Yoga and Human Rights

by Jivana

Mural of Human Rights: The Seeds That Give the Fruit (Detail)
by Vela Zanetti

“Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.” — Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations, 1948

I imagine that for most people talking about yoga and human rights in the same sentence may seem strange. But this connection became clear in my mind when I had the privilege of attending a special event at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva in 2015. The event was the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3, a holiday established by the UN. That year, I was invited to teach Accessible Yoga as part of a variety of offerings focusing on the positive steps that people with disabilities can take to achieve full equality and human rights. 

Most of the other presenters were leaders of disability rights groups from around the world. They spoke about how people with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the world: well over 1 billion people! And they discussed the basic human rights that they are seeking for people with disabilities. In 2006, the UN’s Human Rights Commission set the gold standard for these human rights in their Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. They declared: 

“The purpose of the present Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.” Article 1, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

I was struck by the correlation between basic human rights, and the fundamental teachings of yoga philosophy. According to the yoga tradition, each person has a spiritual essence, which is called the atman or purusha. The work of yoga, the poses, breathing practices, ethical living, and meditation, are all about opening the pathways to the experience of that essence. I’ve always loved the fact that yoga begins with this positive assumption. The idea is that every single one of us has an atman, and that there is no differentiation made between the atman of any two people, regardless of their ability or background. Yoga begins with equality, as we are all equal in spirit. And because we are all equal in spirit, yoga is equally powerful in helping anyone, of any background or ability, to find the inner peace that we all crave.

Of course, embracing diversity is an essential part of human rights, and the disability community is extremely diverse. There is currently a shift in the disability community towards disability pride, towards embracing difference. As a gay man, pride has a special meaning to me. I grew up thinking that being gay was a deficit, and learning to be proud of my differences has been a great source of my healing. Now, I am not only proud of being gay, but I see how being different makes me stronger.

Swami Sivananda, a famous yoga master, used to say that spiritual life was about seeing the “unity in diversity.” This means being able to see that we are all connected, and to simultaneously embrace our differences. Yoga and human rights both stem from this dual vision—the ability to hold both equality and diversity simultaneously. It’s really a paradox: we are all the same and yet all unique. This perspective is challenging in a modern world where some people are empowered and some are not, a world that is filled with division and the separation of groups based on race, class, gender identity, political affiliation, etc. Our job as yoga practitioners, and human rights advocates, is embrace those differences and at the same time to see the same essence in everyone we meet. 

According to the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most essential texts of yoga, as we become more in tune with ourselves, we begin to experience that underlying connection with others. Lord Krishna, who is teaching Arjuna how to be a yogi, explains:

“As your mind becomes harmonized through yoga practices, you begin to see the Atman in all being and all beings in your Self; you see the same Self everywhere and in everything. Those who see me wherever they look and recognize everything as my manifestation, never again feel separate from me, nor I from them. Whoever becomes established in the all-pervading oneness and worships me abiding in all beings – however he may be living, that yogi lives in me. The yogi who perceives the essential oneness everywhere naturally feels the pleasure or pain of others as his or her own.” (6.29-32 translation by Swami Satchidananda).

Just seeing through the diversity of nature to experience the oneness of creation isn’t enough. Krishna is teaching us that once we go down that path, we will literally feel the pleasure and pain of others as our own. That’s the ultimate level of awareness – true connection. And that is the first step on the path to equality and human rights. If we feel intimately connected to others, then we automatically take care of them. But this can only happen if we understand our personal privilege and the perspective we are coming from, otherwise that concept of oneness can be used to avoid the harsh reality of human rights abuse and leave us complacent. This is called spiritual bypassing.

