Teacher Tips: Two ways to make your classes more inclusive by recognizing students beyond gender and truly create a “safe space”
Written by Rebecca Manankil, Movement Guide & Multi-Disciplinary Healer at The Aura House
A buzz term we hear a lot today, especially in the wellness industry, is safe space. What comes to mind is primarily the physical aspect of our classrooms, but this only one part of building an inviting container for students to come and be guided by you. As teachers, we have been given the trust by those who come to us to hold space for who they are as individuals. With the quantum shifts in recognition to all the beautiful and colourful ways that we as people identify themselves, it is important to express this message in every facet through our classes.
Here are two simple but impactful ways that you can become more inclusive by seeing beyond the surface and into the souls of your students as you guide them in their practice!
Break the habit of using gender specific terms to address your students
“Hey guys!” is a common greeting used for years in society.
As I meditated upon my own use of the phrase to address groups of people in my language, both on and off the mat, I realized that this was a subtle way that patriarchy influenced me and I contributed to the erasure of communities of people. As a Pinay womxn, I come from a people who spent 333 years under Spanish occupancy and who were colonized the Roman-Catholic conquistador mission. Before the oppressors came, many indigenous tribes were gender neutral. In Tagalog, one of the 184 known spoken dialects in the islands now known as The Philippines, there is no specific gender identifying pronoun for he or she. The word “siya” encompasses both genders in translation into the English language and is used when addressing others, regardless of gender. We also recognized “two spirited” individuals without any limitations. To be of two spirits was seen as a gift to be had, as many were respected healers and pillars in the community. It wasn’t until the ideologies of the Spanish were forced upon us, did we shift away from this very inclusive way of thinking in terms of gender and how we recognized it. By my use of referring to a group of people as “guys” was yet another insidious way I was still upholding the remnants of colonization and contributing to the erasure of people’s identities.
As we as a society have shifted into the mass understanding that recognizes and respects individuals in alignment with how they identify themselves, it’s time for phrases like this to come to an end. Gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language is language that avoids reference towards a particular sex or gender. In my own practice, I make it a conscious and active effort to use the terms like “folks”, “friends” and “individuals” when addressing students as a group. This is my way of letting them know that I am not focusing on what I am seeing (or think I’m seeing) in front of me in the physical. In all honesty, there are times I will still say “guys” or “guys and gals” out of habit, but always make the effort to verbally address that mistake and repeat my phrase using the more gender inclusive term. By making this seemingly small but impactful shift I am able to show gratitude for the incredible trust my students place in me as their teacher.
2. Use general anatomical cues and reference points in your teaching verbiage
As a yoga teacher, one of our expected areas of expertise is the human anatomy. When we verbally guide our students, we use our knowledge of the physical body to help them come into movements and poses that create the benefits that are sought through the physical part of the practice. In my classes, I would often find my students to be women and would use my assumption to guide my classes. For example, I would express the benefits of certain poses like Baddha Konasana (also known as Bound Angle Pose, Butterfly Pose, or Cobbler's Pose) as a “great way to soothe yourself during that time of month”. Up until recently, I was using the position of “where your bra strap goes” when referring to certain point on the back. I was assuming my students would relate to these reference points based on assumptions that I was making in ways that could have very well been making them feel unseen and in turn, uncomfortable. None of those things contribute to a safe space, which we hope to find in one’s yoga practice.
This is where I feel it is of great importance for teachers to constantly be studying anatomy and consciously finding new ways to use it as cues and reference points in your classes. Find anatomical features that are found in the body regardless of gender to speak to everyone in a way that you are understood by everyone, such as the thoracic spine or mid-back instead of the space where a bra strap is found when worn. By shifting away from trying to relate to my students in ways that only are specific to the experience of those who have specific anatomy. When guiding folks through Bound Angle Pose, I have stopped using only experiences like menstruation relief and now choose refer to the many other benefits of that asana such as improved the flexibility in the lower back, hips, thighs, groins and ankles. These shifts in the attempt to relate to your students through gender perception leads to more inclusion in our classrooms.
We are a Rainbow Registered Business through Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) with Tourism HR Canada!
By committing to your role as an educator, you have to willingly take on the duty that comes with being a guide to all that come to you. Within the studio, we have taken this commitment to the next level to make sure that all students feel welcome and truly space in the space. We here at The Aura House Brampton are honoured to say that we are a nationally accredited Rainbow Registered business. Along with 224 businesses across Canada, we are accredited and demonstrate that we are consistent in our efforts and committed to providing a welcoming and accepting 2SLGBTQI+ customer and staff experience through the standards of the program.
We want you to know that we welcome who you are on a soul level and you are invited to show up as you are, unafraid and unbound. To trust that this is truly a safe space with open hearts, open transparency and most importantly, open doors. So come visit us soon so you can come home to your authentic and genuine self – at The Aura House.
