photo credit: Photo Extremist
I want to believe yoga is perfect and that the teachers I look up to are with out flaw. But are we putting blind faith into those we call “guru?”
There has been a growing number of writers, myself included, within the yoga community questioning whether the distribution of power amongst the celebri-yogis foster positive growth through out the global community.
I’ve been hesitant to look further into whether there is or is not an imbalanced caste system that exists within the world of yoga for fear of how I’m perceived by my peers, or worse what I might find. What inspired me to look more closely at the power dynamics in yoga was the article Are the Kulas of today the cliques of tomorrow, by Chelsea Roff. Chelsea bravely shared her feelings, that I had been too scared to vocalize, saying:
no matter how much I resist looking at it, I see this sense of divisiveness and imbalance of power in the yoga world…I wonder if those in leadership positions really see all the things that happen under the radar in their kulas… maybe some do and are too wrapped up in the dynamics of it themselves to sound the alarm.
Chelsea asks whether those in leadership see what’s going on within the community, but I can’t help but wonder: Does the community look closely at the actions of those in the role of leader?
Via YogaChickie
I do not claim to know what’s “going on” in this photo of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois assisting the 2 women, but what I do know is that being touched on or near the genitalia is typically privileged only to the most intimate of relationships.
What kind of relationship did Jois share with these women? Did these women trust him so much they were open to such an intimate assist? One yoga blogger suggests that some instructors encourage a false sense of trust in their students that allows them to abuse the privilege of adjustments for sexual gratification:
by giving adjustments, in an innocent way, asking them everyday, “Is it fine if I touch here? Is it fine if I give you pressure? Are you comfortable with my adjustments?”…the teacher just keeps changing his position…his touch seems to change with time and starts getting more sexual.
Is it possible the women in this photograph were misled? Had they felt they were being touched inappropriately, would they have spoke up?
Although I have never personally had issues with an adjustment making me uncomfortable because of a sexual undertone, I have had experiences where I felt a teacher pushed me into a position that was unsafe for my body at the time. Did I speak up, and set my boundaries?
No. I feared that if I contradicted the instructor, I might be exposed as the ignorant fool. And I do not think I am the only one who has ever second guessed their instincts or believed a guru somehow knew better than I did about my own emotions, body, and spirituality.
The student-teacher relationship is a beautiful and complex relationship that ideally benefits both parties! However, like any other relationship, an equal distribution of power and openness in communication is necessary for it’s health and growth. If someone cares for us would they want us to feel silent, powerless, or weak? Probably not.
photo credit: foxandfeathers
Whether the actions of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, or any other “guru,” were motivated by impure thoughts, power, or corruption, can only be known by the individual, and is beyond our control. However, we can vocalize and set boundaries when we feel we’re being violated.
I’d like to hear from Yoga Modern readers. Why do you think we’re so willing to hand over our power to yoga teachers? How do you speak up for yourself when you feel your safety is being compromised?
I think we need to look at the issue in cultural and historical context. Research shows that abuse stems from power, and that there is a power imbalance between teacher and student. Power is also inherent in groups, whether we call them community, church or kula. Power is not necessarily negative. It can be "power with" as well as "power over." The presence of so many women in leadership positions within the yoga community gives me hope, for historically, feminism has explored the notion of "power with." Perhaps more importantly, this represents a reversal of the historical power relations among the sexes.
Further, I wonder if our particular cultural context influences whether we are more likely to see things through the lens of fear. I think of Barry Glassner's work in "The Culture of Fear," (New York, Basic Books, 2009; 1999) which suggests that many of our fears are not borne out statistically, and that we may even be afraid of the wrong things. Crime continues to decline, while media coverage of crime increases. The real killers, such as air pollution, go on without mention.
Fears about the power of "the guru" have been with us since the dawn of yoga in America. Even a cursory read of Stephaine Syman's "The Subtle Body" (2009) reveal that. Some of it may have been warranted. Some of it may have been the prevailing cultural prurience of the particular era, with a little Occidentalism mixed in.
