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.

I agree I don't own yoga. I never said I did.

Came across that way with the insistence of who can do it and what is and isn't proper yoga and how to do it properly.

It wasn't me that said you couldn't it, tequila, you're mixing me up with a different poster. I told you to carry on doing it, but take it further - to maybe reap the benefits that Lamaha has gained. That's not saying who can do it. You're taking my posts wrongly, because we disagree on the trans politics.

I’m just fed up with the constant onslaught against women specific resources. It’s correct that it’s her only women specific video, so the people that felt excluded by one word in it instead of accessing all the rest of the content? 🤷‍♀️

I think this is a little ironic - given that you and others have said you feel excluded by her changing the wording. Perhaps then you can empathise with people who felt excluded by the original wording?

zebrasdontwearbras

I told you repeatedly that I don't want to do that. That's why we disagreed, because you presume to know best about me.

I looked at the YouTube video posted by Lamaha - there is zero difference to the class that I do at my local gym other than the chanting that the instructor does. He doesn't instruct on breathing, or linking mid and body with the breath, he simply calls out the next move so I'm not sure why it's so superior?

Anyway, maybe you should accept that people can decide for themselves what is best for them and not presume that you know better than they do?

I think it's odd to feel "excluded" by something merely because it is no longer gender specific. The original video is still accessible.

There are plenty of instances where I think including transwomen in women's spaces is potentially problematic (shared toilets etc). This really isn't one of them.

Like I said, tequila, best we just draw a line under it - I'm not saying the things you think I'm saying. I'm fanatical about yoga, and think most people, if not everyone, would benefit from it.

zebrasdontwearbras

Good for you. Maybe on your spiritual journey you could learn to not push your fanaticism where it's not wanted?

Chill out Tequila. Just ignore my advice if you don't want it. It was kindly meant.

It was kindly meant.

Then once is enough. Once I'd said thanks but no thanks I'm not sure why you felt the need to keep going on, patronising me with explaining repeatedly what acceptance means.

I don’t doubt her intentions are good.

Anway, moving on, OP, I agree with this. Agree that all women's services are under onslaught. It's hard not to be sensitive to this, when anything with the word "woman" in is under attack for not being "inclusive" enough.

So this on it's own may not seem that big a deal - but in the context of everything else going on - it is.

I’ve been doing Adriene’s yoga for a couple of years and really like her, but I think it was a bit unrealistic to think she’d be anything but woke and down with the lovely glitter unicorns. She doesn’t exactly come across as someone likely to go against the majority view.

No amount of yoga or mindfulness or breathing or chanting is ever going to make me accept it so I'll do my best to keep mobile with whatever tools I have available and if that offends you sorry (not sorry)

I don't care either way, do you, but you're not really doing 'yoga' you're exercising.

I felt the exact same way about my body, but the tools I gained from yoga made me appreciate it was mine, and mine alone, and mine could do things only mine could do so I was proud of it. It's the only one I'll be given, so I should take care of it and be kind to it and love my body. Yoga gave me that.

As I said, I have multiple disabilities, and I was a professional dancer and that has been taken away from me by disabilities. I felt I would never love this body that had let me down, but yoga has given me my love for my bod back.

You don't offend me though, strange thing to say.

I think this is a little ironic - given that you and others have said you feel excluded by her changing the wording. Perhaps then you can empathise with people who felt excluded by the original wording?*

Ok 🤷‍♀️ I probably have PMS and definitely need to ensure all non women are included with period related discussions and resources in future. My uterus is gearing up for some ironic cramps right now I believe.

One last thing - women’s sex based resources are being steadily eroded. While I’m living with it, I don’t have to like it.

surely gaining an acceptance of it is part of life.

So very true,

It wasn't until I accepted my body was different that I allowed myself to move forward and found new capabilities.

I was in a cycle of denial and self loathing, very angry with my body. There was no health benefit in it at all, and the tools in yoga gave me the realisation of what I could do by accepting where I was and where I am.

Acceptance is anything but giving up, it's a freedom to be and explore from there. I'm in such a different place to when I was so angry at my body. I look back and feel like I was a whole different person.

I don't care either way, do you, but you're not really doing 'yoga' you're exercising.

I DONT CARE.

It wasn't until I accepted my body was different that I allowed myself to move forward and found new capabilities.

Good for you for accepting your body.

I, on the other hand, hate my body and do not want to accept it. Is that alright with you?

Thanks for saying that womenspeakout.

It's a good place to be. My use of the word acceptance was completely (deliberately?) misconstrued. For example: Acceptance is also used in the stages of grief. I don't think I'll ever not miss my dad, who died in 2014, but 5yrs on, I have reached a level of acceptance - of knowing he won't be coming back. I don't like it, but there is an acceptance. An acknowledgment of reality.

Because when you can't do anything about a situation or a person's death then acceptance is an option.

I don't want to accept something when I can continue to try to change things.

I'll be sure to remember this thread when I dislocate my shoulders on multiple occasions tonight as I roll over in bed or when I dislocate my knee walking down the stairs in the morning. I'm sure acceptance will make it all so much more bearable.

I, on the other hand, hate my body and do not want to accept it. Is that alright with you?

That's fine, but it's not at all what yoga is about. And you'd probably find you'd get so much more out of your body and then your life with the acceptance.

You'll probably get there eventually, anyway, I hope for that for you. It's a blessing.

You continue to misunderstand what we're saying here, Tequila.

I'll tell you what - this thread is doing yoga no favours whatsoever.

*Thanks for saying that womenspeakout.

It's a good place to be. My use of the word acceptance was completely (deliberately?) misconstrued. For example: Acceptance is also used in the stages of grief. I don't think I'll ever not miss my dad, who died in 2014, but 5yrs on, I have reached a level of acceptance - of knowing he won't be coming back. I don't like it, but there is an acceptance. An acknowledgment of reality.*

It just resonated so well.

It's very much like a death/grievance. What could have been, what's now gone.

As a dancer, it really was so hard to find it, I hated my body so much, I felt like it was a punishment, and now I realise I was punishing my body for not being what I wanted it to be or what I expected it to be.

It was such a burden though, it just held me back so much. It was the acceptance that made such an impact and then such improvement.

It's nothing like giving up, it's the opposite to giving up. It's accepting and allowing it to be and improve upon that. It's not constantly fighting a battle with myself, but nurturing it.
I never thought I would arrive at it though, because I was so unhappy/depressed with it. But it was holding me back so much.

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. x

Thanks womenspeakout he was a wonderful man - one of the real good ones. I think of him every day, but they're happier thoughts these days - good memories. I married a man just like him - they got on so well, I sometimes thought dad liked him more than me

Sorry for the derail x

5th rule of misogyny: Women and Feminism must be useful to men or they are worthless.