Conversations With a Wounded Healer

230 - Nadia Gilani - A Reclamation of the Principles of Anti-Colonial Yoga Practice

Dec 27, 2023

Nadia Gilani, author of The Yoga Manifesto, joins the host to discuss appropriation vs appreciation in modern yoga. They explore the impact of American influence on yoga, the importance of addressing anti-racism in the practice, and the lack of diversity in yoga classes. They reflect on the role of a healer and the power dynamics between teacher and student. The podcast encourages self-exploration and questioning the process of participation in yoga.

59:51

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Episode guests

Nadia Gilani

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Quick takeaways

Lack of diversity within the yoga world raises questions about inclusivity and accessibility.

Appropriation in yoga occurs when aspects of the practice are taken out of context and claimed as one's own without acknowledging the origins.

Empowering yoga students and creating a safe space for autonomy is important for their practice.

Deep dives

Lack of diversity in the yoga world

The podcast episode discusses the issue of lack of diversity within the yoga world. The host shares her personal experience of being often the only person of color in yoga classes and highlights the absence of diversity across various aspects, including ethnicity, gender, age, and ability. This lack of representation raises questions about inclusivity and accessibility within the yoga community.

Introduction

2min

Supporting the podcast and discussing British accents and reality TV shows

2min

UK Accents, London Variations, and Understanding

4min

Cultural Appropriation and Yoga

4min

The Importance of Anti-Racism Work in Yoga Practice

3min

Introduction, Instagram Work, and Writing about Problematic Yoga Issues

3min

The Lack of Diversity in Yoga

32min

Exploring the Role of a Healer

11min

One of the things I love about Anne's episodes is I get to experience them as a fangirl first. Anne's conversation with Nadia Gilani, a London-based yoga teacher and author of The Yoga Manifesto, is no exception (there’s a reason Anne calls Nadia “a warrior pose of a woman”).

Sure, the tl;dr header is appropriation vs appreciation within the retail-oriented, whitewashed atmosphere of modern yoga. However, the unabridged version goes deeper, like a good asana, inviting folks to explore their relationship to yoga and its tenets, question the teachers, and consider how our favorite classes are taught and sold.

There’s no “proper way" to asana (that’s colonizer thinking!). Nadia and Anne simply, gracefully encourage everyone to get into a sloppy lotus if that’s where they’re at today, investigate their relationship to this vital living practice, and question their participation process, whether that’s as a teacher or a student.

GUEST BIO

Nadia Gilani (she/her) is a yoga teacher and author of The Yoga Manifesto a part-memoir, part-polemic on the wellness industry and state of play within modern yoga.

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