"I'm not flexible."
"I went to a yoga class once but I wasn't good at it."
"I don't have a yoga mat."
"That's not my scene."
These are common things I hear when I invite people to go to yoga with me; whether it is to attend a class that I am teaching or just go to one with me. I constantly tell people about yoga and invite them to practice with me because I have lived the healing power of yoga. I am dedicated to this practice and I have seen how it changes lives.
See my post on my journey to yoga
I went a panel discussion about diversity in yoga this week at the Avid Bookstore. It was inspiring and got me asking myself, how can I make myself more accessible to students. How can I continue to share the gift of yoga with others? If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I always want feedback on how I can be better for those around me.
I took away 2 big points from the discussion at Avid. One: It's not always about the physical practice, the asanas. Sure I use pictures of me doing various challenging yoga poses to draw people in but that's not the point of my classes. If you want to come to class as an exercise, that's great. It is good for your physical body. But please know that yoga is more than bending and stretching. It is about focusing on the present and the experience of "yolking" the mind, body, and spirit. I hope that I bring that to my classes. Google yoga and you will see tons of beautiful fit blonde white women doing impossible arm balances. I love these images. I double tap them constantly on Instagram. I love seeing people doing really challenging poses. I was awestruck when one of my teachers pressed up into a headstand while talking and teaching the other day. It was amazing to see a body be that strong. But please know that this is not the end goal of yoga. You don't have to even want to do a headstand to try yoga. You don't have to be fit, or flexible, or really be anything but willing to show up to get something out of yoga. I have sat in child's pose for 20 minutes in a yoga class before. It was still a powerful experience. I learn something every time I go to a class, whether it's about the poses, teaching, or myself. I hope I bring that to people who practice with me.
The other point was the elitism in yoga. It's marketed "to people that are already chillin." People who can already afford extra, whether it be through time, money, or physical ability. I thought this was a good point. It really got me thinking about the ways that I perpetuate this stereotype. My yoga room is on the second floor of a building that is not handicap accessible. This already sets me up in the "able-ist" category. I also teach from a place of privilege as a white cis gender person and as someone who has the luxury of going to yoga in the first place. I totally acknowledge this. I don't know what to do with that knowledge, other than say, I am aware, and I love yoga so much, that I hope that this part shines through more than anything else. To me, Yoga is an important practice that can help people live more whole lives, heal from trauma, and connect with themselves and others. I can ramble on and on about this stuff, express all my guilt of being privileged or whatever, but the bottom line is, please just try a yoga class (online, in person, from a book) and see what it can do for you. Let go of how you think it is supposed to be and just try it. If you read this post to the end, you're either my friend already, or you're interested in yoga on some level, but whatever is holding you back from coming to a yoga class, please let it go.
Get on the floor and start breathing. Maybe go to a yoga class. Maybe you will even chose to practice with me. Namaste, my friends.
