Yoga with Adriene - Redo of PMS Video

[ThePawtriarchy]

I’ve just seen the message in my inbox from Yoga with Adriene saying that she’s done a redo of her really popular ‘Yoga for Cramps and PMS for Women’ video to remove the reference to ‘Hey Ladies’ etc and make it all gender neutral, to be inclusive.

I actually just feel really sad now. I feel excluded as a woman, there’s nowhere that’s safe where I don’t have to consider men first.

It's not okay. Words mean something. Where does it stop? When the word woman and what it means to be one is eradicated out of existence because of well meaning fools.

It might be one video but removing sex specific language such as woman has implications for our sex. I really wish people would see the bigger picture.

I have just unsubscribed from her mailing list and explained exactly why in the 'comments' field. When will this madness end?!

Its a real shame when actual sex based issues cant even be referred to as womens issues.

But would you have even noticed if she had just made another PMS/cramp video in the style of all of her other videos?

Her style is very much to address the camera, as though she's only talking to one person so I'm not seeing how there will be any noticeable difference here.

If she had made the original video by saying "welcome everyone, how are you all doing? Ok let's get started...." Would you be feeling erased or excluded as a woman?

This just feels an odd thing to get riled up about. I don't understand how her not saying women or ladies is excluding anyone. The video is still addressing a sex based function so again, she's not attempting to erase that she's just addressing the audience in a neutral way, which lots of people do anyway.

I don’t see the harm in trying to be inclusive of trans men if she wants to. So long as she isn’t being harassed to change her videos I don’t see how trying to be kind to a very marginalised group of women is somehow no ok with feminist no matter how GC they may be.

Is it possible to message feedback? I’d be telling her I get why she’s made the new one, but please don’t remove the original as my womanhood is important to me.

The reason people do this shit is often because it’s suggested and they go along with it to be nice. It probably hasn’t crossed her mind anyone would be offended.

So I wouldn’t be rude, as that would get her annoyed, but take a leaf out of the TRA phase 1handbook and make a polite fuss. With any luck, TRAs will move on to phase 2.

In summary, our voices need to be louder than theirs.

Just reread this.

Is it to do with men though? I thought in instances like this it's out of consideration for trans men?

Wonder if all the transladies who use her PMS video will now be up in arms as she’s erasing their ladyhood along with yours!

Wonder if all the transladies who use her PMS video will now be up in arms as she’s erasing their ladyhood along with yours!

Can you explain who she is erasing ladyhood or womanhood in anyway?

She makes open access videos for everyone, men and women. They aren't just for women. They aren't happening in a women only space.

This one video is for pms/ cramps and rather than say "welcome ladies" or similar she's going to say "welcome". How does that, in any way erase women?

Do you exist as a woman only if someone makes reference to it? So if you get on a bus and the driver says "hello" as opposed to "hello lady" has he erased you as a woman?

She could equally have chosen to simply take down this video (it's fairly old anyway) and left it at that.

I don’t see how trying to be kind to a very marginalised group of women is somehow no ok with feminist no matter how GC they may be.
I thought the same back in 2010. And now here we are.
Only women have periods. If that statement is unkind then something is very wrong.

Successful woman bet she was hounded to change it.

I’ve unsubscribed. So tired of this bullshit.

I've reflected, and tbh I think I'm about equally annoyed with the 'pink socks and Ladies' approach in the first place as I am with the wokey climbdown. She's normally effortlessly neutral just by saying 'friends' and I like that.

Remaking a video because a tiny tiny number of female people choose to deny biological reality is nuts, though.

She's not taken the old video down, as yet. I hope she doesn't.

I can still see that (wonderful) video for women on YT. I find that yoga is fantastic for period pain - so will continue to add views to her "Yoga For Women" video

I can't say I agree that she needed to make another video, but you know what happens to women who don't kowtow to the "inclusivity" demands. You've seen the aggressive campaigns, the threats, the hatred. It's not nice, and she probably doesn't want this directed at her yoga channel.

True, zebra. And given how grateful I am to Adriene for the hours and hours of genuinely enjoyable exercise which has helped my back no end, I'm not going to bitch at her.

I go to her for lovely chirpy yoga, not grumpy radfemness (got you lot for that).

On which note I'm going to go do her Love Yoga Flow.

She's got such a lovely voice. My real life yoga teacher is from the US and has a similar accent - her voice talking you into shavasana is something else. Like being coated in caramel

I've reflected, and tbh I think I'm about equally annoyed with the 'pink socks and Ladies' approach in the first place as I am with the wokey climbdown. She's normally effortlessly neutral just by saying 'friends' and I like that.

