This conversation explores the lived experience of practicing and teaching Ashtanga as a visible minority, and what it takes to evolve a lineage without losing its heart. We examine how unspoken norms, lack of clear standards, and performance-driven culture can exclude people, and what a more inclusive, structured, and compassionate approach looks like in real rooms.What You’ll HearIdentity, visibility, and belonging in traditional Ashtanga spacesWhy standards matter, and how “no structure” quietly creates inequityMixed messaging around asana achievement vs yoga as healingPractical inclusion: bodies, props, pacing, and permissionDecolonizing the mat and having necessary, uncomfortable conversationsTeachers’ responsibility around food, body image, and modeling careReframing progress when life, injury, or anatomy write the rulesCommunity dynamics after leadership changes in MysorePrivilege, access, and taking practice to underserved communitiesKey TakeawaysClear standards protect students and teachers and reduce bias.Inclusion is practical: adapt sequence, use props, cue options, honor cycles.Your value is not your vinyasa. The practice is a lab for self-knowledge.Community health > cults of personality. Build learning organizations, not pedestals.About Our GuestJamaica-born and South Africa–based, Shakira Bouwer is an Ashtanga yoga teacher authorized in Mysore. She began yoga in 1999 while working in corporate finance, later earned an MBA, and ultimately followed dharma into full-time teaching. Her work centers on accessibility, decolonizing the mat, and creating spaces where every body can practice with dignity.Connect + ResourcesAs shared in the episode:Instagram and Threads: @kirasadhanaEmail shared in-episode: [email protected]COMMUNITYHere is the link for free access to our community.
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