I’ve had an amazing time in London this week starting my Accessible Yoga Training with Jivana Heyman, Alessandra Uma Cocchi and Rodrigo Souza. I wanted to document a little about this experience.
What is Accessible Yoga?
You might have some ideas, including yoga for older or disabled people. However, it is so much more. In the words of Jivana Heyman, our teacher, “If it’s not accessible, it’s not yoga”. Accessible yoga is about creating spaces that are welcoming and inclusive for everyone regardless of their gender, sex, race, physical ability or body shape. It is about the language used, how we practice, what we practice and sharing a truly integrated practice. By this I mean a class where some students may be practicing on a mat and others in a chair. You may have seen a reel I shared of this from the training - it was beautiful to watch. Accessible yoga is about widening the way I teach and who I teach.
Why do we need Accessible Yoga?
My mum is the perfect example. Pre-COVID she had a regular yoga practice attending a weekly class. Her fellow yogis ranged in age up to their 90s with various mobility and health issues. I joined them on a couple of occasions and it was great to practice alongside my mum. She had a reputation for always doing the exact opposite to everyone else!
Post-COVID the teacher sadly decided to retire. This had a big impact on mum and the rest of her yoga friends who struggled to find a suitable alternative class. It was not simply the loss of the yoga practice itself but also their sense of community (Sangha). I knew if I became a yoga teacher, I would like to offer a class for people like mum and her friends.
In 2022 mum had her left leg amputated above the knee. Due to heart problems this was done under sedation and a spinal block rather than a general anaesthetic. She used her yoga breathing to help her through the procedure and other clinical interventions. I bought her the book Wheelchair Yoga by Jerri Lincoln for inspiration. I also tried to find a local class as I knew she would benefit, and indeed prefer, to be guided in her practice. A nearby studio advertised a chair based class. When we drove there to check it out, there were multiple reasons that made it completely inaccessible for mum. Another studio was exactly the same. This further encouraged me to ensure my own classes serve those who may be excluded from other classes for whatever reason.
Mum is one specific example. There are countless others. Whilst I’m grateful for this fantastic training, in an “ideal world” it shouldn’t exist. But we don’t live in an ideal world and sadly some yoga teachers and some yoga spaces (as described above) are far from inclusive and welcoming. This can be as simple as advertising the class as “suitable for all abilities including beginners” yet moving at such a pace that students cannot keep up, or making students feel “less than” because they cannot come into certain postures. You may have experienced this yourself – I know I have.
When I saw this training advertised I knew I had to do it. I told mum and she was equally excited for me, repeatedly asking if I’d booked it yet. If truth be told she would have loved to come along to watch, listen, drink coffee and chat to people. She would particularly have loved to meet Rodrigo, a full-time wheelchair user and practice with him. I can literally picture her no doubt clasping his hands as she is a very tactile person. I’d have to explain to her about consent!
What did I learn?
The training took place at ARC Collective in Islington. Due to the train strikes I’d booked a hotel and am so glad I did. It enabled me to totally immerse myself in this yoga bubble for a few days and enjoy parts of London (which looked glorious in the sunshine) I’d never explored. Whilst I’d felt aggrieved by the train strikes, this was put into perspective by the distances some of my fellow trainees had travelled including from Scotland, Ireland, Belgium and the USA.
Yoga teacher life can be lonely. One of the sheer joys of this training was being in the company of other teachers, creating, collaborating, sharing experiences and challenges. I found it extremely uplifting. Social media has downsides but the benefits are that it offers a way in which I can continue to connect with these kindred spirits. Similarly, if it was not for Instagram I would not have been aware of teachers like Jivana and Accessible Yoga. It opens up the world.
The training was practical and creative taking me out of my comfort zone which is always good. For example, having to quickly come up with ways of practicing a sun salutation in bed as well as planning a practice for a wheelchair basketball team. We explored the more subtle practices like pranayama, meditation, as well as ethics and yoga philosophy. Jivana is a great story teller sharing some of his teaching experiences. He also has a brilliant laugh!
What next?
This in-person element formed part of the overall training so there is more work for me to do online. I am still processing the last few days. I have loads of ideas as well as a multitude of quotes I’ve noted down.
I found the training reassuring as it confirmed not only that this is something I feel passionate about, but also that my teaching and classes are moving along the right path in terms of accessibility. One of the reasons I wanted to become a yoga teacher is because my knees float in the air when I sit in Sukhasana (not so "easy pose" for some) and no matter how hard I try I literally face plant in Kakasana (crow pose). As we discussed during the training, yoga is an inward journey. It is not about the external focus. That is why you will not find me trying to force you to look a certain way in a pose. Yoga is a spectrum of possibilities.
I look forward to bringing fresh energy and ideas to our classes but this is not about me alone. It's a collaboration. So, as always, do share your experiences and ideas with me. See you in class
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