People of Color Yoga for Resilience and Well-Being

by Nya Patrinos

(first printed in Yoga Therapy Today in the Spring 2019)

As an African-American woman I have encountered racism throughout my entire life. At various times these experiences of racism have left me angry, scared, disoriented, hopeless, and/or depressed. Whenever I feel imbalanced, I ask myself: How can I use my yoga tools for healing and transformation? People of Color (POC) Yoga has developed out of my personal quest to find yogic solutions to the stress and trauma of being a person of color in America.

My inspiration to teach POC Yoga developed from my participation in a half day intensive for people of color in mindfulness meditation led by Larry Yang. Through this experience, I recognized the healing power of being in a POC specialty group. I left the workshop feeling rejuvenated and optimistic and knew I had to somehow continue this work.

Many of us at the workshop were so inspired that we decided to form a bi-monthly POC sitting group. Because of my passion to make a difference in my life and the lives of others, I started teaching POC Yoga as gentle stretching between periods of meditation at the POC sit. Eventually, the class became its own offering.

Many of us at the workshop were so inspired that we decided to form a bi-monthly POC sitting group. Because of my passion to make a difference in my life and the lives of others, I started teaching POC Yoga as gentle stretching between periods of meditation at the POC sit. Eventually, the class became its own offering.

I have held POC Yoga at a meditation center, college rec room, various yoga studios, the park, and on the beach. The venue has changed many times depending on what was available. Sometimes I have rented the space. Sometimes the space was donated. But my intention to continue with the class has remained steadfast, and the feedback has been wonderful.

We people of color need yoga. We experience higher risks for physical health issues (cardiovascular disease, diabetes), behavioral health issues (substance abuse, cigarette smoking), and mental health issues (depression, post-traumatic stress disorder). Numerous studies cite racial discrimination as a major predictor of illness. Communities of color can be very different ethnically and culturally, but what we share is a history of prejudice, violence, racism, colonization, and/or genocide. I believe these experiences of historical, race-based, vicarious, and transgenerational trauma can be addressed in a trauma-sensitive yoga program for self-identified people of color where they can feel acknowledged, validated, safe, and supported.

“Self-identified” is my key concept. In the early days of the POC sitting group there were differing opinions as to who should be allowed to participate. I made a few mistakes myself by questioning someone’s race. Then I took on the model of self-identified. If someone was in the class, everyone was to assume they should be. No questions were ever to be asked.

I strive to create a safe container where people of color don’t have to worry about being hypervigilant, perfect, threatened, shamed, or exoticized. The space must feel safe for healing to occur. Participants are welcome to stop, alter, or modify any yoga poses, and even leave if they wish. I teach with a sense of welcome and gratitude. I realize people are sharing their most precious commodity— their time. In addition, they are trusting me and themselves with their bodies. POC Yoga is taught with empathy, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and “wisdom-enhancing” techniques from all traditions.

Although the focus is people of color, I hope that the program is equally useful as a model for trauma-informed group yoga. POC Yoga offers an integrative therapeutic model to address collective trauma by applying yoga therapy techniques to increase resilience and well-being.