Yogis for Radical Inclusion
I just got back from my 7th year at Burning Man! After many years covered in dust and returning home bright eyed and bushy tailed, I wanted to keep the burn alive by starting a discussion within the yoga community. One of my favorite principles of Burning Man (the first to be exact) is Radical Inclusion.
rad·i·cal - ˈradək(ə)l/ adjective - (especially of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.
in·clu·sion - inˈklo͞oZHən/ noun- the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure.
“Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community”
So where does yoga come in?
Most of us spend our time in a studio when we practice, but I am starting to discover more and more that there is a huge group of people that don't want to step foot into a studio! The reasons I have heard range from class size to bad interactions with teachers. The other big reason I have been told is they don't feel welcomed by the other students. If the class sizes can't change and not every teacher is for every student, then I am here to say that we as yogis should start in our own studios to radically include everyone. The best thing about yoga is because it is an individual practice, everyone should feel welcome while doing it. Each person's practice is going to look totally different, but lets celebrate that! Lets welcome new people to this lifelong journey of yoga.
To go deeply into any practice you need to have faith that the practice is serving you, you must have a willingness to practice, and you must have the support of others doing the same things. The beautiful part of practicing in a studio is not only learning new things from the instructor, but also being in sangha (sanskrit word for community). This community is what we are creating when we radically include everyone. Obviously there are some exceptions to this rule. This wouldn't include people that are there for the wrong reasons but anyone with good intentions and a willingness to learn should feel welcome in our yoga communities.
Lets start to make yoga for everyone. We have spread this practice around the world. Lets make sure that everyone around the world feels radically included to join us on the journey to the self and into our bodies.
With Love,
M
