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.

This is all part of the same thing to be honest. You sound angrier with me, for pointing it out, than you do with the people that are campaigning against women meaning adult human female.

It saddens me. The word woman is being eroded from all angles at the moment - this is just one. It's happening all over.

How can I possibly sound angry when I’m not.

Many on here have said they’re ok with it, you can’t make them feel a certain way anymore I can calm your anger at it. Feelings are reactive and it doesn’t spark it. Like I said other things do.

Mostly when it’s men erasing women.

And just so you don’t misconstrue again, feel free to point it out whenever you like just don’t get too annoyed when people say that doesn’t apply to me.

Because you're arguing with me, yet you seem to be agreeing with me.

Honestly I see what people mean when they say people on feminism don’t listen.

Oh dearie me, the women are acting like people again.
At this point I think the woke messaging demand is that all things be non binary, except me things.

Sorry. except men things.

I’m not agreeing with you entirely. In some situations I’m sure I would just not this specific thread and situation, and I think it’s ok to do that. On another thread where things make me cross (like I said cis / men occupying women’s spaces) I’m sure we’d be saying the same thing in agreement.

Every time an ad refreshes the entire page jumps up and down and erases my comment.

What you agree to here, Marsha, has tendrils. Once people start believing here, they believe the same in the NHS, in schools, in prisons.

And the before you now it, there's a biological male doing your smear test. And giving you intimate care in hosptial, and in the changing rooms with your daughter. And there's nothing you can do about it, because suddenly, without you really noticing, gender identity is what matters.

That’s precisely the stuff I said I’d fight against. I’d rather put my energy into that not against trans men, ie other women, in this particular case. You fight it how you want and I will also.

Anyway I should go. It’s been internet consuming.. btw did you do Adriene yoga and will you boycott?

But can't you see it all linked? It's all part of the whole onslaught. You can't say oh it's ok for this, but not for that. This is all part of the same thing. That's why this is happening.

Ok a pp said something that resonated you don’t take away you add. You add a third space eg for loos. You add a third video here. But don’t erase what I can access.

Ok really am going now ;

I don't want to argue with Tequila as they are perfectly entitled to practice yoga any way they want. But I do want to comment on this thing they said:

...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?

The mental aspect of yoga, and the breathing, are the invisible aspects that create all the difference. It's about learning how to focus and calm the mind, so as to listen to the body instead of our constant internal chatter. You can't see these things and that's why you (Tequila) say it's exactly the same, but it isn't. It makes all the difference, and it's what separates yoga from a normal exercise regime.

Further thoughts, relevant to the above but no longer replying to Tequila:

In yoga, the body is regarded as the physical manifestation of who we are. It's a given; we're landed with it. It might have a disability or a genetic illness or a sex we dislike , and that's what we have to work with. As someone said above: changing what we can, accepting what we can't change. Sex would fall in the latter category.

When it comes to gender identity, yoga teaching would regard this as not real. The mind is fluid, malleable, and in the realm of our control. Gender is just one of many attributes contained within the mind, and it's unhealthy to grasp any one single attribute and obsess about it. Basically yoga considers us all "gender neutral", non-binary. There's even a specific word used instead of non-binary: it is non-dual. A non-dual sense of self is the ultimate goal of yoga; that's what we strive for; so you could say it's an extremely gender-critical practice!

While at the same time respecting the body, understanding and optimising its functions, and being kind to it. Mutilating it would not be part of that.

Lamahaha

Perfect. Yoga, as you say, considers us all gender neutral.. Exactly what Adrienne is doing in this video. Keeping it gender neutral. Fantastic. She's advocating proper yoga then so what's the problem?

I've looked at the video. It's still titled PMS/cramps. It's just that when the video starts she just says hello. That's it.

How is that erasing women? She has simply created a 3rd space, which is precisely what FWR calls for.

This is not at all comparable to a man being in the female changing room or a man conducting smear tests and it's just ridiculous to conflate the two.

If this video isn't for you just do the original one. No problem.

To be honest one of the big complaints on this board is about compelled speech. Posters refuse to use preferred pronouns because they consider it compelled speech, yet many posters here think it's ok to try to compel Adrienne to say "women" in her video. Is that not compelled speech?

