City, MO, and classified as a female, minority-owned small business. Along with in-person classes, Chingona Yoga KC will also soon sell videos on-demand and yoga accessories. To keep up with our latest news and events, be sure to check us out on social media or by joining the mailing list!
Classes are geared towards the beginner and intermediate levels lasting no longer than 45 minutes. Regularly scheduled classes are available Monday through Saturday starting in the lunch hour through the evening primetime, so everyone can find a class that fits their schedule. The cost per class is $15 universally with no complicated subscriptions required. Multi-class packages are also available for purchase. Students can buy and register for classes through this website or by downloading our app!
Our Owner
Josephine (Jo) Lugovskyy is the owner of Chingona Yoga KC. She is a former economist and professor that has worked at the University of Kansas (KU), the U.S. Census Bureau, and Northwest Missouri State University. She identifies as a cisgendered female using she/her/hers pronouns, who is also Latino/Mexican-American/Chicano. She is a second-generation American and a first-generation college student.
While working in Washington DC in 2018, Jo was diagnosed with aggressive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune condition wherein the body’s own autoimmune system begins to attack its soft tissues, slowly disintegrating them over time. Before the advancements of modern medicine, those with an aggressive RA diagnosis could count on being wheelchair-bound within 10 years. But after several years of intensive treatment with a combination of Western medicine and alternative medicine therapies, Jo’s RA is now in remission and under daily management. She credits a large part of this success to a love of fitness and holistic lifestyle, particularly her devotion to a daily yoga practice.
This experience, along with the many challenges propagated by the global pandemic, gave Jo a new perspective on the priorities of life. So after a year of deep introspection, she decided to resign her position with KU to open a yoga studio in the KUMC area, a neighborhood that is primed with healthcare students and staff in need of self-care options and personal growth opportunities. Jo is now a 200Hr RYT, recognized by Yoga Alliance, and will soon be a mat-certified pilates instructor. She has two kitty cats she loves like children and owns a home in Kansas City, KS.
