Ever wonder how yoga relates to justice and peace? Check out a blog post by Yoga District founder Jasmine on how our yoga practice can serve as self care and as a practice of peace in its own right. From teachings of former Harvard Professor Ram Das to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Emily Greene Balch, you’ll explore a few simple ideas about how everyday life is full of opportunities to practice peace.

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IS peace the point or the journey? 

Back in 2009 I asked Ram Das, former Harvard professor and author of Be Here Now (pictured here), how to love people who I considered political enemies. He told me:

“You’ll never find peace in the outside world. Just go inside, find peace, then become an instrument of peace.”

So next time you do some yoga, do it as an instrument of peace. Your practice is not just for you. It’s for everyone, everywhere, who deserves or needs that peace. It’s for peace itself.

Every time you practice in this way, it’s as if you’re making a little deposit in the universal bank account of peace. When you join a peace demonstration, when you are kind, when you eat vegan, when you don’t buy something you don’t need, when you speak truth to power, you’re making little deposits in the peace bank.

If you’re attached to achieving peace, you might find yourself upset with much of the results these days. But attachment to achieving peace isn’t the goal. Instead, like Nobel Peace Prize laureate Emily Greene Balch (pictured here) said, “Peace is the way.” So the goal is to peacefully fight for the fight for peace.

As always, thanks for sharing your practice with us, and please keep finding ways to contribute to peace. Be sure to do plenty of yoga as self care so you develop strong resilience to any ups and downs you have on the journey! 

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 Meet Maylin, one of our teachers at Yoga District who focuses on accessibility, inclusivity, and healing practices. Learn about her journey with yin yoga and how she helps her students practice the best yoga for their bodies. Check out Maylin’s current class offerings at bit.ly/yd-maylin. 

Yin yoga features poses held for longer periods of time compared to flow and other hatha yoga classes, and the practice incorporates principles of traditional Chinese medicine.  It’s a great way to do some deep, meditative stretches to develop real flexibility and mindfulness.

Yin Yoga Journey 

I’ve been practicing yoga since college but had only done ashtanga/vinyasa classes. To rebuild my strength after an injury, I took a Yin/Yang class and discovered that I really loved the yin practice. Finding that yin teachers were in short supply, I did extensive yin yoga teacher training and even trained under its founders, Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers. 

Now, as a yin teacher, I love sharing my practice with others. Not only does this practice provide physical, energetic, and mindful benefits, it encourages each student to customize poses to their bodies (1). For example, in yin yoga, we can all be in slightly different poses when working on hamstrings. Each of us utilizes props as we see fit to support ourselves in our poses. Since we hold yin poses for several minutes, I have time to work with students individually to make their poses optimal for their bodies. 

Yoga for All

A lot of people tell me they can’t do yoga because they aren’t flexible, which is a huge misconception. My teacher Bernie Clark is famous for saying, “We do not use the body to get into a pose – we use the pose to get into our body.” I encourage people who haven’t tried yoga to not worry about looking “perfect” in a pose or whether they can touch their toes. Yoga is about getting in tune with body and breath. You may eventually find some mindfulness and energetic benefits as well. 

My yin yoga training has taught me a lot about skeletal variation. Everybody has a unique skeletal structure and we may need to adjust poses accordingly (2). For example, I have a long torso and short arms, so it’s impossible for me to touch my hips in the starting position of a bridge pose. I can come into a traditional bridge pose, but I’ve learned that I can get into a much deeper backbend and feel more supported with my feet further apart.

Our skeletal structures may also limit us when doing certain poses. For example, I admit that even as a yoga teacher, I cannot do a headstand because of the structure of my shoulders and length of my arms. In a supported headstand, I learned that my head was hitting the ground first just by a bit, which is why I could never figure out how to leverage my arms to support me in the inversion. In my classes, I incorporate teaching with skeletal variation (i.e. functionally). I will be pursuing more training in functional vinyasa and hope to share this approach when teaching vinyasa as well. 

Teaching Yoga

I love that I get to teach a variety of students in my classes. I strongly believe in making my yin and yin/yang classes accessible to all ages, body types, and conditions. It’s inspiring that so many students, particularly those with injuries and conditions, are willing to try my classes and trust me to guide them in their practice. 

In my classes, the top requests I get from students are to work on hips and shoulders. These areas carry a lot of tension and emotion in our bodies. Prior to COVID-19, I would often do some gentle adjustments and reiki on my students during yin poses. I feel my students’ energy change during child’s pose, figure four, or sleeping swan — a yin version of pigeon (3). They tend to release stress during shoulder openers, such as supported heart-opener, supported fish pose, or simply savasana (4 and 5).

