Yoga Equity Training
“Create intelligence in yourself in order to create proper understanding in the students for them to develop intelligence. To become a teacher, become a learner first.”
—B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga
What is Yoga Equity Training?
Teachers carry the art and science of Iyengar Yoga in themselves as they bring those teachings to their students and the world. Just as we have to clear the lens of the consciousness through our yoga practice and study to see the self within, we have to clean the vessel in which we carry the teachings of yoga to others.
Racism and discrimination are part of US culture. Unexamined conscious and unconscious negative attitudes exist within us, even alongside and despite our best intentions. They affect our behavior and the quality of our connections with other people. Please investigate these resources to guide you in your active work to understand and transform the explicit and implicit biases that affect your life, your students’ lives, and your teaching.
These resources are offered in no particular order, and this list is not comprehensive. The list will be updated from time to time, so we encourage you to check back regularly.
6 Ways to Avoid Ableism in Yoga Classes (ARTICLE / BLOG) — Jivana Heyman, August 2020.
A Moment in Time (ARTICLE / BLOG) — Yoga Samachar, IYNAUS Outreach Committee, August 2020.
Accessible Yoga Training (COURSE / TRAINING) — Accessible Yoga Training School.
Courses and action on accessibility and equity in yoga.
Black History & Yoga (ARTICLE / BLOG) — Deidra Demens.
Essays on Race (ARTICLE / BLOG) — Iyengar Yoga with Gwi-Seok.
Essays on Ableism (ARTICLE / BLOG) — Iyengar Yoga with Gwi-Seok.
Healing Justice Principles (GUIDE / READING LIST) — Iyengar Yoga Detroit Collective.
How racial bias works -- and how to disrupt it (VIDEO 14:17) — Jennifer Eberhardt, June 2020.
Jaki Nett Interview (VIDEO 50:57) — Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York.
Full Interview with Jaki Nett, Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, by Kevin Allen and Deidra Demens for Black History Month.
Restorative Yoga for Ethnic and Race-Based Stress and Trauma (BOOK) — Gail Parker, Ph.D., 2020.
Skill In Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga to Create A Just World (BOOK) — Michelle Cassandra Johnson, 2020.
The cover shoot that brought me face to face with racism in the wellness industry (ARTICLE / BLOG) — Nicole Cardoza
Treating Racial Wounding with Yoga (VIDEO) — Gail Parker, Ph.D.
What is "Brown and Black Yoga" Anyway? (ARTICLE / BLOG) — Iyengar Yoga Detroit Collective: Nurturing Community!
Why Wellness Pros Need to Be Part of the Conversation About Racism (ARTICLE BLOG) — Chrissy King.
Yoga is Dead (PODCAST) — Tejal Patel and Jesal Parikh.
Critical conversations elevating oppressed voices and exposing problems felt by anyone who isn’t in the yoga industry “in” crowd.
Yoga, Race, and Culture (ARTICLE / BLOG) — Dianne Bondy - Yoga International
Social Injustice in the Body (VIDEO 2:09:04) — IYNAUS Outreach Committee Yoga and Equity Symposium. Chevara Orrin and Marla Apt discuss unhealed race-based trauma compared to trauma caused by systems of oppression and exclusion, practicing non-violence, and creating a supportive, safe yoga environment, March 2020.
The Legacy of Racism and the Ethics of Yoga (VIDEO 1:59:21) — IYNAUS Outreach Committee Yoga and Equity Symposium.
Dr. Andrea Benjamin, Dr. Ann Ostendorf, and Jarvis Chen, ScD, discuss the history of racism and how its legacy affects all of our lives.
Access and Inclusion (VIDEO 1:25:22) — IYNAUS Outreach Committee Yoga and Equity Symposium.
Cohosted by Brittany Harris and Betsy Silva, this session features Iyengar community members speaking about their experiences regarding race, equity, and inclusivity, as well as discussions on making Iyengar Yoga more accessible and giving underrepresented practitioners a stronger voice.
Yoga Hierarchies, Power and Equity (VIDEO 1:56:33) — IYNAUS DEIJ Yoga and Equity presents Yoga Hierarchies, Power and Equity.
In this session, CIYTs Hong Gwi-Seok and John Schumacher discuss a brief history of B.K.S. Iyengar, the development of Iyengar Yoga in the context of colonialism, and how we’ve inherited the concept of the guru in the West. CIYT Lisa Jo Landsberg facilitates a discussion about how we, as contemporary practitioners, support an equitable and inclusive tradition. May 15, 2021.
A Candid Conversation with Mychal Bryan (VIDEO 2:05:27) — IYNAUS DEIJ Yoga and Equity presents A Candid Conversation with Mychal Bryan.
In our final session in the 2020–2021 Yoga and Equity Series, we invited all practitioners to join DEIJ Committee members, past speakers, and volunteers in a community dialogue about moving from listening and learning to implement change in practice. Mychal A. Bryan, CIYT, facilitated sharing ideas and posed questions to challenge and elevate our practice as an Iyengar community. July 24, 2021
Yoga and Equity In Action: Iyengar Yoga in Prison (VIDEO 1:56:57) — The IYNAUS Yoga Equity Committee presents Yoga and Equity In Action: Iyengar Yoga in Prison.
