Teaching Accessibly – Jivana Heyman

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit ancientfutures.substack.com

What does it mean to make yoga accessible? Jivana Heyman first used the term when he started to train disabled teachers. But its significance is broader, pointing students towards something subtler – their own true nature beyond mind and body.

As Jivana explains in his latest book, The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, that’s a goal more aligned with traditional texts than performing contortions. But does it set the bar high to reveal the true self? And if it’s found in all beings, does it also teach us universal values? Along the way, our conversation explores (among other topics):

* The importance of ethics and peer support networks

* If “yoga has always been political”, as a headline once said

* Potential limits to arguing “if it’s not accessible, it’s not yoga”

* Whether “cultural appropriation” is a helpful framework

* The pros and cons of self-publishing for yoga authors

If you enjoy the conversation, and want to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated, as I explained in a recent article!