Why I Stopped Saying Namaste with Susanna Barkataki favorite_border
Conversations from the Heart - November 13th 2020
Author: Rachel Brathen
Topics: Yoga, Exciting Guests, Lifestyle, Being of Service
Links: Apple Podcasts / Spotify
Conversations from the Heart - November 13th 2020
Author: Rachel Brathen
Topics: Yoga, Exciting Guests, Lifestyle, Being of Service
Links: Apple Podcasts / Spotify
In today’s episode, Rachel is joined by yoga diversity advocate Susanna Barkataki to deepen our knowledge and understanding of how to properly honor yoga’s roots.
There is a misconception in the Western world as to what yoga is. Yoga is not only a physical practice that happens on our mats but an ancient system of ethics and philosophy - a system that has become altered and diluted as it spread to the west over time.
Colonization and commercialization have had a big impact in shaping what we perceive yoga to be, which unfortunately now has strayed a long ways away from what the practice truly is about. While India may no longer be under British rule, historic oppression and the white washing of yoga has lasting effects and is still causing harm today. It is our responsibility to recognize the harm that takes place, to notice where we are complicit with it, and to do the work to ensure we are honoring the roots of this practice.
Susanna helps us weave through this complex topic by defining cultural appropriation and offering real-world examples and stories. This may be a challenging conversation to begin having with ourselves and our teachers, but fortunately the practice of yoga is one that teaches us to sit with discomfort and offers the potential for a deep awakening.
How can you be more inclusive to all? Where are you in a position of power? In what areas can you deepen your understanding of yoga? Tune in to dive deep and find the answers you have been waiting for.
An Indian yoga practitioner in the Shankaracharya tradition, Susanna Barkataki supports practitioners to lead with equity, diversity and yogic values while growing thriving practices and businesses with confidence.
Susanna is the founder of Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute and runs 200/500 Yoga Teacher Training programs. She is an E-RYT 500, Certified Yoga Therapist with International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT).
With an Honors degree in Philosophy from UC Berkeley and a Masters in Education from Cambridge College, Susanna is a diversity, accessibility, inclusivity and equity yoga educator and advocate.
You can find Susanna's book, Embrace Yoga’s Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice here.