Sources

1. 1. Benefits of Yin, https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/types-of-yoga/yin/yin-yoga-2/
   2. A Lesson in Anatomy: Why Your Practice Won’t Look Like Anyone Else’s, https://yogainternational.com/article/view/a-lesson-in-anatomy-why-your-practice-wont-look-like-anyone-elses
   3. Sleeping swan pose, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/9618/sleeping-swan-pose-yi
   4. Supported fish pose (Matsyana), https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/modify-fish-pose-joy-contentment/
   5. Savasana, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6582/savasana

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Join us, in celebrating Women’s History Month and feminist yogis!

We honor female identifying yogis in our community by telling their stories. The diversity of their experiences helps represent the true narrative that yoga is for everybody. Yoga District tries to have safe inclusive spaces that are accessible for all to practice.

Check out past posts that feature feminist yogis in our community. This month we highlight Maylin’s story.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF? 

I am an Asian American that grew up in California with immigrant parents and a socioeconomically disadvantaged background. As a first generation college student, I studied economics and sociology, and also pursued a Master in Public Policy. I moved to D.C. to work for the federal government, as I wanted to work in public service.

Another interest of mine is music. I sing in a DC area choir called Six Degree Singers (1). I obviously also love yoga and Yin Yoga makes me feel at peace.

IF YOGA HAS HELPED YOU COPE WITH MENSTRUATION, ARE THERE ANY RELATED TEACHINGS OR ADVICE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE? 

For as long as I can remember, I had unusual periods that were long with bad cramps. Doctors shrugged it off as being a teenager and my mom would berate me for looking sick while I was on my period. It is built into us at an early age that it is taboo to talk about periods, pelvic pain, and women’s health in general. A study in 2019, found that cramps and heavy bleeding were linked to about 9 lost days of productivity for a woman every year. Also, that only 1 out of 5 women told their employer or school the real reason for their absence (2). 

Overtime, my premenstrual syndrome (PMS) started to last 2 weeks (3). My menstrual cycle would be 7 to 10 days with bad cramps (severe dysmenorrhea)and then there would still be pain afterwards (4). In total, it badly affected about 50% of my life but at least my periods came every 6 weeks versus 4 weeks. At that time in my life, vinyasa yoga felt like something I could do even during the bad days of my PMS and period.

Doctors put me through every type of birth control you could think of to try to manage the PMS and severe dysmenorrhea during my periods. They suspected an endometriosis diagnosis, which was later confirmed (5). Eventually, I developed chronic pelvic pain and fibromyalgia so vinyasa yoga didn’t always feel doable (6). I discovered a yin/ yang yoga class that became my sanctuary. It’s a hybrid of some flow followed by deep releases in long held floor based yin poses. The Yin Yoga practice in particular really helped to open up my lower body and improve pelvic pain. 

DESCRIBE HOW YOU RELATE TO YOUR BODY DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF YOGA? 

Yin Yoga helping with my pain ultimately inspired me to become a yoga teacher. I pursued my 200 Hour training at Yoga District. I have spent 500 hours of training with the top Yin teachers around the world, learning about: 

• Anatomy and skeletal variation (7)
• Myofascial release (8)
• Meridians (9)
• Meditation.

I also pursued a Pelvic Floor Yoga teacher training program. This integrated my knowledge of Yin Yoga to find great releases for the pelvic floor, which often becomes tight if you have chronic cramps, dysmenorrhea, or other pelvic pain (10). Additionally vinyasa training has enhanced my understanding of how to strengthen the body as well. My yoga training and practice has empowered my body awareness with increased knowledge of my own body. Plus, it’s provided me with more tools for strengthening and releasing my body. Also, the commitment of showing up to teach every week helped me overcome the mental barrier that I couldn’t do vinyasa yoga when I was in pain.  

For those who are interested in teaching or deepening their practice, I am part of Yoga District’s 200 Hour Teacher Training Faculty.  If you’re looking to learn more about Yin Yoga or how to teach it then check out my 50 Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training  over 3 weekends spread out from April 2023 to May 2023.

WHAT DOES BEING A FEMINIST MEAN TO YOU? 

Being a feminist means having control over your body, advocating for your voice and others’ voices to be heard, while also supporting other women. Previous male acupuncturists that treated me had zero idea what it’s like to have debilitating periods. They were pushy about me getting off birth control since they viewed it as an impediment to my progress. For me being on birth control, that generally suppresses periods, is the only way I’ve been able to live my life and advance in my career. I still go to acupuncture on a weekly basis but I have simply chosen to see someone less judgmental and rigid on traditional chinese medicine protocols.

DO YOU FEEL YOUR YOGA PRACTICE IS A FEMINIST ACT? 

