By Raquel Issenberg
Creating an environment where yoga is accessible to individuals of all ages, body types, and financial backgrounds is not just a mission but a commitment to fostering holistic well-being and inclusivity.
Janviaire Parker, a dynamic and passionate social worker and yoga instructor, likes to use her powerful mantra “drop what you know” to advocate for a shift within the yoga community that emphasizes diversity, accessibility, and affordability.
As the voice of the month, Parker explained how yoga became a foundational part of her life and the ways her practice made her conscious and aware of the need to perpetuate the well-being and unity of a diverse society.
“My first encounter with yoga changed my life. I walked past a yoga studio that was having an open house weekend for free. I took three classes. After that, I decided I NEEDED yoga”, Parker remembered.
Janviaire Parker is a committed practitioner and yoga teacher who advocates for expanded accessibility in yoga circles that covers every body, speaks to every race and background, and is wallet-friendly.
Following the natural path of the practice, Parker touched upon the layers of yogic experience by discovering her physical, energetic, mental, and spiritual needs.
“In the beginning it was physical, it was exercise. I started practicing with YouTube videos, but something was still missing- COMMUNITY. I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand why this was so on demand. It quickly moved from a physical thing to an energetic thing”, Parker expounded.
To Parker, who works as a Program Coordinator for Loop It Up Savannah, accessibility in yoga communities starts by offering a diverse range of classes tailored to different physical abilities and incorporating adaptive practices, yoga becomes more approachable and accommodating for people with varying needs and limitations: “It means yoga is for EVERYBODY. Every shape. Every color. Every age. Every ethnicity. Every gender. Every social class. Every financial class.”
Additionally, implementing sliding-scale payment options, community-based programs, and outreach initiatives ensures that financial constraints do not become a barrier to experiencing the transformative benefits of yoga.
“We first have to make yoga accessible- more community classes in community spaces. More low-cost/pay-what-you-can yoga. More looking at our students and meeting them where they are at”, Parker added.
Emphasizing the importance of education and awareness, along with cultivating a supportive and non-judgmental atmosphere, further reinforces the idea that yoga is not just a physical practice but a journey towards self-discovery and inner peace, accessible to all who seek it.
“Looking for what's missing and offering that, rather than reading a script. Next, diversity among teachers. You have to be what you want to attract. If you want to attract older women, older women should teach. If you want to attract men, men should teach. You want to attract everybody, everybody should teach. Perhaps offering scholarships to marginalized demographics.”
Last June, amid the arrangements for the celebration of International Day of Yoga 2023 in Savannah, Parker reached out to the community to bring awareness of topics that would be crucial to include in a panel such as diversity and inclusivity in the yoga circles of our times.
After this, a much-needed discussion was hosted by New Yoga Now during the worldwide honors to yoga practice, which was organized and curated by Parker and instructor Heather Ducloux.
The round table included local panelists and a large audience that established open conversations about “how can we make yoga more accessible to students from diverse backgrounds”, “what role does cultural appropriation play in the modern yoga community” or “how can we use yoga as a tool for social justice and activism”.
Parker’s message to those who feel attracted to yoga is to let go of preconceived notions and embrace a more inclusive and empathetic approach to their practice.
“Drop what you know”, she emphatically expressed.
“Whatever expectations and beliefs you brought here, leave them at the door. Come from a place of curiosity and discovery. Expectation breeds disappointment. Yoga is as unique as the human experience. My experience with yoga won’t be your experience with yoga. The reason I came to class today won’t necessarily be the reason you came to class today. That’s the beauty of this thing called yoga. We all are here for our unique reason, be it physical, emotional, or energetic. We can all simultaneously make ourselves good”, Parker completed.
Parker believes in creating a welcoming and inclusive space for individuals from all walks of life: “Yoga (means) to yoke, to join. WE ARE ONE. I am you and you are me.”.
‘Drop what you know’
“Come from a place of curiosity and discovery. Expectation breeds disappointment. Yoga is as unique as the human experience. My experience with yoga won’t be your experience with yoga.”— Janviaire Parker
Follow her on Instagram @rootdownriseupyoga or contact her via email at rootdownriseupyoga@gmail.com
