I, like most people, originally got into yoga for the physicality aspect. I grew up as a dancer, and I naively thought "Well, yoga is the next best thing!" Little did I know how much growth and knowledge this practice would actually fulfill in my life.
When I walked into a studio for the first time, I immediately got the sense that there were "cliques" just like any other group of people with common interests and passions. There were the self-proclaimed 'yogis' who would have the latest yoga gear or the cutest clothes - they would simultaneously be doing handstands while talking about 'yogi things' (I'm generalizing here) to their BFF on the mat next to them - *in the center of the front row, of course!* As a newbie, it was extremely intimidating! While I typically rolled my eyes at this kind of inner circle stuff, for some reason I made my next challenge to become friends with these cool people. Instead of trying to break the norm or be different, OF COURSE I worked as hard as I could to fit in. (I mean, I'm only human). These were the kind of people I wanted to rub elbows with. I eventually became a yoga instructor at said studio; I taught sequences I personally connected with to music that I liked - I thought all was fine and dandy!
And soon my eyes were opened.
It first dawned on me that yoga could (and should) look different for every body in my yoga teacher training. One of my favorite instructors (because she made it her mission to break the mold and be unique & different) discussed how she taught yoga in alternative settings, like at women's prisons, homeless shelters, and to eating disorder clients. While I was passionately on the road to becoming an eating disorder dietitian, I found myself even more excited knowing I could combine both yoga & nutrition to heal someone's relationship to food and their body.
This realization led to multiple food, yoga & body image workshops and trainings to help strengthen my teaching skills. It was after these workshops that I really reflected on my wording in class - is it really necessary to talk about someone's "core" or make the mirror a focus in a pose? The answer is no. From then on I completely re-vamped my teaching style to be more inclusive - allowing modifications as a necessity vs. "just an option." Giving the students the lead to know where they can go if they choose - allowing them to be the experts of their own body vs. putting all the emphasis on me as the teacher.
And then my eyes were opened even more...
I started learning about trauma-informed yoga. I researched blogs & podcasts from the Yoga and Body Image Coalition, Curvy Yoga, Jessamyn Stanley, Dianne Bondy, and a plethora of other amazing resources. I dissected my own privileges and reflected "Wow. If I was intimidated at my first yoga class, what does someone in a marginalized body feel!?" I realized that companies & organizations like Lululemon and Yoga Journal are continuing to facilitate the "whiteness" that is Western yoga. People constantly tell me they believed that yoga is only for "thin, white, flexible, and rich women;" - and of course they think that! That's how it's marketed in the U.S. And to top it off, yoga attire is not size inclusive (or affordable), yoga photos shared on social media are always the super bendy (and not the norm), you rarely see representation of disabled bodies or senior citizens doing yoga...don't even get me started on cultural appropriation...
There are many reasons I think the commercialization of yoga is a negative - one being its system is built to continue the cycle of oppression and limiting diversity. For example: if you can't pay for a membership, if you don't have the 'right' attire, if you can't 'keep up,' if you don't even have access to a studio...you're going to be (and feel) excluded. And not to mention the cost of trainings are very expensive, so yet again reinforcing the false belief of who yoga is 'for.'
I think we can all agree these stigmas are WRONG. Yoga is meant for ALL BODIES. It's no coincidence that Everybody is literally a combination of the words EVERY + BODY. There is no right way to do yoga (excluding safety precautions). No two people are built the same, so it is impossible for everybody's version of a pose to be either. Contrary to popular belief, yoga blocks, bolsters, straps & other equipment are there to enhance your practice; using them is not a deficit on the practitioner. And while an instructor may (wrongly) inform you of a 'fullest expression' of a pose, that term is highly subjective, because MY 'fullest expression' may be very different from theirs. If there are 16 students in a class, there may very well be 16 different variations of a pose - and none are better than the others.
So my suggestion to studio owners or yoga practitioners - is the studio you own/attend diverse? Is it welcoming/inclusive to people of all sizes, ages, races, and abilities? Do the teachers offer multiple class styles to accommodate all levels of practice, including beginners? Is the language offered appropriate, or is it actually shaming? Are there at will donation services or free classes offered to reach people of all financial situations?
Take it from me, I never realized my yoga journey would take me on a self-discovery about marginalization or inclusion. But I think I'm a better person for it, and being open to these difficult conversations is only going to bring people together. And ironically, yoga in Sanskrit translates to "yoke" or "union" - and what better way to bring together anyone who so chooses to participate in this sacred practice than yoga itself.
If you are looking for more resources on this subject, here are a few of my favorites:
BOOKS
Yoga and Body Image by Melanie C. Klein & Anna Guest-Jelley
Yoga Rising by Melanie C. Klein
Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley
Yoga for All by Dianne Bondy
WEB RESOURCES/BLOGS
PODCASTS
Body Posi Yogi
Beyond Asana
Deep Dive with Dana Falsetti
It's Not About Me with Dianne Bondy & Alicia Higgison
Yoga is Dead
Yoga and Body Image Coalition
(following these accounts on social media would also be a great idea, too)!
Lastly - the question all yoga students should be asking themselves is NOT "Am I right for this yoga?" but rather, "Is this style/instructor/studio right FOR ME?!"
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