#amacdonal

It is interesting to see how the conversation of the “womanization” of yoga is coming up more and more in recent times. Classical yoga is was a male-dominated practice and the introduction of yoga to the west is “revolutionary” (Carol Horton) on the other hand mainstream yoga magazines and advertising in general show one side of yoga that is not absolute. People come to yoga practice trying to find peace and relaxation but yoga is not exclusively one sided. Ancient texts like the Yoga Sutras talk about “tapas” the purification of the body, mind and spirit. Asana practice can be that detoxification. Yoga is a life style that can be rigours and full of devotion. Carol Horton talks about not limiting ourselves to only the “bright side” and equally looking at the shadows within us. The contributions of women to yoga have helped dismantle hierarchical and authoritarian modes of teaching and have open op the dialogue into what Yoga really is. AMacDonal (https://moonlitmoth.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/why-i-stopped-teaching-yoga-my-journey-into-spiritual-political-accountability/) highlights an already known point “expropriation” of Yoga in which we see it from a Western lens full of expensive marketing, special clothing, “Yoga as a fitness” practice and so on... for this reason we should recognize where are we standing when we teach and for that I mean to really look introspectively and to ask ourselves why are we in this path?: yogini path. What are we aiming for when we teach or go to class? What are the changes we have experience since that first time doing yoga and where are you now? How can I be more knowledgeable about all aspects of yoga?... For me Yoga is still a learning curb, unaware of most of my faults as a teacher, student and a human, I try to do my best to pay respect to the origins of this practice at the best of my knowledge and capabilities. I understand I grew up in the West (with fitness classes during PE class in high school that promoted cardio) and I didn’t have a “traditional” guru from the “East”, specifically India. For most yoginis in North America (I am sorry if I generalizing) the thought of traveling to India and having an Indian Guru is an experience that is believed to improve their growth but I do believe that we can reconcile the invisible line of West and East (Please read book “Orientalism” by Edward Said) in which indeed there are many differences like: cultural and political between both hemisphere (we also have a variety of cultural practices within Canada from province to province) but still we can learn and practice Yoga in a way that can be understood to us. I am happy to see two ladies like AMacdonald and Carol Horton to step up to what they believe is important in regards to yoga. In conclusion we do have to recognize the impact of North American Women in yoga (75% of our 15-20 million practitioners are female based on Carol Horton’s article) and at the same time be critical of how Yoga is presented to us. This is your yoga path and I hope inquiries and questions emerge so you can dig deeper into your practice and find answers or new opportunities to see not only yoga but your “new life”