
Power dynamics and trauma: seen from the yoga mat
"The first principle of recovery is empowerment to the survivor. She must be the author and arbiter of her own recovery. Others may offer advice, support, assistance, affection, and care, but not cure." – Judith Herman Why should we, yoga teachers, care about people with trauma, if we are maybe teaching yoga just in the local studio? Studies have suggested that experiencing at least one traumatic event across the lifetime is a common occurrence (Norris, 1992). Over 70% of gen

Guru and his followers: risks of power abuse in yoga world
“The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” – Edmund Burke Since the time thousands years ago when yoga discipline started to emerge and formed to the teachings, it was generally recognized that the relationships between a teachers and their student are central to the transmission and teaching of yoga, and play an important role in the transformation potential this discipline has to offer. Yoga grew in popularity and in the past century expanded to the Western worl