Hey, hey, welcome, and welcome back. Here we are on the last Tuesday of May. And I am hoping that despite the fiery conversation I'm about to have with you, hoping that you are. This conversation is finding you in a space where you can breathe in this moment where maybe you can relax your eyebrows, you can soften your jaw, maybe soften your hands, maybe allow for a little bit of movement or release within the body. So that you can simply just be present. Maybe think, learn, unlearn, consider explore. Because I'm dropping in with a conversation that I have not yet had on the show or on any platform really, like in this way. And it's a conversation if I'm being honest, has been that has been brewing for a long ass time. And the theme is, Western white yoga is an IT friends, period. In the West, in case, maybe you're completely unfamiliar, which totally fine, here I am, I'm gonna break it down for you. In the West. Yoga has been appropriated. It's been whitewashed and watered down. And honestly, as a result, the yoga industry is a big ass mess, at least it is here in the US. And as I'm starting to connect with teachers and colleagues, in other Western countries, particularly in Canada, and England, I'm beginning to understand, it's actually quite a mess there as well. So it's not just here. But here in the US, especially one of the biggest problems that we have is that yoga Alliance, the governing body, if you will, of yoga, is making and keeping millions of dollars. While yoga teachers on average are being paid, I don't know $20 A class, unless you're lucky enough to be quote, unquote, established like a big name, or you're living in a near tour in a major city, where you can, you know, get more, more money and what you deserve, really, because of, you know, your expertise and being a human that needs to pay bills, right? When I say deserving, I don't mean just because are you better than the next person, but I mean, like what we deserve as like humans, because we need to pay our fucking bills. My friends, also, you know, Yoga has been completely disconnected from its roots in these western countries. And so in the West, what we know as yoga is a largely physical practice that is very ableist. Actually, it doesn't really include typically, any variations or many variations. There's often like a pose hierarchy, where you're given a pose, and then here are three variations to make it even harder, or one, if you can't do this, here's another option to make it easier. It's often based on your body's ability to move through space, being injury free, usually having a thinner body, bendy your body. I mean, the list goes on. classes may use tools like blocks or straps, but it's typically in the frame of assisting or aiding as in like you need help, because you can't do the poses is meant to be. And classes may include breathing, maybe meditation, typically like a positive theme, you know, something that is like high vibe and, you know, allowing yourself to be your best self without really deeply connecting to yourself in a way that uncovers all the bullshit, all the ugly stuff, all the hard stuff, as well as all of that that's going on in society, right? We can't talk about politics and all the bullshit and all the injustice, right? We need to just stay high vibe. I could spend probably an entire 10 months of podcast episodes talking about my problem with this. Something also that is deeply happening within the West is appropriation versus appreciation and appropriation is when you use something anything for your own gain, you kind of take it and make money off of it something that is not within your culture or something that you are not brought up with something that is not your own. And that's exactly what's being done with yoga. Right yoga has roots are not here in the US. They are not here in western countries. And oftentimes the teachers who we're seeing are white, with no connection to yogas roots, which there's not thing wrong with white people teaching yoga at all. But when the practice the culture, the philosophy, the teaching is completely disconnected from the countries and the culture, and the values and the morals that it was created in and within. While that's a problem, and unfortunately, in the yoga industry, it's usually white teachers who are centered and platformed, and white teachers who are making the most money white teachers who are looked at as the most experienced, and the most knowing. And it's an interesting place for me to be in because I am a person of color. My parents are from Trinidad and Jamaica, by way of though India, both of their ancestry comes from India, but I don't identify as South Asian, I identify as either West Indian or indo Caribbean, which the Indo Caribbean, you know, signifies that of I identify it in terms of like nationality from the Caribbean. But that also indicates that ancestry from India, and it's interesting, because, you know, my family's culture. Some of it is, is, you know, connected back to Indian culture. And then some of it isn't some of its Caribbean some of its Christian, right, because Christianity is also a part of both of those countries cultures. So, I have been since I have been in space, talking about the appropriation of yoga. I've spent a lot of time and we probably the last two years, reevaluating my relationship with yoga, reevaluating my connection with yoga, my my, I