A facilitated conversation about teaching Iyengar Yoga within the criminal/legal system. This event featured the experiences of teachers already teaching in these settings and an open discussion to explore ways IYNAUS can help support and connect those doing this work and how IYNAUS might be able to guide those interested in getting started. April 24, 2022.
Forging Connections: Lessons from the Second Tuesday Race Forum of Denver (VIDEO 1:57:09) — The IYNAUS Yoga Equity Committee presents Forging Connections: Lessons from the Second Tuesday Race Forum of Denver.
We heard from Harold Fields and Dena Samuels during this event, who co-facilitated the Second Tuesday Race Forum in Denver. This racial healing discussion group ran for over two decades. They shared their experiences leading the group and lessons for individuals and organizations. The event included an interview with the speakers, small break-out group discussions, and a Q+A session. October 15, 2022.
Embracing Yoga’s Roots with Susanna Barkataki (VIDEO 2:42:23) — The IYNAUS Yoga Equity Committee presents Embracing Yoga’s Roots with Susanna Barkataki.
We welcomed Susanna for this special session of the Yoga and Equity Symposium: “Embracing Yoga’s Roots,” a workshop based on the framework presented in her book, Embrace Yoga’s Roots, Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice. Susanna Barkataki brought subject-matter expertise, passion, and yoga classroom experience. November 12, 2022.
The Power of the Collective Listening Ear with Aaron Johnson (VIDEO 1:04:17) — The IYNAUS Yoga Equity Committee presents The Power of the Collective Listening Ear with Aaron Johnson.
We welcomed Aaron at the IYNAUS Convention 2023—Sankalpa. Aaron Johnson is a facilitator, public speaker, and touch activist. He is a co-founder of Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action and the creator of the Chronically UnderTouched Project. May 16, 2023.
Making Iyengar Yoga More Welcoming and Inclusive with Ryan McGraw and Matthew Sanford (VIDEO 1:38:17) — The IYNAUS Yoga Equity Committee presents Making Iyengar Yoga More Welcoming and Inclusive with Ryan McGraw and Matthew Sanford.
Ryan McGraw and Matthew Sanford shared their firsthand experience with disabilities and being Iyengar Yoga students. They offered insights for making yoga studios and classes more welcoming to students of all levels of abilities. January 27, 2024.
In Conversation with Linda Villarosa, author of “Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on Health in America.” (VIDEO 1:24:14) — The IYNAUS Yoga Equity Committee presents Linda Villarosa, author of “Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on Health in America.”
Linda Villarosa describes the new understanding that coping with the daily scourge of racism ages Black people prematurely. This is critical reading for anyone in healing occupations. March 2, 2024.
IYNAUS Yoga Equity Grant Procedures
To further IYNAUS’s purpose, IYNAUS has created a program to offer a limited number of grants to Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs), studios, and/or Iyengar Regional Associations to support their outreach efforts to make Iyengar yoga more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. These grants will be awarded through the Yoga Equity Committee.
Eligibility
To apply for a yoga equity grant.
- You must be an Iyengar Regional Association, studio, or CIYT in good standing with IYNAUS (current member, fulfilled continuing education requirements, current on dues and certification mark fees).
- You must specify what grant monies will be used for (e.g., teaching stipend, mats for the population served, room rental, etc.).
- The program description must provide sufficient detail to demonstrate that the yoga program or project will successfully reach the intended audience.
- Conveying a background in working with the intended audience is considered a plus, but the committee realizes that candidates can demonstrate an interest in yoga equity work in other ways.
- The program must be based in the United States.
- You must include a letter or email of support from the studio or organization where classes will be hosted, if not one’s own business.
- The program must not be a one-time event.
- You must provide proof of professional insurance.
Application Procedure
Interested applicants must complete and submit the application form. After completing the application online, they can upload any supporting documents through the form or email them to EquityChair@iynaus.org.
The Yoga Equity Committee will review applications within one month of receiving all the supporting documents. Applicants will be notified by email whether the grant has been fully or partially approved.
The IYNAUS Treasurer will issue the grant within seven (7) calendar days of Yoga Equity Committee approval and receipt of written confirmation, in which the recipient agrees to the conditions outlined in the last section below.
Grant Amount
Grant amounts will be determined based on the proposed budget by the applicant, not to exceed $1000.
Conditions of Grant
As a condition of receipt of grant monies, the successful applicant shall agree to the following conditions:
- Use the funds within six months of the grant being issued.
- Notify the IYNAUS Yoga Equity Committee of any substantive changes to the program or project after the grant has been issued, including its incompletion or discontinuance.
- To provide and follow through with a timeline for the intended launch and duration of the program.
- To use all monies for the program or project specified in the application.
- If, in good faith, the grant recipient cannot run the classes, they must return the unused portion of the grant monies.
- Within 30 days of the conclusion of the program, write and submit to the Yoga Equity Committee a brief report (a few paragraphs) sharing details about the program or project and its impact on promoting IYNAUS’s mission to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in Iyengar Yoga. Include, if appropriate, videos and photos, lessons learned, and any next steps.
- Any material the grant recipient submits belongs to the grant recipient, but IYNAUS can use it at any time for any reason without further permission.