Inclusion Statement
Yoga’s origins can be traced back to 2500 B.C. in the Vedic period where ancient texts contain chants, mantras, hymns, rituals and knowledge of everyday life (and are the basis of modern-day Hinduism). All four books include elements of concentration, regulation of the breath, surrender of the ego and the quest for a reality beyond the limitations of the ego personality. Significantly, it speaks of “yoking the mind and creating insight to the sun of truth”. Vedic people relied on rishis (dedicated Vedic yogis) to give them advice on how to reduce their suffering and live in divine harmony. Yoga is a sister science to Ayurveda and Astrology.
Over the next 2000 years, knowledge that had been traditionally passed orally began to be complied into written text. The yoga sutras of Patanjali is a collection of 196 ancient teachings passed down from guru to student with Patanjali being credited for being the first to gather it all in one text. His work serves as our guide in how to “perform” yoga, most of it with a focus on living with an emphasis on our divine nature. This is where we see influence in Buddhism (which was born from Hinduism) as yoga was the practice of self-inquiry, not ritual. The Buddha saw all suffering as a state born of our misguided efforts to maintain a separate ego and our belief that we are separate from the cosmic one.
Yoga means “to yoke”, or join, the individual/inner self (aka Atman) with the divine (aka Brahman) with the knowledge that Brahman is present in all beings at an individual level). So the practice of Vedic knowledge is Yoga, meaning integration and unification of our individual being with the Supreme Self. Vedic knowledge of our true nature as pure consciousness beyond all limitations of time and space naturally brings us Yoga or harmony and oneness with all at the core of our nature. Meaning, we use yoga to seek connection to our Self and the Divine.
Yoga as we know it in the Western world is a FAR cry from yoga in its original form. True yoga has minimal physical emphasis, and what is noted is that we exercise our bodies in order to sit in meditation longer. It is about coming back to loving ourselves, knowing that we are whole and connected to the Divine through our Self.
The yoga sutras are also called Patanjali’s eightfold path or the eight limbs of classical Yoga. The eight limbs are as follows:
“Skillful way to relate to the world without adding to its suffering or ours”
1. Yamas, which means social restraints or ethical values, how we are in the world, state of doing
a. Ahimsa – non-violence
b. Satya – truth
c. Asteya – non-covetousness, non-stealing
d. Bramacharya – moderation
e. Aparagraha – non-grasping, non-resistance to change
“One’s personal sphere and cultivating wholesomeness to disrupt cycle of suffering, focus on improving thoughts non-judgmentally”
2. Niyamas, which means personal observance of purity, tolerance and study, how we are internally, state of being
a. Saucha – purity, cleanliness of body and mind
b. Santosha – contentment
c. Tapas – enthusiasm, discipline
d. Swadyhaya – study of scripture
e. Ishvarapranidhana – surrender to God
“Freedom as a path of action requiring three disciplines”
3. Asanas, physical exercises/postures, embody steadiness and ease
4. Pranayama, which means breath control or regulation
5. Pratyahara, turning your attention inward toward silence rather than to external things
“Perfect discipline of consciousness”
6. Dharana, which is about concentration, focus on object or field, effortless effort, awareness of distraction and return to object
7. Dhyana, which means meditation, perfect contemplation, absorption
8. Samadhi, which means ecstasy, return of mind to original silence, “bliss”, awareness rises from Samadhi and leads to realization
It is with reverence for the teachers who have come before me and the respect for being a student of a culture that is not my own that I apply these principles in my own teachings and daily life. I believe that wisdom is meant to be shared and evolve, however it must be done with an emphasis on not excluding, marginalizing, minimizing, appropriating or erasing the peoples or cultures from which it comes.
Many Western yogi’s enter studio classes thinking they are going to a fitness work out. They experience a great disservice in that they may not really understand the context of the spiritual practice in which they are participating. It is the responsibility of all teachers to create opportunities to embody the yogic principles off the mat from an educated, respectful and inclusive manner. That is why all teachings found here will emphasize the roots of Yoga. This is not a physical fitness program - it is a way of living that upholds basic truths such as equality (Black Lives Matter, social justice causes), non-violence (caring for our Earth and animals, ending hunger and food insecurity), and learning from others in a way that acknowledges the inherent worthiness and value of us all. This is about living your yoga. Turning a blind eye to the pain and suffering of others is not embodying the spiritual principles that create the foundation of this ancient and sacred practice.
I have been blessed to live a life of privilege, and have learned from many different teachers, guides and healers in a vast array of modalities. Similar to the Eastern practice of honoring your lineage and guru, in Western Psychology there is an emphasis made on citing sources for shared information, and wherever I can clearly do so, I will. I commit to continuing to share the knowledge I have gained with respect to it’s origins while being a vessel for which it can evolve as we change as a global community. I am open to continuing to learn, to be corrected and educated as I find my way.
I also commit to creating a community, whether in person or online, in which People of Color are centered, honored and valued. Scholarships, free materials and discounted access to products and services will be provided to those who do not have financial means or ability to participate in material they believe would benefit their healing journey.