*Please note this is more of a 'thinking out loud' piece after some recent thoughts and conversations I've been having on the topic.
As some may be aware I recently was nominated for a lovely award for 'Best yoga studio in Sussex'.
I feel very fortunate that this isn't the first time I've been involved with this award and I obviously feel a great sense of gratitude for people putting me forward for it but it has always brought me a great sense of discomfort.
I am all for celebrating the success and impact of small independent businesses and think I speak on everyone who's involved behalf that any 'votes' that are made mean much more than just that. To have the support of anyone especially those who continue to support, is very life affirming and heart warming.
However in all honesty I have always questioned such a competitive and overriding blanket statement being 'won' at the end of it. Not only do I believe that in past years when I have fortunately won, that despite that being the case I in no way think I am in actual fact 'the best' yoga instructor in Sussex whatever that may mean.
Despite the way in which I have taken a different approach to my teaching and studying of yoga and 'wellness' in recent years, I do sincerely love and feel very fortunate that anyone actually shows up to any of my classes, trusts me and allows me to be even a very small and maybe fleeting part of their lives.
I do not believe in any way this is a unique view and that all yoga instructors probably feel the same.
When I first began teaching I unfortunately had a situation in which I was, to put it lightly, 'disliked' by a member of the community where I am from for starting up classes who was doing the same, this was a huge shock to me and has taken me alot of time to try and understand, therefore I think from day one I was aware of an underlying competitiveness in the yoga and wellness industry which sadly I believe is still present today (however with a lot more pseudo community vibes, and overuse of the word 'community' to emphasize this fact perhaps?)
Whenever I talk about the competitiveness and my dislike of it and personal experience with it to anyone not in the industry it is normally responded too with a laugh (which is exactly the response it deserves in my opinion). How can individuals working in a field that promotes lack of attachment, empathy, kindness, non judgement and an idea of universal compassion behave in such a way?
Well to be honest I'm still unsure, I feel the huge increase in those teaching and offering pretty much the same 'offerings' has obviously put pressure on how successfully we in the industry can continue to capitalise upon a spiritual practice (which we are all doing as much as we may try not to think about it that way).
Thankfully with the growing 'styles' of yoga (a huge topic of cultural appropriation- please look at my previous post 'cultural appropriation in yoga' for more on this topic) people can still have some individuality in their 'offerings' (e.g. bung some alpacas in your class and hey presto, beach yoga is pretty inundated now so you might need to add some furry friends or neon paint to that one if you want to be a bit more original).
I personally don't believe the number of those teaching yoga will decrease and the offering in holistic wellness will continue to grow and become more saturated, this has both benefits and negatives.
It is wonderful as more people with their unique view of yoga and teaching will surface, some making it more 'accessible' to those yoga was previously inaccessible to (eg specific classes for those with disabilities, specialized yoga for mental health conditions and physical diagnosis etc).
However with the many issues I am working through e.g. shaming in wellness, lack of regulation, gentrification, 'guru culture', cultural appropriation etc there are negatives that come from this increase too. And the added impact of competitiveness can't help.
I believe in some ways it speaks of the West's colonialist nature and how we act as if we own something (for example calling your yoga brand after your name, being possessive of the area in which you teach and of the students that attend your classes) and the way in which the West exotifies yoga and many practices originating from a discriminated population (a prime example of this is that during the period of British colonization in India from 1858 to 1947 Indians were forbidden from engaging in their traditional yoga practices as they were essentially banned and ridiculed, look at us now). (2)
Maybe this sense of pseudo community and underlying competitiveness is not unique in yoga and wellness however I feel it is more ironic and harder to call out, given it is something that is not supposed to be around or felt or god forbid called out in such a holistic practice.
There is a huge body of thought debating whether competitiveness is a trait of natural human behaviour or a learnt behaviour, this I genuinely do not know enough about and as much reading as I've done around it am still not sure what I think. But I do know it exists and have seen and experienced how it can effect our actions and behaviours.
Should there be competitiveness in yoga, well there's going to be as nothing is void of everything (as pure and honest as it may be portrayed and spoken about), it'd be nice if no one worried or bothered to spend the time and energy thinking about what others are doing, or if they did to support them rather than compete against them, but that's not realistic.
Is there a way around it? Definitely more awareness open discussions and an emphasis on support rather than comparing in my opinion.
So what do I do in the situation I'm in, whereby I have been put forward by students to possibly win a 'yoga award' (what ever that is)?
Do I want to participate in this award to 'win'? Not particularly,
But I am aware the title of 'best yoga studio' is a token gesture, to win would mean people are supporting me? Yes and that's bloody lovely and something I of course would love to celebrate.
If I did 'win' would it change the way I thought about myself? No.
Would I gain anything from it? I guess a sense of satisfaction that I have such loving support from people, and also that I will have a great platform to talk more about the injustices and discriminations in yoga and wellness, which I would really appreciate.
Do I feel unbelievably awkward about asking people to vote for me if they want? Without a doubt.
But is it worth it so I can talk about these aspects that are rarely spoken about in wellness and yoga and get more awareness of these topics? Absolutely.
So although I realise some will think me 'un yogic' or hypocritical going along with this (local, small business award) but I am and am participating in it in celebration of people supporting people. So if you fancied voting for me so I can get my voice out there more here's the link:
Hannah x
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