don't want to say right, but that's the word that's coming to mind right now my right to teach and lead. Because this, all of this science, this wisdom, I feel, comes down to me through my ancestry, through those roots, those connections I have, but they were not given to me. And cultural familial practices growing up. I was raised here in America, Catholic, and so you know, and also with a lot of American culture, but still, some of the practices some of the the teachings and some of the rituals that I was brought up with that I saw my family in both the countries that my parents come from, that I saw them engaging in are very much rooted, and yoga, and its roots and its roots is the countries from which it originated. So I share all that to say like, I'm still on my own journey of unpacking and learning and figuring out where I fit in all of this, but I still fat found and the reason I'm talking about this today is because I feel like this conversation needs to be had I have found that I'm constantly trying to defend or inform why I why my business is run the way it is and why yoga is such a foundation of it, why the holistic self care collective has the foundation it does that the mentorship program I have and so I'm like, You know what, I need to finally set the record straight, and also call out the shit that needs to be talked about. You know, when it comes to yoga here in the West, what we know of it often is coming from social media, which is filled with what some people may call physical feats. Oftentimes arm balances and ultra back bends or like pretzel like positions. It's also been what I like to call fitness, fitness, dash Ed. Because in commercial gyms, it's more of like acrobatics, right, like how far can I bend myself? How far can I stretch myself?
How long can I hold something for it's like extreme invest. And it's also been included in fusion style classes, you know, fitness classes that are like yoga and pilates. It's been cardio, so cardio was added to yoga or yoga is added within cardio classes. weights have been I've seen classes where weights are added to Asana, you know, even into the sun salutation. And it's largely being used as a tool for stretching. But all of the goodness beyond the Asana is left out. Unless maybe somebody's breathing through the poses, or maybe somebody's meditating. But there's so much more to yoga. And also, I said before about religion, you know, in America, a country rooted in Christianity. Also, another myth or assumption about yoga is that it is a religious practice. And here's the thing. You can be religious and practice yoga, you can not be religious and practice yoga. So it can be, you know, yoga, lifestyle, your culture and yoga asana, which is typically what we're talking about when we talk about yoga in the West, can be practiced as a practice of religion, just as you might pray before you eat or, you know, any other, you know, religious practice, or it could not have a religious context at all. And so, you know, and typical American culture, what we don't know, and our ignorance causes fear, right? Causes assumptions. Yeah, it's bullshit. And so as a result of all of this recently, like in the last week or so, I was just having this conversation in a group session recently, and I said, you know, I feel the need to rename all of my yoga classes, something that starts with not your western whitewashed, appropriated, watered down yoga class. What do you think? Would you come? Too much? Oh, my gosh. So when it comes to the history, let's get a little serious, though, right? When it comes to the history of the culture of yoga, I'm going to break it down for you, as I currently understand it. But I also want to name that I remain on a journey of learning and unlearning, since my experience with yoga is completely indoctrinated by American culture and values, like completely and totally, and it's funny, because as I learn and unlearn, and as I spend more time in reflection and consideration, again, I begin to connect back to my ancestral roots, my ancestral wisdom. But it's a process. So you're ready. Here's a little history lesson from what I know right now, in terms of the history of yoga, it is very broad, it was created in India as well as African and Middle Eastern cultures and Thai. So, you know, there is often this definitive statement that yoga was created in India. No, in that area of the world, India, Middle East Africa, stems from ancient holy texts like the Vedas, in India, but also other texts and other cultural practices outside of India. It has was written in many languages, one of which is Sanskrit, which is an ancient language. And so that's why oftentimes you will hear names of poses and names of teachings in another language. And, you know, for me, I think it's a beautiful thing to honor the history and the lineage of yoga, and not necessarily always go by an English word, because again, appropriation the definition of yoga, this is these are coming from the book light on yoga by BKs Iyengar but there are many like there are so many definitions of yoga and I don't think any one is correct, except for one that's incorrect is that it just you know, physical practice to make you bendy, right. It could mean union or communion. It could be the disciplining of the intellect, the mind the emotions, the will, it could be the poise of the soul that enables one to look at life