Diversity, Inclusion, and Racial Equity (DIRE) in the #YEG Wellness Community
I am writing this two-part blog in an attempt to offer an opportunity for us to take a pause and examine where our collective blind spots are in the Edmonton (#yeg) Yoga and Wellness community? How can we come together in the #yeg wellness community to honor yoga’s roots, making yoga and wellness accessible for everybody? I would like to build this inquiry together to find solutions for equitable yoga & wellness spaces to practice in for everyone.
DIRE- the definition of DIRE in the Oxford dictionary is “an extremely serious or urgent situation”. This two-part blog is an exploration of the DIRE situation that faces the Edmonton wellness community in recognizing the inequity in the access of wellness practices. It is an attempt to reflect on who is represented in teaching yoga and wellness in the city. I did a scan on Instagram at #yegyoga and did not see a diverse roster of practitioners. This led me to question where is the diversity in the #yeg yoga community?
Can we collectively ask what commitments can be made moving forward to decolonize yoga and wellness practices in the #yeg wellness community?
History of the Origins of Yoga
Yoga is a 5000-year-old practice. This healing tool originates from the continent of Asia (Indus Valley – 2500 BC) in what is known today as the current-day Nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka. These regions in the definition of current-day Canada are understood as of South Asian ancestry or origin. Ancient roots of yoga provide several meanings for the term ‘yoga’, associated with spiritual and devotional practices, and ways of living. There is not one Yoga, but many yogas – practices that have been interpreted, adapted, and documented over time and place and coalesced from several ancient and modern traditions. Traditions which include teachings from Santana Dharma, The Vedas, Sanskrit, Shiva & Shakti, Purusha and Prakriti, Panch Bhuta (5 elements), The Rishis (Yogic Alchemists/ Scientists), Ayurveda – (Sister Science of Yoga). The knowledge base, practice, and influences of Yoga is based on diverse spiritual knowledge traditions and scientific practice from the South Asian subcontinent.
Colonization
The definition of Colonization is “the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area.” - Oxford Dictionary
“Colonialism is a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another. Like colonialism, imperialism also involves political and economic control over a dependent territory.” -Stanford Encyclopedia.
Historically, in the 19th and 20th centuries for more than 100 years, there was global European colonization. The British, French, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands, Portuguese, Belgium, etc. created global colonies which established the foundation for systemic racism. The main tool used to embed systemic racism was developing the concept and construct of White Supremacy. In the quest for colonization and imperialism, White Supremacy was embedded in the development of establishing European global colonies.
This establishment of forms of power including economic, political, and cultural was established through methods such as: seizing land by force/Trans Atlantic Slave Trade / Indentured Labour /Restrictive global migration (based on laws and policy). The goal of the colonizers was to establish a dominant global cultural hegemony of Eurocentrism, Patriarchy, Capitalism, and European notions of superiority. Part of this discourse devalued Indigenous knowledge, medicine, and wellness as not being respected and recognized. Globally for many Indigenous peoples, it was made illegal by colonizers for Indigenous peoples to practice spiritual healing and wellness.
I am curious to know if modern-day wellness practitioners in #yeg recognize this history and acknowledge this in their teachings and sharing?
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Please stay tuned in for the second blog that will further share the legacy and impacts of colonization on current day interpretations and understanding of wellness practices.
What can we take from these learnings to build more inclusive platforms for Wellness and Yoga practice in #yeg? Let us build this inquiry together.
I invite you to join me for a two-part workshop being hosted by City and Soul Wellness Collective in February of 2021, to examine solutions of building equitable practice together. It is difficult work, however within the current state of global awakenings in 2021 this inquiry is needed for collective healing.