“When we mistake yoga for a workout routine, reduce it to physical fitness or even practice some of the deeper practices without an eye to the whole system of liberation it offers, we rob ourselves and each other of the potential of this practice” Susanna Barkatki, Embrace Yoga’s Roots

Hello Everyone,

First off, if you’ve been talking to me recently about not receiving emails, please confirm you got this. In the advent that something changes at the last minute, I want to know that I can easily reach everyone, I’d hate to have you show up to an empty zoom channel or studio!

The plan for the next few weeks is to have class as usual this week, and then no class next week (I’m planning on a short holiday trip to see relatives in the cities), then back to practice at our usual times. The specific dates are laid out for you below.

The other thing on my mind is last Friday Shelly asked about why I wasn’t saying Namaste at the end of class and what that meant for you all. Should you say Namaste or something different? And I realized, that in a somewhat typical failing on my part, I had made a change without communicating about it well. Though I have done a great deal of soul searching, and even wrote about it several times, none of that actually reached you. My apologies!

I will explain why I made the shift in a moment, but first I want to assure you that you are not being pressured to change your ways. We all grew up on our yoga mats during a time when everyone was ending class by saying Namaste. The intention of honoring each other’s spirits or core selves is beautiful and one I hold very near and dear to my heart. And when we began practicing together, when I went through the majority of my training, I didn’t hear anyone questioning Namaste. In fact my understanding was that using it at the end of class was a way to honor yoga’s history as well as each other.

But now, our world is more interconnected, and  there’s wider variety of voices we can listen too. Teachers like Sussana Barktaki, and other Indian yoga teachers and teachers of color are educating and speaking about how we can honor the roots of yoga and be more respectful to the cultures yoga came from.

Namaste’ is a word that is still being used by the Hindi people, and they use it very differently. It’s spoken as a greeting, not an ending. And, though I understand it can be used casually (‘sup), there can also be a formality to it, and it can be used to show respect to an elder or master. Neither a casual hello, or encouraging you to treat me as a master feels quite right. Especially when I realize that the commercialization of Namaste, without an awareness of how it’s actually used in its cultural of origin is a point of contention for yoga practitioners who are themselves Hindi.

I’ve been using Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti because it means peace. I like that it honors that we’re working towards peace within ourselves, peace in our communities, and peace in our world. I like using it as we transition from the safety of our practice into our worlds where things are more complicated. As I write this I realize I miss the feeling of “I see you, I love you” at the end of class, which was essentially how Namaste felt to me.  Maybe I’ll try saying that in English to see how it feels.  As with everything else, this is a work in progress.

I see you, I love you,

Elle