in all its aspects evenly. It could be deliverance from pain and sorrow. It could be your your human endeavor to kind of win or be with inner peace and happiness. It could be so many things. Connecting very deeply on a spiritual or cellular level. Also connecting you with others, different beings all around you And as I said before, you know, there are a lot of ancient and sacred texts that bring the teachings to us. You may have heard of the Bhagavad Gita or the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Or, as I said, light on yoga by BKs Iyengar, those are not only the ones, these are the ones that typically are out there in the Western world. But there are so many other texts and so many other teachers as well. There are a number of lineages of yoga, a number of teachers of yoga, which is why you can have a very different experience based on the type of class you go to or who the teacher is, and where they, you know, which lineage their teacher training came from. If they did a teacher training, I mean, because that's a whole nother thing. You know, here in the US, especially, you know, we are so based on teaching in education, and you know, there's a hierarchy and that and so much of what we need to know about yoga actually isn't even included in teacher trainings. And it comes from the wisdom that is passed on through generations, right from people within the culture. So that's also problematic. But I'm putting that aside, not because it's not important, but because that's not part of our conversation today, although it's a really important one and hopefully one that I will be having in coming episodes. Yoga really is a philosophy and a way of life. It connects the mind, body and spirit. It connects you to all of your energies and all of your different states of consciousness. It deepens your connection to yourself to others, including your ancestors, all beings nature, the universe, and includes the physical practice of exercise is called Asana. But it is not only the asana practice, now when it comes to yoga and its culture, I cannot remember if it's Suzanna Barca taki or Michelle Cassandra Johnson that coined this phrase, but it's a practice of personal liberation and collective freedom, which I freaking love. I think that that just hits it on its head. And the culture of yoga is guided by an eight fold or eight limbed path of observances or practices. And, and what I'm about to share is largely informed by the work of Susanna Parker Taki, and Michelle, Cassandra Johnson, because they are doing work to dismantle this white supremacy culture, you know, that is in this that's deeply, you know, rooted in and has washed whitewashed. What yoga really is meant to be and yoga at its roots. And so, when we talk about the eight fold or eight limbs path, which some people call Ashtanga or Kashtan, Ashtanga Yoga, there are basically eight principles. And we look at this not just as practices for our personal life, but also practices in that help us uphold social justice. So the first one is yamasa these are ethical disciplines a sense of integrity are focused on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves outside in life. And there are five of them are Ahimsa, which is non violence or non harm Saathiya which is truth truth telling truthful listening, truth living, you know, not living in ignorance, or with Rose rose colored glasses on a may require a lot of learning and unlearning a Stayer, which is non stealing or not taking more than you need or that is really often offered. So hello greed, Brahmacharya which is energy management of extremes which could be a feelings cravings, manipulation, and tempering all that with moderation, it also is a movement towards a central truth. And the fifth one is a par gras non possessiveness, non grasping and letting go of attachment. And you know, attachment not only in a physical nature, but emotional mental as well. The second limb is the knee Yamas ethical behaviors towards ourselves tools for inner strength and self reflection, which those last two are input from Michelle Cassandra Johnson. And the first one is Sasha, which is purification, cleanliness and the body, mind and emotions of your spaces, your relationships, pure actions and the elimination of toxicity, which includes our toxic systems santosha contentment, which is being present the present practice of acceptance of what is right now. Excuse me being at ease. The fourth one, I'm sorry. The third one I'm sorry is tapas which is like fiery discipline, to blaze to burn to shine, devotion, inner strength of body and mind. Character courage, wisdom straightforwardness,