“Spiritual bypassing perpetuates the idea that the belief “we are one” is enough to create a reality where we are treated equally and as one. It is not. Spiritual bypassing permits the status quo to stay in place and teaches people that if you believe in something and have a good intent that is enough. It is not.” —Michelle Cassandra Johnson

Those of us in positions of power and authority can use our yoga practice to reveal hidden truths in our own behavior and attitude—things we may not want to see in ourselves. The practice of svadhyaya, or reflection, is an essential part of yoga. In svadhyaya we attempt to witness the workings of our own mind, to see our ego and its prejudices. In the self-reflection that our practice brings, we can consider this question: Are my efforts reinforcing the status quo or is my practice inspiring me to actively work on achieving human rights for all? 

Regarding ableism specifically, yoga teachers can reflect on whether unknowingly they may be teaching yoga in a discriminatory way. For example, am I teaching in a wheelchair-accessible space? Am I teaching in a way that values physical ability as superior or advanced? Am I giving all students the same respect, attention, and kindness regardless of ability? Are my offerings advancing equality in the yoga community? What can I do to cultivate svadhaya in myself, in my students, and in my peers?

We can also examine our language: Am I reinforcing stereotypes that I am also the victim of? For example, do I hide my own physical challenges out of an effort to seem like the perfect yogi, rather than honestly share with students about where I am at? Can I examine the culture of the yoga studios I teach or visit to see if they are in line with my own beliefs? Do the social media accounts I follow make me feel better about myself or reinforce insecurity and self-doubt? 

For those of us who are oppressed or lacking in human rights, we can use our yoga practice as a source of power and healing. That means seeking out supportive yoga communities that don’t make us feel less than but rather help to lift us up. In this way, we can use yoga as self-care and as a source of empowerment. According to Audre Lorde:

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

This paradox of unity and diversity is at the heart of yoga and at the heart of human rights. With practice, self-awareness, and action, we can deepen our experience of yoga, connecting with our true self and simultaneously begin to honestly and openly address human rights and discrimination of all kinds.



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How to Make Yoga Accessible

by Jivana

I trust that all yoga teachers mean well and come to the teaching of yoga out of a love for yoga and a passion for service. With that in mind, I offer the following suggestions for making your yoga classes accessible to all. 

Welcome Everyone to Join

Part of making yoga accessible is welcoming people of all abilities and backgrounds to your classes. The first step is to consider your publicity materials—the marketing imagery you use and the language you use to describe your classes. It’s essential to be clear in your class descriptions about what kind of practices are included: Is the class open to all levels, can people practice in chairs, do you use music, etc.? Getting this information in advance allows for potential students to be more prepared for what they will experience and that evokes a feeling of safety when they come to class.

It’s also important to consider how to make your classes financially accessible. Can you offer sliding scale pricing or scholarships? For many people the price of drop-in yoga classes is out of reach, and yet everyone deserves access to these teachings. 

Invite Each Student to Participate in All Practices

During class, make sure no one is simply left out because you don’t know how to adapt to their needs. Each student can be included in a conscious way, even if their movement is limited, if you find a way to teach multiple levels at the same time. In order to do this, there are some essential elements to include. 

Consider each practice as a spectrum of possibilities rather than a static pose. Rather than approach an asana by teaching one form, instead focus on the over-arching goal and benefit (and even contraindications) of that practice. From this deeper understanding, your students can learn to explore multiple variations. For example, rather than teach a version of Cobra pose as the “full expression of the pose,” first consider the benefits of Cobra, which could include strengthening the back muscles in deep spinal extension, expanding the heart center, and digestive organ massage, among other things. Then consider how you can find those qualities at whatever level the student is practicing, whether it’s in a chair, on the mat, or even standing. 

If you have a new student, and don’t know what their ability is, try a more collaborative approach. Offer suggestions, but encourage self-exploration and self-awareness. In fact, the first thing to do with a new student is to teach them how to practice rather than jumping into specific practices. This means explaining that the breath is a guide to our movements, meaning that if the breath is short or being held, then the body may be straining. 