My goal in becoming a teacher is to share this practice and knowledge with others. I also want to facilitate a change that talking about pelvic pain is okay. The amount of self advocacy and entrepreneurship in putting together the care required would be a lot easier if we shared our experiences (good and bad). In honor of Women’s History Month and Endometriosis Awareness month,  I am again offering this free Yoga for Pelvic Pain workshop (March 19 at the 14th studio and online) (11,12). This year, like last year’ workshop, we also included a safe space for a discussion about Pelvic Health.  

I’ve had my journey with pelvic pain, yoga, and becoming a yoga teacher.  I want to empower, provide support, and be a resource for your journey.

MY YOGA CLASSES

You can find me in my weekly class offerings, where there’s a variety to choose from depending on your needs. If you’re interested in private sessions then you can fill out this form.

• If you’re just looking for deep releases and to calm your body and mind then try my Friday Yin Yoga class (6:40 pm at Dupont and online).
• Sunday’s Yin Yoga with Myofascial Release class will dive deeper into your body’s fascia and other deeper tissues (13). It also integrates tennis balls for self myofascial release (6 pm at Dupont and online).
• Looking to balance out your body with gentle strengthening followed by deep releases then my Sunday Yin/Yang Yoga class is a great choice (12:45 pm at 14th street and online).
• Friday ‘s Chill Flow 1-2 class is an ideal beginner friendly flow class to unwind from your week while bringing in some strengthening (5:20 at Dupont).
• For a more strength-based flow where you can play with adapting poses for your body then Sunday’s Flow 1.5 to 2 class is a perfect option (4:45 pm at Dupont and Online).

Sources

1. Six Degree Singers, Singsix.com
2. Period pain linked to nearly 9 days of lost productivity for a woman in a year, https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/27/health/period-pain-productivity-study-intl/index.html
3. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/premenstrual-syndrome
4. Dysmenorrhea, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4148-dysmenorrhea
5. Endometriosis, https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/endometriosis
6. Fibromyalgia, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4832-fibromyalgia
7. Functional Yoga: When Is Alignment Important?, https://yogainternational.com/article/view/functional-yoga-when-is-alignment-important/
8. Myofascial Release, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24011-myofascial-release-therapy
9. The Relationship Between Yin Yoga and the Meridians, https://www.yogapedia.com/the-relationship-between-yin-yoga-and-the-meridians/2/12091
10. The hypertonic pelvic floor, https://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au/news/577/the-hypertonic-pelvic-floor/
11. Women’s History Month, https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month
12. Endometriosis Awareness month, https://nationaltoday.com/national-endometriosis-awareness-month/
13. Fascia, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23251-fascia 

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Check out past posts that feature black yogis in our community. The history of black yogis in America is entwined with the civil rights movement. Black people, in the 1950s possibly earlier, were practicing yoga and adopting non-violent practices also called ahimsa. Learn more about the history of Black yogis in America in our post, Celebrating Black Yogis: Then and Now.

This month we highlight Allison C.’s story. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR YOGA JOURNEY?

I feel fortunate to realize that I liked yoga by taking a Black teacher’s classes at a gym. However, I was super intimidated when I decided that I wanted to start going to a studio. It was more than 10 years ago and I think I just started googling until I found Yoga District. Yoga has been a special part of how I keep coming home to myself. Over the years, there are weeks where I have practiced everyday and months at a time that I didn’t touch my mat. But all along the poses, the breathwork, the deep connectivity to people and also the planet have been my conduit to restabilize and get present. I am so grateful for it.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BEING A YOGI / YOGA PRACTITIONER?

Being a perpetual student. Always learning and practicing. I’m not ever perfecting but just trying again.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?

I’m Black and more specifically African-American. My ancestors were enslaved to Virginia and South Carolina. I feel deeply connected to the entire Diaspora.

WHAT DOES BEING A BLACK PERSON MEAN TO YOU?

I like yoga but I love being Black. I’m grateful to have grown up with a deep connection to my own history. I often think about how much choice and freedom I have compared to many of my ancestors.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU HEAR “BLACK HISTORY MONTH?”

I think “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” and Black History Month programs at the local library in my hometown. I know it can be dangerous and tokenizing but I also know it can be celebratory.

IS THERE A SPECIFIC BLACK PERSON FROM HISTORY WHO INSPIRES YOU? WHAT ABOUT A PERSON FROM TODAY?

Octavia Butler inspires me. Her certainty about her own success and her skill in clearly seeing the future makes me want to invest in my own creative process. She reminds me that our success is based on the goals we set for ourselves and our own commitment to consistently use our talents.

WHAT DOES BEING A BLACK YOGI / YOGA PRACTITIONER MEAN TO YOU? 

Hmm, I haven’t thought about it before. I just am that.

WHY DID YOU COME TO YOGA DISTRICT/ ACTIVIST? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR?

Mostly good. When I started there weren’t a lot of other Black people but I never felt alienated like I have at other studios. I don’t know if I would still be doing yoga if it weren’t for Yoga District.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT YOGA STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND STUDIOS DO TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE IDENTIFYING AS BLACK PEOPLE OF COLOR?