and simplicity, also spared Yaya which is self study self reflection, or absorbing spiritual wisdom non judgmental self have non judgmental self observation. And for me that's also a practice of noticing what is and the opposite of spiritually bypassing and gaslighting ourselves because if we're acknowledging what is, then we can't ignore it and bypass it. And we also can't say, oh, well, it should be a different way. Why am I like this? Shouldn't I be better Should I not be experiencing this? Like, that's bullshit. And then the fifth Neoma is is Farah primadonna. And that is a surrender to God's surrender to spirit, it is also offering your skills, your abilities up for something greater than yourself. It could be, you know, a higher focus a higher meaning. And, you know, Michelle, Cassandra Johnson and Susannah Barca Toki, they, they encourage us to use both the Yamahas and the new Yamas as the foundation of our work and social justice in calling out the ways that things are not right and not equitable. The third of the eight limbs of yoga is Asana. That's what we know the most of your movement and physical postures. And the purpose of Asana is not to be the bendiness person, it is not to be able to do arm balances to prove that you are so strong it is it's not about holding a pose for the longest period of time. It is about bringing steadiness to yourself health to yourself a lightness in the way you move through the world. Because when we are steady when we are with health, when we are light in ourselves, and I don't mean light as in light, you don't weigh a lot. But like the vibe, the feeling the essence of being light, that allows for mental equilibrium, and it prevents you from all of or lessons I shouldn't say prevents but lessens the the natures of the mind that feel unsettled or get stuck in sadness or stuck in anger. Right not saying that you don't want to have these feelings or emotions, but that you don't get stuck in it. Right. Asana is meant to be performed anywhere without the need of particular equipment. Unless you know, you don't have to have a yoga block, you can use something else you don't have to have a yoga strap, you could use something else, right you don't even have to you have a yoga mat, or yoga clothes. You know, Asana is geared towards addressing all of the muscles, the nerves, the glands, creating a strong flexible body, you know, flexible for you, right, that is free of disease, a mobile body, hopefully reducing fatigue, soothing the nerves because friends, we want to soothe the nervous system. And what it does is allows the body to be strong, not fit as in what the West Western culture has named fit, but like fit as in when you know, so that we can be at ease and as helpful as we can be, you know, doesn't mean that we're gonna get rid of illness, it doesn't mean that, you know, all of a sudden, if you have chronic fatigue, that you won't have chronic fatigue anymore, but it's just to allow you to eat more easeful way of being so then your mind can be at ease because that really is the focus of yoga is allowing your mind to be more at ease. The name of poses pays homage to the history of yoga, to all that as around us vegetation, insects, animals, sages who were profoundly wise man, I mean, let's be real the patriarchy goes back way back even 1000s of years ago, especially people who are featured in like ancient history or legend as well as gods and then the fourth limb is pranayama breath control, right prana is the breath of life vitality, wind energy or strength. I Yama is lengthened. So this is the ability to kind of control the breath for a length of time or allow the breath to be lengthened. But when we talk about pranayama we're not just talking about the body. We're not just talking about things that happen in the body sense we're talking about the soul, a connection to your soul and also, you know, energy that is present from your soul a representation of how things are within you, it can help to soften or decrease symptoms of or help to deal with symptoms of, you know different diseases, respiratory diseases stomach and digestive. It helps you also cope with mental illness or just mental like instability or just like when you are feeling mentally unsettled or unwell. Also issues with stress. And these practices breathing practices can and should change Season to Season based on how the energy affects you of the season, as well as what the needs are of the season to remain in balance. The fifth limb is Pratyahara, which is a withdrawal or of the senses or sensory transcendence. And this is that conscious effort to draw our attention and awareness away from the external world and outside stimuli. So that could be you know, you know, whether it's from your phone and the Doom scrolling, or the way in which we stay connected so deeply to all the shit going on in the world. And this is not where I'm saying, oh, throw your head and, you know, under the blanket, put your head in the sand No, but it's like the hole that social media has on us the hole that our ego has on us to hold that materialism and having in greed and money and success and getting ahead and all that shit, you know, perfection as ableism like all the things like how deeply entrenched they are within our psyche and all of our ways and be in ways of being and, and our attention and what we choose to pay attention to and spend our money on and hold as right and good and powerful. Turning to ourselves, turning to ourselves for answers, turning to our self for happiness and fulfillment and not materialistic things, right? Cultivating detachment, the ability to look and be with ourselves to look at our desires and cravings, what is serving us and what is not dharana is the next one and this is concentration. Being able to slow down the thinking process may be concentrating on one thing honing the skills that we have developed through asana and through breathing and through withdrawal of the senses will help us to develop concentration. And you know, that will help us to fine tune our focus. And then extended periods of concentration will then lead to meditation, which is the next of the