We also need to teach students that pain is a sign that you’ve gone too far. Of course, some people are in chronic pain and need to be extra sensitive to that experience. Also, some students may have paralysis and can’t feel sensations in a part of their body, so there isn’t any pain. For those students, it’s best to spend time exploring safe movements in a private or one-on-one setting. Also, with a new student it’s always useful to talk about not competing in yoga and about really trying to step back from the edge, that place where challenge turns into pain. 

Offer Variations at Many Levels 

This means that teachers need to learn how to teach multiple levels of physical ability at the same time. I like to think of an accessible yoga class like a jazz ensemble; each student is like a musician playing a riff on a common theme and the teacher is the conductor. It may look chaotic and seem like everyone is doing their own thing, but there is a harmony running through the entire group. This can be a difficult skill to develop, but one that accessible yoga teachers can cultivate over time. 

When teaching a multiple level class, try to find a way to bring all students together for a portion of each practice, even if they’re doing something that externally looks completely different. One way is to set up students in each version of a pose separately, and then give some common instruction to come into the pose together. This creates an opportunity for multiple levels of a pose to be done different ways. 

For example, you can teach chair and mat versions of Cobra pose simultaneously. Bring the students in the mat into a preparatory position with the forehead on the floor, then bring the students on the chair into a preparatory position, lowering their heads down. Now, bring all the students into the pose together using common instructions that work for both. Something like, “Exhale, grounding down, then inhale and lengthen the neck, slowly curling up the head, neck, and chest.” If this is too complicated, at least find a moment when everyone is in their own version of the pose where you can all breath together. Continually reconnecting the group in this way creates a feeling of inclusivity and equity in the class.

You can also demonstrate one version and verbally teach a different one. If you are teaching a chair version of a pose and a mat version simultaneously, tell the students in the chair to watch you as you demonstrate and give verbal cues to the students on the mat.

Another option is to have an assistant demonstrate one version of a pose while you teach a different variation. I would be cautious about using students in this way. It’s not a job of the student to demonstrate for the group, unless you’ve discussed it previously and they are interested in assisting you in this way. 

When setting up the classroom try to make sure that everyone feels like a part of the group. Students practicing in chairs or wheelchairs can be lined up with other students equally. In fact, students practicing in a chair often benefit from having a yoga mat under their chair for additional traction. Physically including everyone in the “circle” sends an important message that all students are equal, rather than creating a subtle hierarchy in the space. 

Give All Students Equal Praise, Support, and Attention

Not every student needs to be praised all the time, but there needs to be an equal share of love for everyone in the room and not just the “advanced” students. Sometimes, just getting out of their house and coming to class is a huge success for someone with a disability or chronic illness. Be careful about always praising physical ability over other forms of ability and effort. What is the goal of yoga anyway, gymnastics or peace of mind? 

Make Sure Touch is Optional 

In a regular yoga class, teachers don’t know each students’ individual medical history and their past experience with trauma. Because of this and for many other reasons, touching without consent should be unacceptable in your class. 

Also, understanding the scope of practice of a yoga teacher is essential before offering touch. Are you adequately trained to offer touch? Yoga Alliance is setting new guidelines for the scope of practice for yoga teachers. It’s essential to understand these guidelines before touching students. Is it legal in your state according to your level of training? In some states it is only legal to touch a client or student if you are medical personnel, a licensed massage therapist, or clergy. 

There are a variety of ways to make touch optional in your classes. First, you can give a general announcement at the beginning of the session telling students that they have the right to not be touched during the class and giving them the tool to do so. For example, you can use consent cards, which students can turn on one side to say they want touch or turn over to say they don’t want touch. However, consent cards may not work well with chair yoga students or visually-impaired students. So consider three important qualities of consent: informed, ongoing and enthusiastic. 

Informed consent means knowing if the students actually understand what you’re asking their consent to do. For example, telling a student simply, “Can I give you an adjustment in that pose?” is not enough information for a student to decide if they want an adjustment. Instead, say something specific like, “Can I move your arm up?” 

