Gender, Women and Yoga Practice
It's likely that feminism will come up. Again.
What do you know about the gendered nature of yoga history and practice? Or about the reason(s) women dominate yoga communites today?
If you’re not sure and would like to know more, you are in the right place, my yoga friends.
I’ve teamed up with Ruth Westoby and the British Wheel of Yoga to bring you:
Gender, Women, and Yoga Practice - Where Did It All Begin?
Saturday 8th June, 10am - 3pm, live online.
In this one day workshop we (Ruth Westoby and Amelia Wood) will share our expertise on the under researched topics of women, gender and yoga practice to illuminate the roles women have played in the history of pre-modern and modern yoga.
The Pre-Modern
Historical evidence of female practitioners is slight but there are some examples of women practicing and teaching yoga - it depends on how widely we define yoga (of course). If we look at the theory and philosophy of yoga we find it was deeply gendered.
Ruth will present a history of women in yoga and reflect on the gendered history of yoga (think: anatomy, vulvas, menstruation).
The Modern
Why are the majority of practitioners in modern yoga now (white, western) women? This is the ultimate question! And how have women influenced the dissemination of yoga beyond India?
Amelia will present some of the social, political and cultural forces that enabled women’s participation in yoga from the late 19th century onwards.
We’ll look at the intersections between yoga and other cultural phenomena such as beauty standards, the natural childbirth movement, feminism and #metoo. We’ll discuss differing concepts of liberation, and the pursuit of social and spiritual freedom.
The workshop will include lectures, group discussion and some practice.
At the end we’ll tie the pre-modern and modern together - has there been a significant shift in the gendered nature of yoga, or is there a clear, theoretical, continuation?
This workshop is £35 for members and £45 for non-members.
If you’re a member of the British Wheel of Yoga you can sign up by logging into the portal your membership number here.
Search the key terms: women gender yoga. The event will appear and you can book on!
If you’re not a BWY member you can sign up by following these instructions:
Go to portal.bwy.org.uk
Click the red ‘join us’ button.
Scroll down and select a free account.
Create your free account.
Search for our workshop using the key terms - women gender yoga - and book on!
We’re also holding a second workshop that supports this content on the 28th September (so keep your eyes peeled for that). Both workshops are eligible for CPD points.
If you have previously done a workshop on the history of women in yoga with me I encourage you to join us for this one too - Ruth’s knowledge is exceptional and I learn something new every time I see her.