Everything Wrong With The Yoga Industry

Everything that’s wrong with the yoga industry (or at least a big piece of it)

A disclaimer.. I’ve started this email a few different times and had hoped for it to come out mid-February. I hit some mental roadblocks around this topic because of the attached emotions to it and wanting to equally place attention on the problem but not have anger cloud the motivation for change. I also got distracted by a shiny new project that I am excited to share with you at the end of this email. Now, without further ado let’s get into this topic.

A little context to start. I was scrolling through Instagram back at the beginning of February and came across a post from a yoga teacher who uses her platform to give other yoga teachers guidance on how to use social media to boost their student enrollment and engagement. Her post called out “overly sensitive” teachers who think it is wrong to take photos of students while they are in savasana or final resting pose. She specifically stated, “You are running a business, and filming students is absolutely necessary for being successful”. She went on to talk about how it is 100% within a yoga teacher’s right to take photos of their students at any time during class without needing to be “touchy” about getting consent or permission beforehand.

I can’t describe to you the inner rage I felt after reading her caption and watching that reel.

This is everything that is wrong with the yoga industry. Students are not dollar signs. A teacher never has the inherent right to do anything around your body without consent and open conversations about what will take place. I was disheartened to see over 200 likes on this post and went to the comment section in hopes other teachers were calling out this behavior. Luckily, there were several comments discouraging this idea for every comment condoning it. The creator has since turned comments off for this post but still chose to leave the post up.

I am not only angry by this idea being out there and spreading through the community but deeply saddened and afraid. Afraid of the possible damage and harm that might come to students because yoga teachers don’t have the right training or connection to their humanity to know not to do things like this.

This can be taken into a wider conversation about the many spaces we function in where body autonomy, choice, and consent are taken away because of social structure, power dynamics, and societal normalizing of this behavior. A few examples I can think of are doctors’ offices or medical encounters, gyms and workout spaces, schooling environments for minors, or romantic relationships.

I want to shift the conversation into a more empowering space and talk about how to recognize these boundary crosses and how to combat attacks like this.

Let's start by talking about the body. (shocker I know lol). This is a reminder to you that your body knows and reacts to boundary violations deeply and strongly. You might have to take some time and attune your mindfulness practice and start listening to pick up on those messages but they are there. My body tells me “This is a boundary” through a sense of unease in my gut, pulling inward toward myself and away from the person, and I can sometimes feel a sense of betrayal and hear my inner voice objecting to what is happening. You might take a moment to think about how your body reacts to these situations, always leaving open the possibility that those thoughts could feel triggering so be kind and move with care around this subject.

Next, how to combat attacks in these situations. I think the first step is to give yourself full permission to speak out, speak your needs and wants out loud, and advocate for yourself. While this step is easy to write out and explain. It can be extremely hard to enact. Also, consider giving yourself compassion for all the times when you wanted to use your voice but couldn’t, felt silenced, unsafe, or discounted. Your voice matters and your needs are valid. Using your voice as a mechanism for protection and defense is brave no matter the situation you are speaking up in.

Next, the easiest way to get more familiar with using your voice for self-advocacy could be to practice saying “I’m not okay with this” or another form of this statement that feels authentic to you. You can then practice using that statement in all the areas you feel called to. This could even be in situations where you might be acting against yourself as well and telling yourself “I am not okay with this”.

Lastly, recognize the people you are interacting with who might be using power structures to discount your own autonomy. What boundaries might you need to set and where can you place more safety for yourself in those relationships? Please know no matter the different titles, degrees, affluence, social status, or gender of the person you are interacting with underneath it all they are just a person and you are just a person. They are no better, higher, or more than you. You always know what is best for your body because you are the one living in it. You can stay open to others’ perspectives and guidance without pushing your own intuition, wants, and needs aside to keep the peace or follow societal norms.

In essence don’t let someone else take away your choice, your autonomy, or your voice even if it feels like they are in a higher position than you (they are just human like you).

I hope this message makes sense to you and doesn’t come across as too ranty. I really appreciate your time and your letting me pop into your space. If you want to hear more about my upcoming project you can read more about that below.

NEWs!

🎧 Do you hear that….? That is the sound of a new podcast entering the world and I happen to be the co-host. Untangling Relationships is a new podcast I am launching in collaboration with Penney Rockhill, a licensed clinical professional counselor who also happens to be my mom 😁 This podcast is all about exploring the different relationships we have in our lives and finding healing, progress, and new ways of connection. Penney and I engage in conversations centered around the relationships we all have and the common trip-ups we encounter.

Untangling means exploring how to communicate, create, and enjoy the many wonderful relationships we have throughout our lives. Come take a listen to learn more about yourself, and your communication patterns and gain new skills to up your connections. Episodes come out Tuesdays and bonus episodes are available at our Patreon. Feel free to use the links to check out the podcast and give it a listen.