Ongoing consent means that if a student gives you consent at one point in the class that doesn’t mean that you have consent to touch at another time. So you need to continue to get consent each time you touch a student, regardless of their previous affirmative response. Ongoing consent means that we open up a dialogue with our students during class, rather than expecting the silent obedience that is the earmark of certain yoga classes. If you feel like you have too many students in a group class to achieve this type of consent, you may need to avoid touch, get assistants, or teach smaller classes. 

Enthusiastic consent means that a non-answer is not giving consent. The student needs to give an affirmative response to being touched. Remember that the teacher is in the power position in this relationship and the student may defer to your judgement even if they don’t fully agree with what’s happening. That’s why these guidelines are essential for creating a safe environment in yoga. Also, it’s more challenging to get consent to touch students who are non-verbal or who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. In those cases, it’s best to avoid touch as much as possible or work with that person’s care team to come up with effective communication tools.

Focus on the Positive

We all have judgmental minds, but it is the work of a teacher to find something positive in your students. Can you find something to celebrate in what the students are doing, rather than focus on correcting and adjusting all the time? 

Make Your Teaching Collaborative and Creative 

Support students in uncovering their own self-awareness through the exploration of yoga practices. This can be done by constantly emphasizing their own experience versus what you think they are experiencing. If you teach a practice and say that it’s calming, what happens if the student doesn’t find it calming? Does that mean their experience is invalid? How do they reconcile their own experience with the experience you are wanting them to have? On the other hand, a collaborative and creative approach means that the entire practice is experience through a lens of exploration and present moment experience. Through collaboration with the students rather than a top-down approach, we can encourage our students to take responsibility for themselves. 

Also, encouraging your students’ creativity can deepen their yoga practice if we teach them to approach every practice as a new opportunity—a new moment. We can teach them to bring fresh eyes and an open mind rather than rely on past experience. Rather than building a practice based on what they “should” experience, creativity means that they are open to what they are experiencing. That creativity is expanded when the student is offered a safe container for exploration where questions are asked rather than answered.

Focus on the Essence of Yoga, Connecting with Inner Peace

Remind your students that yoga is a spiritual practice and everyone shares that same essence equally, regardless of what they look like or what they can do. It’s so easy to get competitive with asana practice and think that more is better. Always remember outer ability does not equal inner peace. 

An important part of yoga is learning to befriend yourself and quiet the inner conflict in the mind. That inner cease-fire comes through acceptance and self-love, not necessarily through gymnastic ability and outer achievement.

Make Individual Empowerment and Community Building Your Goals 

The goal of teaching yoga is to empower your students to find peace of mind through their own practice and not to become reliant on you. So encourage them to build a home practice, even if it starts very slowly. To do this, we need to focus on empowerment by teaching general techniques regarding how to practice and why we practice. Empowerment also comes from being told that we’re worthy of spending the time taking care of ourselves and that finding time to get on your mat is an essential part of self-care.

Community building actually goes along with this. Many people are isolated and don’t have a community. Yoga classes can act as social networks, and many people with disabilities and seniors, in particular, need that kind of support. So can you spend time helping to build those social connections? Can you have the students introduce themselves at every class? Can you spend a few minutes checking in and asking people how they are doing? Can you spend a few minutes after class socializing and encouraging the students to talk to each other?

Focus on Service and Love 

The goal of yoga is self-realization, and, simply put, self-realization is the experience of pure love—beyond the ego-mind’s endless desires. So taking yoga off the mat means to come from a place of love, which is known as service, or karma yoga. As a yoga teacher we have the opportunity to practice karma yoga when we’re teaching. To teach from a place of love for our students can simply mean putting their best interest first and considering what would be most beneficial for them, as well as being kind, patient, and loving in our approach and demeanor. 

