Inclusivity in Yoga – The Power of Language
“Language can create connection or isolation… As an institution, yoga must move away from language that categorizes people and takes away their agency to be their full selves.” – Skill in Action, Michelle Johnson.
Being a teacher entails profound responsibility and blessing, cultivating inclusive, growth-oriented, and progressive spaces. A yoga space should empower practitioners to show up fully and completely as they are; language is the most potent tool a teacher possesses to set the tone of the space they are guiding.
Below are examples of language and practices to include, areas to be aware of, and suggestions for how teachers can support inclusivity within their space.
Be welcoming.
A teacher bears the responsibility of ensuring that everyone who enters the class space feels acknowledged and welcomed. Many teachers may introduce themselves personally to students at the start of each class, while others may choose to greet the class as a whole. Some ways we like to open space at the beginning of class include phrases like: “Each of you is welcome here” or “Settle in and allow yourself to arrive exactly as you are.” Another interactive activity is inviting students to look around the space and take a moment to connect with the other people in the room; this fosters a sense of unity within the space.
We will never fully know what has brought students to class today, what emotions, sensations, or stories are alive within them in that present moment. Taking the time to gently assure students that they are welcome entirely as they are — story, experience, shape, size, ability, and color — sets the foundation for feeling seen and supported within the space. From here, students can experience the freedom to be fully present in their bodies, allowing them to discover the depths of Yoga Asana.
Be conscious of gender pronouns and gendered cueing.
Similarly, we cannot discern someone’s gender identity by just looking at them, and chances are you won’t have time or space to ask each student. By incorporating subtle language changes, a teacher can relate to every student.
Terms such as ‘everyone,’ ‘people,’ ‘family,’ ‘friends,’ ‘folks,’ ‘team,’ ‘you all,’ ‘y’all,’ ‘they,’ ‘them,’ and so on create a sense of cohesion and inclusivity, rather than gender-specific phrases such as ‘she,’ ‘her,’ ‘his,’ ‘him,’ ‘guys,’ or ‘ladies.’ These terms (when used without knowing a person’s preferred pronoun) assume gender based on appearance.
For those who identify differently with their appearance, one may assume this subtle change could significantly impact their experience. For example, cueing ‘bring your hands along the line of your bra strap’ could completely bring someone out of their internal experience and back into a space where they feel unable to be themselves.
Subtleties of cueing and trauma-informed language.
LGBTQIA+ folks and people from BIPOC communities often have a higher risk of experiencing trauma; they are also the communities that we see underrepresented within the Yoga community. A yoga space has the power to be a refuge and a space in which all students can feel empowered to explore releasing held trauma within the body through Yoga.
The embodied practice of yoga has been shown to help people reclaim their bodies, heal, and grow. The language a teacher uses within the space is a subtle and powerful tool for facilitating this journey.
Inclusive language gives space for a student’s experience without a sense of hierarchy, judgment, or criticism. Language such as explore, trust, notice, if you feel like…, consider, maybe, if it feels right…, ask yourself, be curious. Instead of using words like; advance, challenge yourself, push, harder, level up, modify, find the full expression. These swaps create a sense of each individual’s experience at that present moment to be held and valid.
Mindfulness about the tone and vibrancy of words used during class has a powerful effect on students’ experiences. For example, terms like drop, kick, hang, corpse, dead, fire, melt, grab, and advance have a much different tone than words like soften, engage, drape, rest, still, heat, relax, grasp, and explore.
Find a personal approach.
Holding the boundary within the role of a teacher takes each individual time and experience to finesse. Remaining relatable to students will encourage them to feel comfortable exploring their truth. However, this doesn’t mean unloading one’s own drama onto a class or treating it as a personal therapy session. Sharing carefully selected snippets of one’s personal life, experience, and practice maintains boundaries while building trust and understanding between student and teacher.
Rather than telling students what they should feel or expect to feel in a posture or practice, give examples to allow them to name their own experience, such as “for me . . .” or “in my body . . .” and then give language to the sensations you have experienced in practice or posture.
Consent & information.
One clear use of language that every teacher should embrace is asking for consent. The fundamental rule of offering hands-on adjustments is to ask for permission before any physical touch.
There are many ways of doing so, for example, having students ask students to turn over a corner of their mat or place an item like an oracle card or crystal at the top of the mat, or simply asking to start the class and keep a note of students’ responses. A non-pressurizing way to ask would be to say, “I would like to offer hands-on assists in today’s class. If you would not like to receive touch, please raise your hand.” Forming consent in this way empowers students into their autonomy within the practice, and asking this question in a posture such as a child’s pose where the student’s gaze is down allows them to answer fully in their truth.
Get comfortable with silence.
As much as language can and will craft the class, there also needs to be space for students to integrate the practice’s teachings, their experiences, and their sensations. It can feel nerve-wracking to allow the space to be completely silent; however, this is truly where the magic of Yoga Asana is felt.
Holding a space where people feel included and accepted as they go beyond what you say but also what you do. Artfully creating space for a student to feel their authentic experience will deepen their practice.
Stay authentic.
Sharing the light of Yoga Asana is a great responsibility and opportunity to teach students how Yoga encompasses every facet of life beyond the mat. A teacher is a role model of Yoga as a lifestyle and should, therefore, act in alignment with those values both in and out of the classroom setting. Imagine attending a class where the teacher themes the whole class around ahimsa (loving kindness), and then seeing them shouting at a grocery clerk, or getting road rage on the freeway. Or they spend the entire class setting the tone of inclusivity only to make a polarizing comment at the end of class.
It’s one thing to speak and act in the role of a teacher, but those teachings should be authentically aligned with one’s everyday life. If that isn’t the case, students will notice those cracks.
Honor your humanity and remain humble.
We are all human and will never know another’s experience. It is likely that you will have misstepped and unintentionally offended someone during your Yoga career. That’s okay. You’re human; these are moments from which you can learn and grow. If you do happen to offer a cue that is triggering for someone, forget to ask for consent before assisting, call a group of women ‘guys’ or accidentally misgender someone. Acknowledge that you are also on a journey of learning and give yourself the tools to do better next time.
Be conscious of how you show up, the intention behind what you share, and the way in which you share it. If someone comes to you with something that you have said or done during a yoga class that has impacted their experience, try to honestly meet them where they are, be open to their experience, and educate yourself on how you may avoid doing so again in the future.
Beyond Language.
A teacher has the power to support, encourage, and educate students along their personal transformation journey. The way you show up as a teacher has a great impact that can be used to support local communities. Consider the clothing you wear, the water bottles you use, and the people you support and spend time with.
Supporting your community can involve displaying rainbows and equality symbols, sharing quotes from prominent public voices, incorporating music from diverse artists, supporting political movements, celebrating specific celebrations, and so on. It can also involve simply educating yourself about the demographic you’re working with. If you aren’t sure how to further support those in your community, ask and create gateways of conversation where you can engage with people more.
Your words matter.
You may feel that the words you use in a yoga space don’t matter, that their effect is minimal. That is simply not the case, Yoga is recognizing the union of divine being in each person. By intentionally setting an inclusive, accepting, and empowering space within your classes, you will empower people to step beyond the class fully embodied in their truth and thus inspire others to do the same. The words you speak are like a water drop that ripples out tenfold further than you can imagine. Small acts can have infinite impact, and one word can change a life.
