Assignment: Using multiple sources, students will explore the issue of diversity and inclusion in the yoga world in a 3-5 page paper. After acknowledging those who have broken down barriers to inclusion, they will then recognize and come up with methods/adaptations and venues to make this beneficial practice more accessible/inclusive.

Name Instructor Course name Date Issue of Diversity and Inclusion in the Yoga World Yoga is a gift to mankind and the whole world from the land of India. There are numerous countries and cultures where yoga is a regular part of daily life, and India is one of them. Practicing yoga was very rich in ancient India. Yoga is not some form of activity, but it is a very scientific and natural way to maintain our body and mind healthy. After delving deeper, we realized that the benefits of yoga extend far beyond physical fitness. It's a means by which we can communicate with the divine. When we travel to other nations and study their cultures, we realize that yoga may be found there as well, albeit in a slightly different form. Let's pretend that our only exposure to yoga was through media portrayals in the popular sphere. Yoga may seem like it's reserved for a select group of people, but that would be a mistake. The yoga community does not always include people of different body shapes, abilities, and races. The lack of visibility may discourage people from trying yoga for the first time. More people than ever before need yoga in a world plagued by stress, mental illness, and persistent physical health issues (Yoga Alliance). Due to yoga's meteoric rise, it has become another target of societal racism. It's difficult to accept the possibility that yoga, which brings us such profound healing and joy, yoga, which has at its core union and oneness, has become another expression of racial prejudice in our culture. To set standards higher than the mainstream culture, we must first demonstrate that we are identifying ourselves as a distinct culture, one that advocates for equality. If we as yogis want to make sure everyone is treated fairly, we need to have tough talks about diversity—not to point out who is right or wrong, but to help each other remember and live by our shared values and principles. For the sake of preserving the integrity of yoga's tenets like ahimsa, satya, and asteya, the yoga business must make every effort to guarantee that people of all backgrounds understand that yoga is an integral part of their culture, even as it is adapted for the Western market. Everyone is welcome here. When people of all backgrounds decide to practice yoga, everyone wins. Yoga instruction needs to be viewed in the same light as educational reform: as a site for growth and development (Avery). Even if there were more people of different backgrounds teaching yoga and more people could be trained to become teachers, it would still need more than putting up a sign and hoping people would come if we truly cared about making yoga accessible to all. Our goal should be to make yoga more widely available, affordable, and easy by bringing it into communities where it is now lacking. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities supported the YAMA Foundation's biannual Accessible Wellbeing Virtual Conference, which took place in April. The organization promotes the health and happiness of people with disabilities and special needs by providing classes in yoga, meditation, and art therapy. According to Hersha Chellaram, the other co-founder of the foundation, "we founded the conference to provide a forum where we can bring individuals together to increase the quality of their lives." It also takes into account the health of experts who wish to acquire or implement more accessible inclusive modalities. The foundation has helped over 3,000 students and supported over 2,000 families since it was established as a small-scale charity to aid children and adults with disabilities, special needs, chronic sickness, poverty, and mental health difficulties. Additionally, Chellaram has learned from experience that there is a social phenomenon (Ng). According to her, "many attitudinal barriers do exist" when it comes to making things "more accessible and inclusive" and building relationships with those who have disabilities. We are aware that yoga instructors and studios in our areas are always trying to bring more people of different backgrounds into the practice. We've compiled a list of potential approaches that yoga studios and practitioners are taking to increase inclusion in the yoga community, as well as ways in which we can participate. Experiment with Other Options Instead of Relying on a Studio Creative space like studios are fantastic for fostering a calming environment, but they might be out of reach for families on a budget. Therefore, a group yoga session at a park or community center is the best option. Work Cited Avery, Helen. “Radical Diversity: Setting a Yoga Standard for Equality.” Wanderlust, 6 Feb. 2016, wanderlust.com/journal/radical-diversity-setting-a-yoga-standard-for-equality/. Ng, Charlie. “Yoga Breaks through Barriers.” The Standard, 2022, www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/fc/4/241966/Yoga-breaks-through-barriers. Yoga Alliance. “The Yoga Diversity Dilemma | Yoga Alliance.” Yogaalliance.org, 2016, www.yogaalliance.org/About_Yoga/Article_Archive/The_Yoga_Diversity_Dilemma.