And for the last time - I don't care if I'm not doing "proper" yoga according to you. I will continue to do the exercise that I'm doing. I shall continue to call it yoga because that's what it is and I shall continue to hate my body because that is my right to do so.

Haven’t rtft but just wanted to add, Adriene was probably under sustained pressure to do this. It’s always ‘hey, this could be more inclusive if...’ but the underlying message is ‘comply or be cancelled’. It is easy to tell a content creator to do better or be on the wrong side of history. Over time I imagine the impact is considerable.

Lamahaha, that’s a very good point. I’m a (very) casual yogi but the idea of being in your body, rather than dissociating from it, seems like anathema to TRA thought.

And for the last time - I don't care if I'm not doing "proper" yoga according to you. I will continue to do the exercise that I'm doing. I shall continue to call it yoga because that's what it is and I shall continue to hate my body because that is my right to do so.

Tequila, nobody is challenging your right to hate your body. Go ahead, if that's what makes you want to do.

I do think you misunderstand the yogic interpretation of "gender neutral". People virtue signalling about their special "non-binary" status is not at what is meant! Rather, it is a final goal which takes years and decades of sustained effort...
I have no opinion on Adrienne's videos as I have not watched them. But it seems she is trying to pander to a certain crowd...

Lamahaha what you say doesn’t sound incompatible with a trans man doing yoga.

The mental aspect of yoga, and the breathing, are the invisible aspects that create all the difference. It's about learning how to focus and calm the mind, so as to listen to the body instead of our constant internal chatter
In fact if you have anxiety based around your identity it could be just what you need to centre and to feel less conflicted. It seems a shame, and wrong, to say you’re at odds with the practise, not for you.

Tequila, nobody is challenging your right to hate your body. Go ahead, if that's what makes you want to do.

I beg to differ. There has been post after post urging me to do proper yoga, it will enable me to accept my body, posters are wishing that for me blah blah blah.

Gender neutral must surely mean gender neutral? If you have never watched any of her videos I fail to see how you can have an opinion on her? Watch this particular video. You will see that she isn't virtue signalling. There is nothing anti woman or pro trans in it.

The comments below are very interesting. The majority are from women saying the video was great, really helped them with their cramps, how great that she's posted a video for cramps/PMS yesterday just when they needed it - so women are obviously realising this video is for them.

Then there are comments from people who identify themselves as gender neutral saying that it was great to feel included in this video.

So that's great isn't it? Whoever watched it felt that it was for them. No one, women or gender neutral/trans, felt that it excluded them.

I thought that was the goal here - for everyone to feel included and no one to be excluded? Isn't that the goal with regards to toilets, changing rooms, hospital wards? Create a 3rd space so that women aren't excluded and neither are trans/gender neutral people either?

Oh ffs.
Have unsubscribed.

Gender neutral must surely mean gender neutral?

Well, no, not in the sense of the blue-haired gang. In the yogic sense it means, "free of ego", which I doubt is a state any of them have attained as it is extremely rare and difficult to attain without marathon effort.

I thought that was the goal here - for everyone to feel included and no one to be excluded?

Everyone is automatically included in yoga. Waving a flag to say "what about memememememe?* is what makes a person feel excluded. Drop the "me", and hey presto, you're included! No special vocabulary needed.

Everyone is automatically included in yoga.

No special vocabulary needed.

Great. No special vocabulary needed - so no need to say women, ladies then. So what's the issue?

If everyone is automatically included in yoga then you shouldn't have yoga specifically for women should you? Because it's meant to be for everyone, as you say everyone is automatically included and there's no need for special vocabulary.

In this video she uses no special vocabulary. She says hello, welcome and then starts the exercises. Please explain not me what is wrong with that?

Seems to me that she's doing exactly what you ask and the people waving the "memememe" flag appear to be the women who are finding an issue with yoga being inclusive of everyone.

I'm.wondering too how, if yoga is automatically for everyone as you say, you have also said that it can't be for trans gender people?

*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.

I DON'T CARE. I don't want to find acceptance. I don't want more out of this body. I don't want this body at all.

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

For you, not for me. So you crack on with your acceptance and I'll crack on with doing my best to change my situation.*

If you're doing your best to change your situation, and with your other comments, you actually DO want more out of your body. You've said as much before.