About Feminism and Yoga
Yoga and feminism look like they go together like bread and butter. Yoga is very popular with women because it is a complete form of exercise that includes self-reflection. Yoga, like feminism, is about becoming your best self and taking back your power. But when you think about it more, there are some differences between the two sides. check here amachi george.
Only 28% of yoga practitioners in the U.S. are men, according to the Yoga in America 2008 survey, but male Yogis are overrepresented among teachers, especially famous ones. Think about Max Strom, Rodney Yee, John Friend, Rolf Gates, Johnny Kest, Baron Baptiste, and Bikram Choudhury, as well as well-known supporters of modern Yoga like Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, and Sri Swami Satchidananda.
Some people think that the goals of yoga and feminism are at odds with each other. Dr. Beth Berila is an expert in women's studies and a yoga teacher. On her Yoga blog, she says, "On our mats, we have the chance to become a witness to how things are. We can learn to accept life as it is, without judging it, and pay attention to the patterns in our lives. But as a feminist, I'm not used to taking things as they are."
In January 2011, Judith Warner wrote an article called "Fear (Again) of Flying" for the New York Times Magazine. It was called "Fear (Again) of Flying," and it was about women who don't agree with the idea that "personal liberation can be found in taking an active role in the public world." Instead of fighting for change, women are looking for their "own quiet centre" in Yoga and a return to traditional "feminine" tasks like cleaning and taking care of children.
Lastly, the link between sex and yoga, which has grown as the practise has become more popular, has hit women harder than men. Garvey Rich, a Yogi and entrepreneur in New York, created the Yoga Tart clothing line and 'Better Sex Through Yoga', a book and DVD that show more of a woman's body. These things can make women feel like their last haven from body image fears has been taken away.
In September 2010, Judith Hanson Lasater, who was one of the first editors of Yoga Journal more than 35 years ago, wrote a letter to the magazine about the "photos of naked or half-naked women" and how she didn't understand what they had to do with Yoga. Many people on message boards and blogs agreed with what she said after reading the letter.
The good news is that these differences don't mean that true women should throw Yoga away. Honour female teachers and ask that they get the same amount of time at conferences, classes, and other events. Finding strength and understanding in yourself doesn't mean ignoring things that need to change. Reject the idea that Yoga can only be done by people with sexy, scantily-clad bodies, and talk to ads who show images that oppress. If you do these things, Utkata Konasana, or Goddess pose, will be even more valid.
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