Be honest about whether or not that is a goal and then act accordingly.

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOGA RELATES TO YOUR EFFORTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE?

It’s 100% since I’m the Director of Equity, People, Inclusion and Culture at the Working Families Party. Yoga helps me to be deeply connected to myself and to remember my own humanity as I remember others. It helps me to be authentic, to trust my colleagues and to show up for them emotionally and physically.

IN YOGA PHILOSOPHY, THEY SAY THE FIRST ETHICAL RULE OF YOGA IS AHIMSA, ALSO KNOWN AS NONVIOLENCE OR ACTIVE LOVE. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOGA PRACTITIONERS COULD DO TO PRACTICE AHIMSA?

To think more deeply about how we would truly act if we were invested in being in community. I’m conflicted about this, because I do think there should be space for yoga that is not necessarily location bound. Yet even in that case there are always ways that we can support and connect to each other. There are always more ways that we can do love for ourselves and each other. 

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inspiring quotes from MLK jr and swami sivananda

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”- Martin Luther King, Jr  

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”-  Martin Luther King, Jr. 

“By doing service you purify your heart. Egoism, hatred, jealousy, the idea of superiority and all the kindred negative qualities will vanish. Humility, pure love, sympathy, tolerance and mercy will be developed. The sense of separateness will be annihilated. Selfishness will be eradicated. You will get a broad and liberal outlook on life. You will begin to feel oneness and unity. Eventually you will obtain knowledge of the Self. You will realize “One in all” and “all in One”. You will feel unbounded joy.” – Swami Sivananda

get started

There are many government and nonprofit organizations with projects happening locally that are looking for volunteers on MLK Day and beyond. You can also participate in mutual aid for a more localized grass roots approach . Mutual aid groups are run by organizers and volunteers who respond to the articulated needs of their community. These groups are rooted in the belief that those on the front lines have the wisdom to solve the problems, and that collective action is the way to make it happen. By creating a space where people can come together to address a shared need despite different lived experiences, we can build solidarity and create lasting change. Check out our guide to Mutual Aid to learn how you can join a mutual aid network in your community.

yoga district / activist gives back

As community-run yoga centers, Yoga District is committed to providing diverse, accessible, affordable yoga to all. We want to be a safe space in the community when anyone feels like they can explore their yoga journey. Offering a sliding scale, the ability to pay is not a factor in accessing our classes. Many also join our work-study program to become community volunteers who also take unlimited free yoga classes. Funds from Yoga District classes are directed to its non-profit Yoga Activist, which supports trauma-sensitive yoga outreach trainings, yoga mat donations, and community outreach classes. Thanks for your support of our mission to serve diverse communities through yoga and wellness education!

By Charon K and Jasmine C.

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We collect mats at Yoga District studios, and we collect mats from other studios and individuals too. Organizations hosting yoga events that no longer need mats after their event send mats our way. Sometimes, yoga mat manufacturers or distributors have extra mats to spare too.

We wouldn’t be able to cover the costs of cleaning, packing, and shipping the mats, without your support. The heavy lifting is handled by the amazing volunteers dedicated to the program. So when you get on the mat with us, remember that your regular practice at Yoga District is what makes this program happen. Together, we can do some good! 

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According to the American Negotiation Institute, the two greatest concerns are lack of representation and cost of the practice. A source of failed inclusivity in yoga is cost and affordability. Americans spend around $16 billion on yoga classes, equipment, clothing, and accessories. A person that practices yoga is projected to spend almost $90 monthly on the practice (Rakicevic,2020.) In 2014, the average price of a yoga mat was around $23 (Lange,2021.) Another cost associated with the practice is apparel. The expenditure on yoga clothing more than doubled between 2008 and 2012; and is still on the rise (Lange,2021.) Thus, cost and representation are two of the key barriers to an inclusive yoga practice. These barriers to inclusivity are troublesome; however, solutions are available.

To address the cost barrier to yoga practice, a possible solution is to offer discounted participation rates to those of lower socioeconomic status. Free and open community events are recommended as well. Another great solution is to provide the option of donations that can be used to subsidize the cost of practice of those of lower socioeconomic status. Here at Yoga District, we are actively practicing some of these cost inclusivity methods. We actively use part of our proceeds to donate to yoga outreach programs for people in need. We offer sliding-scale fees, a free yoga program, and an accessibility application to address any other cost-associated barriers to our practice. Yoga District is a community-run yoga center committed to providing diverse, accessible, affordable yoga to all. We recognize the need for intentional inclusivity in yoga. We will continue to work towards inclusivity. Please join us in this effort. Yoga is for all, and it is our duty to make the practice inclusive to all.

Article by Alexis Toliver, pictured above.

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