eight limbs. Meditation is that uninterrupted flow of conscious concentration, it may be keenly aware without focus, or could be focused on one thing, where and this is also where the mind maybe has quieted or slowed. Maybe there are fewer thoughts, fewer distracting thoughts or fewer time spent being distracted. But remembering that this process is a practice, it's a practice of bringing your attention back when you've gotten distracted. And it's okay to get distracted, because the mind has meant to think right. So it's coming back and getting refocused on whatever it was that you were focused on and allowing there to be space and time for that. And remember, even if it's not perfect, every time we practice, we benefit, even if it's for 30 seconds, for real. The last of the eight limbs is Samadhi, which is bliss, it's bliss, or great joy of being at one with yourself at one with the universe and all of the things within it. And beyond it. It is a sense of peace, a sense of enlightenment. And it's funny because I teach all of these eight limbs to my college students at Rutgers and something I ask them is, do you feel that Samadhi is accessible right now? Do you feel like this is a state that you have to get to? Or can it be part of your journey? Can you access it now? And they're like, Well, I don't know. Some of them say yes, some of them say no, some some of them say it's complicated, right? Some of them say, well,
when I'm when I have my career, when I have the money when I you know have these things, when I have the status, that's when I'll be happy. Some of them say, Well, I can't pay my bills right now. And my family isn't has these needs and this injustice is happening and how can I be happy. And so the point of yoga, and the point of Samadhi to for me is the cultivating the ability to be happy now. Even with all the shit going on. And that even when you are at, you know, going through the darkest, deepest thing or the hardest thing that you still can find moments of Eve's moments of joy. Because it's those easeful and joyful moments that keep us tethered to hope and to the practice of trying to make things better to continue to disrupt, so that we don't just fall into the depths of despair. So that we can remain present and conscious of what how we are showing up in the world and aware, honestly, it's a continued Samadhi as a continued devotion to ourselves, and I know that that can sound kind of weird for people devotion because it's often used as a religious term religious or religious term. But devotion is simply your, you know, almost loyalty but loyalty to because loyalty doesn't have to be a bad thing I'm not talking about like, loyalty with like blindfold on loyalty you choose, right? It's a connection to it's how deeply you are connected to something and how you keep coming back to keep learning keep, keep growing, right, to me, that's what this is. And so hopefully, you've kind of gotten from all of this, it's so much of yoga is rooted in the ease of the mind the balancing and being and being able to feel and manage big emotions, not not having them right, but being able to manage them. Yoga is inherently social justice, it is in it of itself a direct disruption of white supremacy, culture, capitalism, patriarchy, ableism. And all of the other oppressive systems in place in our world it is it is literally the system that disrupts any disparaging of or
what's the word of prejudice against any community, including like, you know, with trans folks, non binary folks, queer folks, the entire LGBTQ community, you know, based on race or anything else, it is simply the living, of being with one another in community. It's so beautiful. It's so beautiful. And it's for those reasons that the yoga teachings yoga culture yoga philosophy along with its sibling science, Iveta are the foundation of the holistic self care collective, which is my group mentorship program. The wisdom from both of these sciences are intricately woven into the fabric of this mentorship program from the monthly self care focus that I offer to the members each each month to my coaching and guidance style. Additionally, I lead a weekly yoga class I use that in quotes your class called align yoga. Because what it does is allows us to align our practice with ourselves and get in alignment with ourselves, we kind of focus on detaching from our ego, in connection to our connection to ourselves. It enhances our ability to kind of connect to our five senses, and the four parts of our awareness in our thoughts and our feelings, or sensations, our energy and what type of energy is present, and how if we feeling balanced and in harmony with ourselves, how can we maintain that and if we're not feeling in harmony, how can we establish balance or get closer to balance. So I often offer varieties in the poses for to help us to feel more uplifted, or more spacious, less critical, less intense, or more grounded and settled, if any of those energies are running too high. And so the practice is designed to offer not just physical gain, but also mental and emotional health support, this is not a practice that leaves the shit at the door is that unless that is what you need, right? It's one that honors the shit that is going on and allows you to bring it with you as messy or as hard as it is and also celebrates the good if that's what you're feeling. And so my teaching style