None of what I suggest is meant to deny the experiences that people have had, but to suggest that a healthy skepticism runs both ways. What is appropriate is further inquiry into the contours of the problem, say by research which collects stories and experiences. I think we will find that there is very little inherent to yoga in these examples of abuse, except insofar as yoga is a human endeavor, and these are very human problems.
I completely agree that any abuse of position is a power issue, and I also agree that unfortunately this happens in every group. That was a big inspiration for me actually was that abuse happens in "kulas" just like they would in any other community/ church/ etc. A way of saying yoga is amazing, but we should be aware that there unpleasant issues in our community, and speak up when we see them.
I do also agree about a fearful nation, but I would like to clearly state my intentions of sharing this is not about fear, but rather encouraging people to openly express themselves even when it it is not comfortable. More or less encouraging a checks and balance system by way of an open dialogue. Although, only a small portion of "gurus" may be corrupt and abuse their powers it only takes a few to ruin a good thing for many.
Thank you for your input on this discussion please continue to add any thoughts or questions you think of!
I do wonder if inquiry-based systems have a slight advantage over dogma-based systems in this regard. An important question is whether the leader is one that invites dialog, encourages collaboration, and promotes inquiry, rather than "laying down the law."
and that's exactly what I'm suggesting. The best teacher in and out of yoga are ones that were collaborative allowed for debate and allowed for change. I think also remember that the master is the student and visa versa.
Yes, I've long thought that the best teachers are also students, on the mat and off. One would not want a teacher that no longer inquired. I think of this as the "nonduality of teaching and learning." I have been privileged to witness some of my yoga teachers as students in workshops with their teachers.
More generally on the topic of teaching, I hew to Parker Palmer's "The Courage to Teach" (2007; 1997). Palmer says that good teachers maintain an orientation to themselves, an orientation to their students, and an orientation to the subject. Whenever we too closely approach the Scylla and Charybdis of either student-centered or teacher-centered learning, Palmer suggests returning to an orientation to the subject, citing Robert Frost "We dance in a circle and suppose / While the secret sits in the middle and knows."
Returning to yoga, we keep the subject at the center through a posture of humility. As I have heard it expressed in my style of yoga, pranam is not the humility of self-abnegation, but of awe, reverence for the great mystery we seek together to observe, appreciate and enjoy. Danger signs for me would be traditions that require self-abnegation to the "master."
Beautifully said I will have to chew on that for a while! And you've given me some great things to research and read more about. Many thanks my friend.
Well, credit goes to you and Yoga Modern for broaching a difficult subject. Silence on this issue would be disastrous.
Good article! I usually only give verbal cues as assists….sometimes if I'm helping a friend with a pose (not in a regular yoga class), I show something physically. I have a trauma history and, while I know most people with a history of trauma avoid touch or become uncomfortable with it, my issue was very different. I was comfortable with almost anybody touching me almost anywhere….eventually I realized this overly-understanding, "good girl" attitude ("oh, he's just being helpful") really showed a lack of self-esteem. Maybe 10 years ago, a teacher put his full hand on my inner thigh, like maybe 2 or 3 inches from my labia. I very calmly and quietly told him to "take your hand off me right now" cause even though it didn't necessarily feel wrong, I knew it WAS wrong.
I'm glad you've come to better understand your boundaries and to have the courage to speak up. It's not easy saying no especially to an "authority" figure. If it's not too personal I'd like to ask you: How did you know the adjustment was not okay? Was it the mere closeness or was there a particular energy? Would it have made a difference if it were a female? Again I'm not asking to put you on the spot, but so that myself and others can better understand these types of situations.
And mostly THANK you for sharing your experiences with us!!!
