yoga etc. #18 (honoring yoga's roots)
yoga etc. #18
And then I learned the spiritual journey had nothing to do with being nice. It was about being real, authentic. Having boundaries. Honoring my space first, others second. And in this space of self-care being nice just happened, it flowed not motivated by fear but by love.
- Michelle Olak
I’m in the process of decolonizing my yoga practice.
I was first drawn to yoga for exercise. All my friends were doing it, and everyone I’d ever seen doing yoga on social media or TV was beautiful, youthful, and skinny. They looked happy—like they’d had it all figured out. Back then, I only saw the practice as a form of exercise and a means to an end (to be beautiful, skinny, and happy) and didn’t feel a true connection.
Years later, living in a new city, I found a class I loved with a teacher I adored. It was a strong and sweaty practice taught by a knowledgeable teacher who combined both the spiritual and physical. I learned how to breathe and tune inward, and I got strong. I felt powerful after years of diluting myself to please others, and I cultivated feelings of non-judgment and compassion both towards myself and others.
And then my friend died. And I cried on my mat more times than I could count. Alone. First thing in the morning. Late at night. In a room of 200 students. Holding my best friend’s hand. My mat soaked up countless tears as I looked at my pain square in the eye for the first time and began to heal from the root of my cuts.
By then, yoga had become so much more than exercise to me. I enrolled in a 200-hour yoga teacher training and found a beautiful community of fellow teacher trainees who I look up to and admire. Even though we don’t talk often, I know that they have my back. There’s a special bond that time will never fade.
Yet still, I started teaching yoga classes grounded in this physically powerful practice. I like to describe my classes as fun and strong, and I love flowing to the beat of Khalid and Four Tet. However, I don’t share the deeply sacred traditions of the ancient religion of yoga because I’ve never been exposed to it—I never sought it out.
Except now, I am. The yoga I know is a colonized and appropriated version of what yoga actually is. The physical practice (asana in Sanskrit) is a fraction of what makes up the discipline of yoga. Western yoga was created through the lens of white supremacy, diet culture, and the patriarchy, and I am working to unclench their grasp on me and my practice.
It’s not something that will change overnight, but here are a few of the small changes I am making:
I am enrolling in advanced trainings focused on yoga philosophy and history as well as accessibility and diversity taught by diverse and experienced teachers.
I am not referring to my classes as yoga anymore, as they don’t reflect yoga's roots. You’ll hear me refer to the physical practice as flow or mindful movement moving forward.
I am studying the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali—the ancient text that outlines yoga's theory and practice—and reading Susanna Barkataki's book Embrace Yoga's Roots (which is out today!)
If you have any comments or questions about—or additions to—my list, I’d SO love to hear from you. I’ll continue to share my learnings here and elsewhere from time to time. I hope you can follow along with me as I work to honor yoga’s roots in my own practice.
Let's flow together—but apart
I'm here for you—for class, for advice, for anything that you need. I'm just a phone call/text/DM/email away. My online class schedule is below—I hope to see you on the (virtual) mat soon!
Mindful morning flow
A love letter to my morning birds; those getting their move on before the 9-5 grind. It's 60 minutes of powerful and grounding mindful movement to gently wake up the body for the day ahead.
Tuesday + Thursday at 7.30am BST
Foundations flow
A nod to the curious; for those new to flowing and those looking for a slower flow. It’s 45 minutes of breathwork and movement, where we’ll deconstruct poses and explore the foundations of a physical practice.
Wednesday at 12:30 pm + 5:30 pm BST
Sunday soul flow
Some yin and some yang; a longer class of contrary and complementary movement. 60 minutes of powerful and mindful flowing to the beat followed by a set of restorative poses to close out the week.
Sunday at 5 pm BST
Weekly writing prompt
What is something you thought you knew, but later found out you were wrong about. (10 minutes)
This prompt is inspired by a podcast that I love and if you feel inclined, you can submit your answer to the folks at Make Me Smart.
Other musings
The meditative art of rangoli
How to turn doom scrolling into action
Good covid news: a "miracle of nature"
A profile on our favorite podcast Song Exploder
Saturday lockdown vibes: Run Dem Radio
Diversify your feed: @abcdyogi for South Asian yoga + mindfulness teachers
20 acts of kindness that will spread love and make someone's day
On repeat: The most beautiful Fleetwood Mac cover
I love you x
LBC
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