in terms of that I'm trained in smart Asana, yoga, that's my yoga teachers school. And my Yoga Teachers Training stems from the lineages of Anusara and I N gar and so I have been taught to teach it with a focus on alignment and posture within the body. And these things are important to me, but also I have adapted and evolved the, the my teaching so that way, you know, with the understanding each body is different and the pose is not going to look the same with each body. And so I'm often guiding and offering cues, you know, in terms of body placement, but there are so many options within it. Right and it's just a guide. It is not the focus it is not the be all end all. I'm also a mental health and trauma informed yoga teacher, which means that I'm trained to lead practices to support people living with PTSD, depression, anxiety, trauma and chronic stress which is becoming given this state of the world, something that many people are dealing with. I also specialize in leading empowering classes that enhance your self awareness, your self acceptance, your self empowerment, and one that creates harmony within your mental emotional, energetic and physical health. Every single class includes introspection based on the yoga philosophy that we're focusing on that month, and breath regret the beginning and autonomy based asana practice and deep relaxation at the end, special attention is paid to finding a place of ease amidst whatever it is that you may be feeling and there's no pushing away or ignoring feelings. And also I bring my education and an experience and kinesiology to the practice to enhance muscle strength and flexibility and joint mobility. And I sequence classes based on the season and balancing the energy of nature. Each week, the class is recorded and accessible to the members within the collective at their convenience. In addition to align yoga weekly, I also offer a monthly restorative practice that uses pillows and bolsters and folded blankets and towels blocks the chair the couch, the bed for support, so the participants can rest in the poses to restore themselves as without any muscle engagement, and they can reset and regenerate down to a cellular level. This practice is also offered as a recording within the collective. And in every single class practice that I teach. The participants are reminded they have full agency over their body full autonomy over their practice, I offer variations. In seated standing, lying down positions on the back on the belly kneeling positions, I offers many variations for the poses i can i use the wall, the block the stool, all these kinds of tools on a regular basis, not just as aides, and I always remind the participants that they can absolutely omit poses and choose something else altogether, they can do something else they can just lie there or sit there or do whatever they want in the practice. In addition to these kinds of Asana focus classes, I also include a monthly yoga nidra guided meditation audio file in the collective yoga nidra, in case you're unfamiliar, is an ancient tool designed to expand your awareness of yourself. It leads you through an exploration of five layers of your consciousness and helps you to feel a sense of wholeness throughout and afterward. And the focus of this practice also changes with each month and season and really puts your hearts deepest intentions which is your son culpa at the center of the practice. Above all, the goodness that each of these practice offers, the focus of every space we come together to practice within, in the holistic self care Collective is honoring your needs, while moving mindfully or simply being with intention and truth. So my friend, enrollment in the holistic self care Collective is open. And the first thing that we do together is create a personalized self care plan. And that centers your needs and your desires as you journey toward how you want to feel. We take our time and create an explore and adjust over the course of 12 weeks. We do this for your alliance practices and have in you have the variety of the support that the collective offers, which includes weekly email coaching with me live stream classes, the recorded practices and community gatherings, to help you to integrate the practices and also navigate challenges along the way. So if you're ready, I'm ready. And the first step is to schedule your alignment call, which is a Zoom meeting at no cost to you, where we discuss where you are and how the collective can support you. You can do that and get the rest of the program's info at Steff gallante.com/collective. And so my friend, I look forward to connecting with you there. And until next time, please be kind and gentle you're to yourself just as you would to those who are most precious to you. Whether that's a human and animal baby or a plant. I'd love to hear from you. I love to hear your thoughts. I love to hear what the AHA is I love to hear anything that came through to you from this episode. So please feel free to reach out however it is that we are connected and if we're not connected, get connected and share them with me. If you've been loving the show or loving this episode please please please share it with your nearest and dearest and also please if you would leave a rating or a review wherever it is that you listen, my friend you are a badass and you are enough now go be your favorite self and be well