I completely agree.

”She makes open access videos for everyone, men and women. They aren't just for women.”

Well this particular one obviously is.

One that reminds anyone watching that I am here to create spaces that feel welcoming and supportive for everyone, and I am fully committed to this.

This isn’t what the redo is doing unfortunately. It is making plenty of people posting here feel very unwelcome and unsupported.

Are there any examples of things aimed at men being ‘redefined and inclusive’?

Why doesn’t she just do a new one for transmen with uteruses and leave the other one as is?

But why does this make anyone feel excluded?

As above, she usually refers to viewers as "friends" so if in this video she says "welcome friends" that's going to make you feel excluded?

The video for pms/cramps will still be there so if you have need of it it's there, she just won't be wearing pink socks or specifically saying ladies (which I don't see as a bad thing). What are you losing or having taken away?

She could have made the original version without specifically saying "ladies" just because that's her normal style - would you have complained about her not adding it?

affirming, neutral gender pronouns.

Many women find 'gender neutral pronouns' and the avoidance of the word 'woman' to be the opposite of 'affirming'. 'Woman' is not a dirty word.

I'm sure she means well ... if she's leaving the original version in place that's good, but there's a fair chance she'll get abuse for 'othering'.

Are there any examples of things aimed at men being ‘redefined and inclusive’?

Oh they'll get to it.

Already, Dr Harrop has fallen foul of TRAs by asserting he is a gay man who is attracted to men with penises (as if there are any other kind ).

TequilaPilates It is the fact that she has sent out an email specifically to let the world know that menstruation is no longer to be considered as something only experienced by women.

This a ridiculous position to take.

If the original video had made no reference to women or men no-one would have bothered to notice.

I am absolutely and completely sure that any person who considers themselves to have transitioned from female to male but who still retains a uterus would have no difficulty understanding that it is their female biology the video was meant to address, rather than their wardrobe or chosen pronouns.

I am less certain that male to female transitioned persons would acknowledge that ‘feeling like a woman’ does not come with free menstruation attached. It would be outrageous if ‘gender neutral’ language were to be used to avoid hurting the feelings of biological males.

I've been practicing Yoga since I was 18 and that was in 1969. It was not a popular "thing" then, in fact I was laughed at and derided, but I persevered because it changed my life from the start and continued to be my foudnation over the decades. I would have been a fraction of who I am today without it.

Back then, I went to India to deepen my practice: I stayed 18 months the first time and return for longer or shoretr periods almost every year. I was lucky enough to find the best and mosy genuine teachers, who were not into it for commercial reasons.

While I'm glad that more and more Westerners are discovering the benefits of Yoga, I've been sceptical about Western teachers from the start. ALL of them. I don't know who Adrienne is but I'm wary from the onset. Almost all of the imported versions of Yoga have been modified and adapted and watered down to suit Western trends and ideologies.

So this latest "inclusive" development doesn't surprise me in the least. It was bound to happen, eventually.

But: trying to adapt Yoga to suit transgender ideas of "identity" is fundamentally agaist everything that Yoga, genuine Yoga, based on the philosophy of Patanjali, teaches. Practicing genuine Yoga would root out completely any idea of being the opposite sex. It just doesn't compute. It would teach you to feel completely at home in the body you have been given, completely at one with it, body and mind harmonized.

It's what happened to me as a deeply unhappy, overweight teenager who felt ugly and rejected and unloved by all the world, especially men. All of that changed fundamentally.

So there's that. I just don't trust these basically new age teachers who try to put their own idealogical stamp on an ancient, very wise teaching. I know that some of them are very compelling and are gifted communicators. But that isn't the point. This person, whom I don't know, appears to be such a one. As I said, I'm wary.

While I'm glad that more and more Westerners are discovering the benefits of Yoga, I've been sceptical about Western teachers from the start. ALL of them.

This is what put me off Yoga for about 45 years. I’m still sceptical about the Western interpretation - but simultaneously compelled to scroll through Instagram watching the usual suspects (barely there leotard, cute puppy, professionally lit and directed moves ...) and wishing I could motivate myself to do more.

I wonder if there are yoga classes specifically for transmen? I know there are many transmen who experience atrophying of the vagina and cramping pain after orgasm. Testosterone is not kind to the female reproductive system. Rather than modifying this video she should concentrate on producing one that will help them directly. She could have so easily just done a different intro with a ‘hi there’ welcome while wearing beige socks and no one would have objected. But it’s the virtue-signalling of making a big ole announcement that’s annoying.