Working on all these levels, we can begin to open the practice of yoga to people of all abilities. What’s so powerful is that by doing so we simultaneously open our minds to a deeper understanding of the meaning of yoga. We can experience the truth of yoga—that it is a pathway to connect with our true self. This true self resides in all of us, regardless of our physical ability, past trauma, bank account, race, gender identity, or any kind of identity. It’s not a question of including people who are usually left out; it’s about understanding the truth behind all these labels: that we are ultimately all made of that same essence. Like I always say, yoga is not about having a flexible body, it’s about having a flexible mind, a mind that is clear enough to allow for the truth to shine through. 

“In my view, making yoga more accessible is not fundamentally a moral or social justice issue. One version of such a moral thought process might be that everyone has a ‘right’ to do yoga and we ‘should’ make this possible. While I believe that this is true, it does not get to the crux of the matter. Rather than being fundamentally a moral issue, making yoga accessible to everyone is revealing the truth about yoga. The ultimate heart of yoga is open to all comers. The underlying yogic realization is not exclusionary. I think this distinction is important. It means that everyone has equal access to the heart of yoga because of the true nature of yoga, not because social justice demands it.” —Matthew Sanford 

Metamorphosis

by Jivana

Photo by Sarit Z Rogers

The monarch butterfly spends two weeks as a caterpillar before metamorphosing into a butterfly. Then it lives as little as two more short, yet magical, weeks in an ethereal dance before it dies. Amazingly, the monarch’s annual migration across all of North America is achieved over the lifespan of four generations. One monarch can only make a portion of the journey and it’s up to the next generations to complete it.

Are our lives much different? In the U.S., women can expect to live to the age of 81 and men to 76. In the grand scheme of things, those eight decades are the blink of an eye and are as fleeting as the life of the monarch. These few precious decades hardly seem adequate to figure out what we’re here to do. Is reincarnation, a foundational concept of yoga philosophy, our version of the monarch’s migration journey? Will future me’s complete my soul’s work? 

Personally, I feel like putting all my chips on reincarnation is a risky gamble. Seems like I need to make the most of the time I have here rather than bargaining on future lives which I know nothing about. So, I should do my best to figure out what I’m here to do. As a long-time yoga practitioner it seems like enlightenment (samadhi) is supposed to be my goal, but that seems like such an impossible feat. 

In his Yoga Sutra, Patanjali describes how to achieve the state of samadhi, which he simply refers to as the state of yoga. He goes on to describe at least six distinct levels of samadhi. Reading through them recently I began to feel disheartened, and to doubt myself and my ability. I know I’ve learned so much about myself through yoga, but without working towards samadhi am I just fooling myself?

As I practice longer I am noticing a few important things. I’m more aware of a split within my own mind: the part of me that’s thinking and the Witness or inner consciousness observing it all. Patanjali would describe this separation as the dance of purusha (spirit) and prakriti (nature). I often think of prakriti as the natural world around us, but it’s not so simple. Every part of our human birth, including our mind and emotions, is prakriti. The only thing that is purusha is atman, the soul. 

Most of the time I’m talking to myself, aren’t you? But who is talking and who is listening? The mind, part of prakriti, is talking to purusha, the Witness, as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra explains. If so, then my stream of consciousness is some kind of endless prayer—a continual flow of sensory experiences, self-criticism, and internal fights with everyone who bothers me. It’s embarrassing to think of all this mind-stuff as prayer, and I sure hope God isn’t listening when someone makes me mad!

I usually think of yoga as union–bringing something together. But, really, it’s more about separation. Using my discriminating discernment to tease out purusha, my Essence, from the complexity of nature. So much of my time is spent in the rituals of daily life: eating, sleeping, etc. But, as I go through all these activities, part of me is separate, simply watching the outer activity. This witness seems unaffected by these outward experiences. It’s always there, listening and watching. In my meditation practice I try to create an opportunity for that inner witness, the eternal Listener, to move into the foreground for a brief moment.

