Practicing Yoga as Resistance: Voices of Color in Search of Freedom

Practicing Yoga as Resistance explores yoga as a form of resistance against oppressive systems,intersectionally and through a feminist lens,highlighting how it is intertwined with these systems and offering insights into how people challenge and subvert them.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 09 January 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In the pursuit of collective bodily, emotional, and spiritual liberation, Practicing Yoga as Resistance explores yoga as it is experienced across the Western cultural landscape through an intersectional, feminist lens. This collection and its contributors shed light on the ways in which yoga practice is intertwined with systems of oppression that permeate our lived experiences, while offering insights into how individuals challenge and creatively subvert, mitigate, and reframe these systems through their efforts. Drawing from the disciplines of yoga studies, embodiment studies, women and gender studies, performance studies, educational studies, social sciences, and social justice, the self-identified women, queer, BIPOC, and White allies represented in this book present an interdisciplinary tapestry of scholarship that contributes to the growing assemblage of yoga literature for the 21st century.

Introduction:
Yoga has been practiced for centuries in various cultures and traditions, with its origins dating back to ancient India. However, in the Western cultural landscape, yoga has often been reduced to a form of physical exercise or a means of relaxation. Practicing Yoga as Resistance seeks to challenge this narrow understanding of yoga and to explore its potential as a tool for social and political change.

Naming the Systems of Oppression:
The book identifies the various systems of oppression that exist in our society, including racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, ageism, and classism. These systems of oppression are interconnected and intersect with each other, creating a complex web of power and privilege that shapes our lives. By naming these systems, the book aims to raise awareness about their impact on individuals and communities and to encourage people to challenge and dismantle them.

Intersectionality and Feminism:
Practicing Yoga as Resistance emphasizes the importance of intersectionality and feminism in understanding the experiences of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. The book recognizes that these communities face unique challenges and barriers to accessing yoga and other forms of physical and mental health care. By highlighting the experiences of these communities, the book seeks to promote inclusivity and equity in the yoga community and to challenge the dominant narratives that perpetuate oppression.

The Practice of Yoga as Resistance:
The book explores the ways in which yoga practice can be used as a tool for resistance against systems of oppression. It discusses the historical and cultural contexts of yoga and how it has been used as a means of resistance and empowerment for marginalized communities. The book also provides practical tips and techniques for incorporating yoga into activism and social justice work.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, Practicing Yoga as Resistance offers a powerful and transformative perspective on yoga as a tool for social and political change. By naming the systems of oppression that exist in our society and promoting intersectionality and feminism, the book encourages individuals and communities to challenge and dismantle these systems and to create a more just and equitable world.

Weight: 518g
Dimension: 234 x 155 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367753900