Do I have to be a person of Color to attend your programs and classes?
We recognize that the systemic and casual racism of our society inflicts chronic trauma on people of color which can lead to numerous negative physical and mental health outcomes. We aim to provide trauma informed, safe(r) space for people of color to relieve the stress and tension caused by everyday living in a racist society. Safe(r) space means that our classes which are designated as POC classes are exclusive to people who identify as people of color so that we can unwind the tensions we hold in our bodies and minds in an environment with fewest possible triggers. If you are an ally, we ask that you respect our community needs for safe(r) space. We understand that this is an issue that can bring up a lot of questions, discomfort, and debate. However, our communities have asked for these kinds of safe(r) spaces and we are committed to providing them. Please check out this article
We also have a number of offerings that are open to all people. Please check our calendar for details.
how do you define "person of color"
There is no set definition for person of color, so this can get sticky. We ask that you honestly reflect upon your experiences, how your experiences have shaped you and affected your wellbeing, and self-select accordingly. If you don't feel that racism impacts your day to day ability to live in wholeness, then our immersion program and teacher training is probably not the right fit for you. If you feel that your presence in our classes could possibly be triggering for others, then it's probably not a good fit. If you are looking for more diversity in your yoga classes or classes taught by POC, many of our graduates offer yoga classes that are not exclusive to people of color. And Denver is fortunate to have quite a few yoga teachers of color outside of Satya Yoga Co-op. We encourage you to support them.
I am ready to make the time commitment to the immersion program but the cost is prohibitive. what options do i have?
Satya Yoga Immersion costs about 1/2 the market rate for most yoga teacher training programs in Denver. However, we realize that even at this price, it is a big investment of money and time. We are committed to making this program accessible to anyone who is ready and able to make the significant commitment of time to this yoga intensive. We have 2 work/study positions available once we have a minimum number of registered participants.
How physical is your program? What if I have injuries, am too inflexible, am too out of shape, etc. Will I get in shape doing this program?
All you need to do yoga is a body. All you need is to be you in the body that you are in right now. If you are looking for a body sculpting workout or are expecting that we are going to be spending hours at a time doing rigorous physical yoga postures, this is probably not the yoga program you are looking for. We make the yoga fit our bodies, not the other way around. Our philosophy is that everyone can do yoga and we teach a yoga that everyone can do. As far as getting into shape, we do tone ourselves from the inside out.
I am a person of color but I don't really care about identity or social justice or don't really feel like racism affects me. I'm just interested in learning yoga and your program is affordable. Can I join?
Our public classes are for all people of color. Our immersion program is not just a yoga program...it is specifically a yoga program that addresses how racism affects people of color physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and applies the teachings of yoga towards unwinding those effects. We spend quite a bit of time discussing current events, cultural appropriation, the problem of racism in society and how it affects us. We believe that yoga is social justice. If you are not interested in discussing those topics or if you are not interested in going deep within yourself, this immersion may not be the right one for you.