This shift, allowing the Witness to move from background to foreground, is unnervingly powerful, and yet I’ve noticed that sometimes I avoid it on purpose. Some days it feels easier to focus on what I’m going to eat for lunch or to allow my mind to be lost in the endless blur of other people’s lives in my Facebook feed. But in the end, I know for sure that I’m supposed to find a way to bring that Witness into the foreground more and more. Perhaps that is the experience of samadhi?

When I allow that shift to happen the experience is beyond words. It feels like my sense of self steps forward in a bold way that quiets the noise in my head. My normal experience of the world changes. The feeling that I’m seeing through my eyes shifts to an experience of my eyes. It’s not always so peaceful or some spiritual cliché. In fact, it forces me to feel whatever emotions I’m having, which I don’t always want to do. But it always feels honest.

And if I’m being honest with myself, then I also have to admit that my inner life isn’t really so private. The connection between prakriti in my mind and prakriti around me is very strong. For example, the idea that I can just think whatever mean thing I want about someone else or even myself is a lie I tell myself. It’s not that other people can hear my thoughts—at least I hope not—but my intuition tells me that my internal struggle is bound up with everyone else’s. At least if I act as if my inner experience is public, then I will clean up my mind. 

Ultimately, I know that we are all looking for happiness of some kind and maybe samadhi is simply happiness. According to the yoga teachings, happiness actually comes from peace of mind and not from any external thing or other person. Peace of mind occurs when I allow the Witness to come into the foreground. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says:

“There is neither wisdom nor meditation in an always-changing mind. Without a meditative, one-pointed mind, there is no peace. And without peace of mind, how can anyone be happy.” (2.66 Translation by Swami Satchidananda)

What a great question. Without peace of mind, how can anyone be happy? Ironically, I think that’s the exact opposite of what we’re taught in the West. We’re taught that external validation and material possessions will make us happy, and, sadly, my mind is still invested in those pursuits. I have to wonder why my mind allows itself to suffer when I know in my heart that samadhi is the answer. For now, I’m like a hungry caterpillar eating all the leaves. Hopefully someday the yoga chrysalis will transform me completely and allow me to spread my wings. 

Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook and Twitter ° To order Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Well-Being, go to Amazon, Shambhala, Indie Bound or your local bookstore.

Follow Jivana Heyman on Facebook and Instagram  and see Jivana's Workshops and Trainings for upcoming workshops and trainings. For information on Accessible Yoga, see accessibleyoga.org and follow Accessible Yoga on Facebook and Instagram.

Who is the Teacher?

by Jivana

The other day I was teaching an Accessible Yoga class, and at one point there was a lot of talking going on, and I had to ask the students to stop talking so we could move on to the next practice. This is a common occurrence in my classes. But I realize that in most yoga classes students don’t speak and instead are expected to practice in a reverential silence. It made me think about what I’m trying to achieve in my classes, which is to empower the students by encouraging their personal growth rather than their reliance on me.

I realized that at the heart of accessibility in yoga is a healthy relationship between the student and the teacher. In fact, when I’m training yoga teachers to make their classes more accessible, I like to ask them to reflect on the relationship they foster with their students because it is this relationship that forms the foundation for learning. The way that yoga teachers perceive their role is key. Do they see themselves as performing on a stage or creating a safe container for their students’ growth and transformation? 

We also need to keep in mind that the teacher-student relationship in yoga has a sordid past since so much abuse has happened at the hands of yoga teachers. (Nina addressed this issue in many previous posts, including Yoga Teachers Who Abuse Their Students, When to Fire Your Yoga Teacher, #MeToo and Yoga, and Abuse of Power in the Yoga World.)

