391: Yoga for Wheelchair Users with Rodrigo Souza

2025-02-24

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 391: Yoga for Wheelchair Users with Rodrigo Souza Description: How can we make yoga classes more inclusive and accessible to wheelchair users? What are some dos and don’ts when it comes to working with differently-abled people? Rodrigo Souza shares his insights and perspectives. Rodrigo Souza is the founder of Allihopa Yoga. After experiencing a life-changing spinal cord injury, Rodrigo turned his journey of recovery into a mission to make yoga accessible for all bodies. He shares adaptive yoga with people who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability while helping them find comfort, joy, mindfulness, and acceptance in their unique experiences. In this episode, Rodrigo invites us to consider the language we use and how to be more inclusive with the words we use. He also shares his personal experiences with disa...

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

Description:

How can we make yoga classes more inclusive and accessible to wheelchair users? What are some dos and don’ts when it comes to working with differently-abled people? Rodrigo Souza shares his insights and perspectives.

Rodrigo Souza is the founder of Allihopa Yoga. After experiencing a life-changing spinal cord injury, Rodrigo turned his journey of recovery into a mission to make yoga accessible for all bodies. He shares adaptive yoga with people who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability while helping them find comfort, joy, mindfulness, and acceptance in their unique experiences.

In this episode, Rodrigo invites us to consider the language we use and how to be more inclusive with the words we use. He also shares his personal experiences with disability and being a wheelchair user, while reminding us that mistakes are a normal part of learning to be more inclusive. Rodrigo provides tips on practical ways to create more welcoming yoga spaces as well as guidance on teaching yoga to wheelchair users.

Whether you are seeking ways to adapt your yoga lessons to be more inclusive or simply want to challenge your assumptions, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.

Key Takeaways:

[2:09] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsor, OfferingTree.

[2:52] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Rodrigo Souza.

[5:24] What does Rodrigo do and who does he do it for?

[8:44] Shannon and Rodrigo discuss some of the terminology and language around people in wheelchairs.

[10:58] What are some key things yoga teachers could change with their language?

[14:24] Shannon shares a mistake she made when talking about a wheelchair user.

[17:09] Rodrigo talks about the Golden Rule when it comes to working with wheelchair users.

[19:31] It is important for us to diversify our friend circle, or at the very least, our social media feeds.

[22:33] Rodrigo shares his experience tackling internalized ableism.

[25:46] Shannon pops in with a few messages for listeners, including a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTree.

[27:42] What has Rodrigo's experience been as a wheelchair user attending a regular yoga class?

[30:21] Shannon and Rodrigo discuss how YTTs often tend to be rigid and not focused on inclusion, accessibility, and equity.

[33:02] What are some variations of yoga poses that yoga teachers can offer to students who are wheelchair users?

[40:16] What are some resources available to yoga teachers who want to make their yoga classes more accessible to wheelchair users?

[42:10] Rodrigo is starting to write a book - he shares a little about some of the themes he will cover.

[47:21] Rodrigo explains how yoga has helped him deal with pain.

[51:24] Find out more about Rodrigo and learn from him via his website and social media.

[53:07] Shannon shares some of her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Rodrigo.

[55:56] Shannon shares a personal update. The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast turns 8!

Links:

Rodrigo Souza, Allihopa Yoga
Rodrigo Souza on Instagram
Accessible Yoga Ambassador & Mentorship Program
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 365: How to Teach Accessible Yoga with Jivana Heyman
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 092: Accessible Yoga Begins with Language with Elliot Kesse, Chantel Ehler and Katie Juelson
The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga (Podcast Series)
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 289: Limb Difference and Yoga with Melissa D'Errico
Nemahsis
Nemahsis says her label dropped her for her pro-Palestinian stance | CBC Arts
Anti-Oppression, Inclusion and Accessibility in Yoga - Resources by The Connected Yoga Teacher
The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group
Shannon Crow on Instagram