Dear Survivors of Bikram Choudhury Abuse,

We are two North American yoga professionals and we want to send an official message to the larger yoga industry, not only in North America but all over the world.

And our message is simple. Short, even.

We. Believe. You.

We. Support. You.

And we know the yoga industry is better than how it has treated you, and you deserve folks in the yoga industry standing up and supporting you as you speak out about what happened to you during your Bikram Yoga teacher training.

It is important to us, as women who have spent a combined four-plus decades in this industry, that we spend our precious moments, our energy, and our time supporting you.

You matter.

Your experience matters.

What happened to you in the context of training to become a yoga teacher should never have happened to you. It was wrong under every context, every circumstance, and every possible reasoning that could ever be thrown out. It was wrong what happened to you.

We are so sorry this happened, you should have been protected.  We, as an industry or people who claim to honor a set of living principles, should have protected you. Supported you.

The yoga industry needs to do better. It needs to protect and support its participants, hold predatory teachers accountable, and make sure that every space is as safe as we can make it for people to learn, grow, and transform.

Yoga means something to us, but your safety and well-being mean more.

And for two women who have spent their adulthood dedicated to the teaching and practice of yoga: We want the world to know that we believe you. We see you. And we will work to make sure this doesn’t happen to others.

Thank you for being who you are. You have always been worthy, beautiful, and more than enough.

With love,

Rebecca Sebastian, Working In Yoga Podcast host

Shannon Crow, Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast host

 

Rebecca Sebastian is a long-time yoga teacher, 11- year yoga therapist, owns an accessible and inclusivity-focused yoga studio and apothecary in Davenport, Iowa, called Sunlight Yoga + Apothecary, and is the host of the podcast Working In Yoga.  She is a passionate writer and podcaster on yoga and self-care and participates in and loves all things yoga and the yoga industry. She believes that through writing and communication, we can all lift each other up and share what lights us up with the world. If you want to get nerdy about the yoga and wellness industry, chat about the best tea blends, and deconstruct everything we thought we knew, she is your human.

 

Shannon Crow (she/her) is a yoga teacher, trainer and host of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast. She is passionate about helping yoga teachers to specialize so that they can stand out with their unique yoga offerings. Shannon is the founder of Pelvic Health Professionals and a Mom to her three best teachers.

 

 

 

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