Yoga's Got A Race Problem and Jessamyn Stanley Knows You Don't Want to Talk About It

On the first night of my book tour for
Every Body Yoga, I asked if anyone had one final question, and a very tall Black guy standing at the very back of the house raised his hand. He started out by talking about how much he loves yoga, but how he can never find a sense of calm in yoga studios. He confided that most of the yoga studios he attends are predominantly patronized by White women.
He wondered how a Black man is supposed to find “zen” or “calm” in such an environment. How was he supposed to chill within a predominantly White environment where most of his teachers and fellow students are White women, whom society has taught to fear Black men. How was he supposed to find inner calm in a room where he’s treated like a threat to his fellow students?

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