DOWNWARD SCORPION POSEIn the diverse population I work with, there
are a lot of misperceptions about yoga. I have
developed yoga programs for underserved
urban schools and the Boys’ Club of New York,
and some of my little brown children have said
things like, “Only white girls do that.” When I tell
them yoga comes from India and that it was once
practiced only by brown-skinned men and boys,
they don’t always believe me. I have to make a
case and present evidence.
For the adults, I spin it with a health-and-
wellness bent. I talk about yoga as a tool that
brings our body, mind, and heart into more bal-
ance so we feel better. Though the poses are only
a small part of what yoga is, they’re one way we
access balance. When I tell people yoga can cre-
ate more vitality and aliveness, they’ll say, “I could
use that.” Everyone wants to be healthier.
In fairness, a lot of people have had negative
experiences with yoga. They talk about going to
a class and it was too hard, or they say they aren’t
flexible enough, or they describe feeling uncom-
fortable in a class with a lot of spiritual talk that
seemed inauthentic to them. I say, “Listen, there
are a zillion kinds of yoga. It sounds like the class
you went to wasn’t right for you.” You can go to a
great, sweaty flow class with music or try a more
mystical, traditional style. Some styles always
do the same sequence of poses; others vary the
sequences. I definitely think it all has value.
In my own yoga practice, one thing I cherish is
when teachers encourage me to think, experience,
and make conclusions for myself. I once attended a
yoga training seminar with a very famous teacher. I
remember her saying, “To be a true yogi, you have
to imbibe everything the guru tells you.”
That was not how I was raised. I was raised and
educated to think critically and be discerning. I
thought, “I will take what you have to offer, but
I will filter it through my truth meter.” I believe a
really good yoga teacher guides students to be
their own guru.