Striving for Equity

Written by Aviva Tulasi and Sam Sather

Let your dreams inspire hope with an Art and Yoga Retreat on March 11 at the NC Botanical Garden. The entire team at Dogwood along with Bev Dyer will be there. It would be lovely if you could join us. Sign up for the Heart of Hope Retreat on the NC Botanical Garden Website. 

Join Amanda’s 4 week Heart Centered series to nourish your compassion for others and yourself. This series of online classes start soon. Sign up for the first class Monday March 6th at 8am.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, an early text that describes how to do Hatha Yoga, starts with “The Yogi should practice Hatha Yoga in a small room, situated in a solitary place, free from disturbances of all kinds, and in a country where justice is properly administered, where good people live and food can be obtained easily and plentifully.”

Yoga has been and remains primarily accessible to those that are privileged. 

In ancient times, Yoga wasn’t readily available for all. People born in a certain condition in life were able to go live with the teachers and learn yoga. You had to have the privilege to leave home and the associated responsibilities - be born into a high caste.

Then as yoga teachers migrated West. Many needed support because they arrived with little resources. Therefore, it is not surprising that often their students were well off. This allowed the yogis to practice and teach and have their needs met. 

A majority of yoga students still come from the white middle-upper class. Yoga classes are often $20 or more. This is more than many people’s hourly pay rate. Intentionally or not, globally we have created a system that continues to propagate inequity in yoga. The Atlantic reported in 2014 that About one in every 15 Americans practices yoga, and more than four-fifths of them are white. Zippia reports that in 2021 71.3% of yoga teachers are white and 69% have a Bachelor’s degree.

(Money should not be a barrier to yoga. If you or anyone you know is not able to attend a class due to cost, please reach out.)

On Jan. 16, 2023 Rev. Bernice King led a heartfelt service in honor of her father. She said she’s “exhausted, exasperated and, frankly, disappointed” to hear her father’s words about justice quoted so extensively alongside “so little progress” addressing society’s gravest problems.

Can yoga help with progress? Likely not without change in who has access. So how do we in modern life dismantle this system of inequality? 

Yoga practices of meditation, breathwork and postures can support insightful action and change. 

Let’s keep hoping and striving for equity. We can start with an open mind willing to listen and learn. 

Join us in learning from Black Yogis with the following recommendations from friends and other yoga teachers.

“Michelle’s experience as a Black woman seeking healing and spiritual practice in a white-washed industry led her to begin asking questions about why the industry of yoga was so exclusive. These questions led her to write and publish the first edition of Skill in Action in 2017 with the hopes of disrupting the way the yoga industry operated. These questions led Michelle to then create a guide and resource that urges people to move into alignment with the true meaning of yoga and move away from samskaras, which causes us to be separated from our true essence, nature, and one another.”

“In Sanskrit, yoga means to “yoke.” To yoke mind and body, movement and breath, light and dark, the good and the bad. This larger idea of “yoke” is what Jessamyn Stanley calls the yoga of the everyday—a yoga that is not just about perfecting your downward dog but about applying the hard lessons learned on the mat to the even harder daily project of living. In a series of deeply honest, funny autobiographical essays, Jessamyn explores everything from imposter syndrome to cannabis to why it’s a full-time job loving yourself, all through the lens of yoke.” 

From the Author, “This book is not about me. It is about us. People have told me it has resonated with not only a new perspective, but also a familiar one that lives deep within. I wanted to make something that was simple to read, but can take a lifetime to discover. This book was designed to help people get through some of their darkest times. I hope everyone takes some time to get this book, and I hope that it helps you with whatever you’re gonna do. You’re not alone. We are all connected.”

“In RADIANT REST, you’ll learn that Yoga Nidra is more than a technique, it is a state of consciousness and the nurturing quality of the Goddess. When we embrace our birthright to experience deep dreamless sleep we open ourselves up to grace. We begin to see how we have been asleep in our lives and we wake up to our magnificence.”

“Yoga is for everybody, including yours! This book offers yoga for all types of body: from plus size yoga and pregnancy yoga, to yoga for the elderly or disabled, there's something for all.”

Have another book or resource we should explore? Let us know. Reach out to the Dogwood Team with any recommendations or questions at info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com. We are here to help. 

Aviva Chaye Tulasi is a team member at Dogwood Studios. She is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT). She applies the teachings of classical yoga to reduce the effects of negative stress and to balance the nervous system. Email Aviva at yogawithtulasi@gmail.com with any questions.

Ainslee Cunningham is a 200 hour registered yoga teacher (RYT) who is deeply inspired and influenced by nature. Ainslee aspires to support people with the mind-body connection of yoga, especially those affected by addiction and trauma. She is committed to exploring how we embody the elements of the natural world and how we can deepen our connection to the Earth’s natural rhythms.

Amanda Dzengeleski is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher (RYT), lifelong student, and lover of movement. She first discovered yoga as a form of mind-body medicine that cultivated a deeper state of self-awareness and personal growth. Using a trauma-informed approach, Amanda empowers her students to move freely and intentionally in celebration of body, mind, and soul. Email Amanda at amandadz.yoga@gmail.com with any questions.

SAM Sather, founder of Dogwood Studios, is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), individualizes the yoga practice with appropriate modifications for participants’ unique bodies and medical histories with a focus on finding calm and improving health. She offers several live, online and in person yoga classes as well as private sessions so you can focus on your needs one-on-one.