Hi,Thanks for replying. In answer to your question, no, I don't think there was any particular energy I noticed. I really had to rely on concrete, factual stuff. (And maybe if I wasn't already a yoga teacher and former ballet dancer, I wouldn't even know this. But in general, I know which poses I might need some adjustment in. And anything involving “turn-out” of legs…nope, I don't.) The pose was half moon…I was way flat open. He didn't exactly adjust…he literally just placed his open hand on my inner thigh.When I was younger though, I would believe any stupid explanation for why someone had to touch me – this was mostly not in yoga – it amazes me that I was so gullible!Sent from my iPod
Thank you for clarifying! I don't think you were gullible by any means. I think trust is an admirable quality, and what's not admirable is those who abuse that trust.
It makes me hopeful though that people like you are open to discuss these deeper and darker issues that are so personal, so that we all can learn, share, and expand from each other. Many thanks friend! I hope that everyone can learn to speak for themselves as you have.
I would argue that the reason we are so our willingness to "hand over our power" to anyone is rooted in a lack of faith in ourselves. Many of us have been raised to believe that the key to our salvation (metaphorically speaking) is without. God is in heaven; liberation exists in Nirvana, etc, etc, etc.
Thus, if salvation is without then the guides who can lead us there must also be without. And so we commit ourselves to gurus and teachers and spiritual guides, in the hopes that they will get us "there." The problem with this is that there is no there to get to. There is here. There is you, and the only person who can get you there is you. The kingdom of God is within you.
To the extent that a teacher realizes this and stays as best as possible out of the way, then the teacher or guru or fill in the blank, is" good." To the extent that they claim to be the path to your liberation or that they even know that path, then they are "bad."
To retain one's power, one must first accept that one has power in the first place…and if you have that power, why do you need anyone else.
I was advised by an Indian Guru, not mine, but a Guru to many nonetheless. After safely and effectively adjusting me he advised me not to allow just anyone to adjust me in yoga asanas. My opinion on adjustments and yoga practice is that a students(myself) should not attend classes with yoga teachers they do not trust to influence them verbally and physically. I think attending classes with this underlying tension opens up the possibility of misunderstanding teacher intentions.
I also think that the more teachers one has the more confusion there can be in interpreting verbal and physical communication between teacher and student.
As I see it, as yoga instructors, we have the privlidge, and honor, to guide people into union.
In our fast urban times, what society calls "YOGA" class or, "YOGA" practice, is predominantly focused on asanas or physical body shapes. Living in a densly populated city, over-saturated with yoga (of all varity), I see a growing misguidance of why/what it is we are really trying to accomplish on our mat. Now pair that with our cultural pursuit of physical mastery and un-healthy body image ideals, and it's now wonder teachers and students alike are confused and misdirecting their personal and professional power. As teachers, we need to remember why we aremaking adjustments, what is the end goal?
As ever-learning students, it is our work as instructors to continually practice ahimsa (non-violence) with the individuals that come to us for guidance. It takes years of experience and hundreds of teaching hours, to obtain the subtle awarness to discern the moments where it appropriatly right to physically adjust and moments where verbal/non-contact adjustments is appropriatly more effective.
In closing, wherever or however instructors move their students into yoga, with mindfull awareness, a light and loving heart, and a willingness to embrace humility, teachers and students can participate together in creating union of body, soul & mind.
I actually witnessed this first hand the first hour of the first class at a three day workshop held by Jois many many years ago on Kauai. I knew what I was seeing, though I could not really believe what I was seeing…. and asked to be refunded for the workshop. After that experience, I began to practice yoga with more discernment and to take the guru thing with a grain of salt. I did not return to the workshop, the studio or teacher that sponsored Jois, and told as many people as I could about the experience as a warning. I am so relieved to see that this photo was taken, proving that I did not imagine what I saw and I was right to question him and listen to my heart screaming NOOOOOOOOO WAYYYYY Mannnnn DO NOT Touch ME Like THAT!!! Stay away from me!!! I am a married women for one, not to mention all the other reasons I do not want you to touch me like that when I am in down dog…..Get away from me, creepy yoga man with vagina grabbing hands…..GET me out of here!!! (my thoughts during that class) I still practice, teach, and love yoga though. I am certainly not going to let one man's yoga crime be the end of my yoga experience. Great Photo! Sad but great.