Statements

I hold many identities that afford me opportunities that are continually denied to others, and which allow me to move with ease through the systems and spaces in our society that were made for people like me. My identities include white, cisgender, pansexual, neurotypical, able-bodied, small-bodied, and college-educated, with mostly-stable mental health and English as my first language.

As a person, and especially a yoga teacher, with these identities I recognize the privilege and power I hold, and have made a commitment to continually educate myself on what it means for me to create trauma-informed, inclusive, equitable offerings, and to share power. Core to this commitment is learning and unlearning from teachers of diverse identities and backgrounds, specifically those with marginalized identities.

My biggest intention as a teacher is creating truly welcoming and safer spaces for all identities, abilities, and backgrounds.

In order to commit more fully to these intentions I practice the following while holding space as a teacher and in my daily life:

• Locating myself (my identities) in groups
• Speaking from my own perspective (“I”)
• Expecting and embracing discomfort
• Listening to understand, not respond
• Believing marginalized voices
• Attending to impact while acknowledging intent
• Confidentiality

I currently live and work on the ancestral land of the Clackamas peoples, Cowlitz peoples, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, now known as Portland, OR. I acknowledge this land is stolen through the violent history and continued legacy of colonialism. I offer this acknowledgement as a small gesture of honoring the Indigenous peoples who inhabited this land for thousands of years before white settlers arrived.

If you live on this land please visit the websites linked above to learn about and find out how you can support these communities.

I am a white yoga teacher and acknowledge the white-centering that occurs in the yoga and wellness industries. I make a profit teaching yoga, which comes from a culture that is not my own.

As a white teacher of these practices I commit to learning and respecting the roots of yoga from teachers of South Asian descent and other people of color. I commit to practicing appreciation of these practices and lineages and the peoples and culture they come from, and reducing harm through education and my own internal work.

The work of social justice is ongoing. It is not something I will learn and be done with. There will always be more I can learn and unlearn, and I will continue to have the ability to cause harm through both my ignorances and implicit biases.

I am dedicated to creating safer containers, to listening to, believing, and learning from marginalized folks, and to continually be better. However, I recognize the limitations I have around serving certain communities. Please visit my Resources page to find some incredible teachers who may better support you, including teachers who are Black, South Asian, trans, larger-bodied, and who hold other marginalized identities.

I welcome critical feedback. If you feel inclined to do so, please let me know if anything I am doing is causing harm, or if I could otherwise be doing better in my work.