I’m currently serving on Yoga Alliance’s Code of Conduct Task Force, which is putting together recommendations for a new Code of Conduct for yoga teachers. I’ve been deeply moved by this process and heartened by the new administration at Yoga Alliance and their openness to my input. They’ll be publishing a draft Code of Conduct by the end of the year, which YA members can vote on. Based on this experience, and YA’s entire Standards Review Project, I feel like we’re on the cusp of a positive shift in the yoga world.

Beyond a stronger code of conduct, I think there needs to be a change in the way that yoga teachers and students perceive their roles. Hopefully we can move to more of an equal relationship rather than the student being subservient to the teacher. Perhaps yoga students need a “Bill of Rights” so they understand what is and what is not appropriate behavior to expect from their teacher? Here are a few suggestions for yoga teachers and students so we can begin making this shift:

Empowerment

For Teachers: Yoga is so much more than simply moving our bodies into animal shapes. We want our students to be empowered, strong, and free. We are guiding students to discover that special combination of self-discipline mixed with compassion that brings them back home to their bodies. We do this by encouraging increased sensory awareness and mental concentration so that the students can turn inward to inhabit the fullness of who they are.

For Students: As a student it’s important to cultivate sensitivity to the body’s wisdom. For example, if you’re experiencing pain during practice that is a sign that you may be injuring yourself, regardless of what the teacher is saying about it. Also, most of the benefits of yoga come from building a regular home practice. If your teacher is not encouraging you to practice at home, you may want to ask them to help you with it. A good teacher will be trying to wean you off of them as soon as possible.

Equity

For Teachers: See the student as our equals. This sounds kind of obvious because, of course, we see students as equal human beings with equal rights. But do we act that way? Do we allow the student to have full control of their bodies and their actions? For example, if you offer an adjustment or correction are you asking the student how it feels before, during, and after? The role of the yoga teacher is not to put bodies into some perfect alignment that creates magic. Rather, the magic of yoga comes from students finding an interior experience of a pose or a breath.

As teachers, we have a difficult role because students can mistake the power of the teachings for the power of the teacher. We have to constantly check on our egos, which is particularly difficult in a commercial environment that demands self-promotion. Can you constantly post selfies on Instagram and be truly humble?

For Students: Remember, it is the power of yoga that is working for you, not the teacher’s power, no matter how wonderful they may be. Sometimes I can tell that a student is putting me on a pedestal and thinking I have some kind of superpower. It’s my job to correct their misunderstanding for my sake and for theirs. A good teacher is like a tour guide. They can point things out to you, but you are the one going on the journey.

Collaboration

For Teachers: Consider your students as equal players in the give and take of teaching. Can you trust in their inner knowledge and encourage them to do the same? Often I find myself offering some pose or technique to a student and they change it slightly to create something that is more effective for them. I’ve learned to be open to learning from my students because they are often my best teachers. In my classes, I’ll often say, “Listen to me, but don’t listen to me.” I realize that some lineages don’t think this way, and I challenge those teachers to find a way to lift up their students.

For Students: An experienced student knows how to advocate for themselves because they’ve learned how to listen to their body and their intuition. For example, if a breathing practice is supposed to be relaxing and instead it makes you anxious, what do you do? Can you talk to your teacher about it or do you assume there’s something wrong with you?

I’m so happy when a student has gained enough self-awareness to know which practices aren’t working for them. Similarly, I love when a student has enough self-awareness to get a prop for themselves because they know it helps them practice more safely. 

I hope these suggestions offer a useful starting point for yoga teachers and students to reflect on their roles in the beautiful dance of yoga teaching and practice. If we can find common ground we can rebuild a yoga culture based on mutual respect, safety, and a common passion for sharing the practices of yoga.


Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook and Twitter ° To order Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Well-Being, go to Amazon, Shambhala, Indie Bound or your local bookstore.

Follow Jivana Heyman on Facebook and Instagram  and see Jivana's Workshops and Trainings for upcoming workshops and trainings. For information on Accessible Yoga, see accessibleyoga.org and follow Accessible Yoga on Facebook and Instagram.