#94: Discussing Intersectionality in the Yoga Class with Susanna Barkataki

Yoga Inspiration

Take a moment to appreciate your yoga practice. No matter where you are on your journey, take a moment now to appreciate how far you’ve come. The practice of yoga itself has come even farther, originating back thousands of years in a soulful intention of re-connecting with the universe and ourselves.

Take this moment now to remember a yoga class you took or a teacher you studied with which inspired a sense of belonging and community. Yoga is a community, one we share with practitioners from centuries ago who have protected and cataloged this yoga, so that we may continue on its journey today.

I invited Susanna Barkataki here with me to discuss the beginnings of yoga and how modern yogis can cultivate a sense of cultural appreciation for the practice, rather than appropriation.

Susanna was born into a family where yoga was practiced at home, but it was never something she could share with the outside world. Yoga is supposed to create a sense of community, but for her, it was becoming a space of loneliness. It wasn’t until later that she learned she had to carry her yoga practice with her off the mat and into the real world to successfully make her identity whole again.

Mainstream yoga is a new trend in the West, breeding clothing lines and classes with cute farm animals. The yoga practice of the West sort of brushes over the faith and the history that is at play on the mat, and it becomes the responsibility of us, as practitioners, to learn more and create more space for other members of the yoga community.

We discuss Susanna’s book and how we can learn to recognize the roles we play in different situations. Where you have power and privilege will paint your experiences, and it’s important to ask yourself “Where do I experience privilege?” both on and off the yoga mat.

This exercise is not meant to generate shame but to develop a sense of awareness so you can use your perspective to create change. Susanna gives us the tools to generate this awareness by teaching us to recognize the values that come from yoga in everyday life. We’re in the world, we’re embodied, and your yoga practice should touch all parts of your life.

To learn more about Susanna, visit Embrace Yoga’s Roots. If you would like to sign up for yoga courses with me, get your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com & use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial.

Keep up with me on Instagram at @kinoyoga and visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com.

If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, get in touch with me at [e-mail]. You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.