'Yoga for wombs'

[wordsandmusic]

This makes me so sad. They say 'wombs' 7 times and 'women' not once
www.theyogaforlifeproject.co.uk/bookings-checkout/monthly-yoga-for-wombs

Exactly this . It is saying that this class is for women not trans women or anyone else feeling like they are a woman on a particular day ! I'm surprised that this is not being embraced. It is also emphasising the fact that a biologically born female's body IS different from a male's. You don't just add on tits and become a woman.

Is it not equivalent to 'yoga for knees' or 'yoga for bad backs'?

I'd hav e imagined it's specifically to address womb related issues, which seems fine.

I’m torn. I also think it means it’s for women only. And had they advertised it as women/female only, it would probably put a target on their heads for being challenged. Sadly for them, I think “womb-space” will still be interpreted by some men as including them, even though I’m pretty sure they mean the space where a womb used to be.

So, points for attempting to have a women only class, marks off for presentation and unwomanly word use.

What a load of bullshit. Ripe for parody.

Womb space. Oh fuck off.

I don't disagree, but I wish they'd had the ovaries to put 'for all women' in the blurb, and have a note somewhere on it to say they are women in the biologically accurate sense and will not accommodate trans-identifying ones.

Agree - can they be legally challenged if they put for women only ? As in trans women being denied?

This is me trying to be incredibly generous here, but I've done yoga classes where we have worked on the 'heart centre', the belly, etc. Might they be talking about a specific exercise which focuses on the womb? But then it doesn't make much sense because you can't exactly do yoga with the womb. It might be a spiritual thing?

Apparently the etymology for the word 'woman' is derogatory anyway (surprise, surprise) deriving from the old Germanic wibam.

Maybe we should find a new classification for ourselves, instead of woman (which in any case includes the word man). Womban sounds a bit crappy but I wonder what word we could use to describe a biological female, ideally something that isn't rooted in millennia of misogyny.

If you search for 'woman', the Wikipedia entry for woman is refreshingly clear.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman

Yes, that's what I feel too. I do think it's designed to be a class for biological females, which I obviously would support. It's just a shame that they don't feel able to simply state 'for women' - rather than 'suitable for anyone with a womb or womb-space'

That'd be fine, but it's the phrasing 'anyone with a womb or womb-space' that's the problem. The word is WOMAN.

A very good question.

I have had three babies come out of my body - is that a clue?

@PrelateChuckles
I think a couple of decades worth of periods has been a good indication to me that I have a womb without a doctor confirming it. Either that or some of my internal organs were up to some pretty odd but very regular shenanigans.

I assume this is aimed at fragile trans men who faint at the word womb, who literally break out into a sweat when their uterus is acknowledged, who get hives around the word woman.
There are so many trans men these day, that I wonder if there are more than there are actual women. That's the only thing that makes sense otherwise who makes up this marketing? A total fucking moron?

Not what I've read on the etymology. Old versions were 'wifman' and 'wer'. But it is all contested adn a bit unclear.

Maybe we should find a new classification for ourselves, instead of woman

You know what, having pondered on it a while, I think I prefer powerful womb-space respector to cervix haver or birthing body. Obviously I'd rather stick with woman, but needs must when the devil vomits into your kettle.

Dear god they really are tying themselves up in a little yoga-pretzel knot aren’t they?

I don't think this is aimed at transwomen. Womb yoga (Shakti yoga) is all about honouring the divine feminine and reconnecting with your body. By womb space, they mean that it's open to women who have had hysterectomies. I've practiced shakti yoga and it's very much about women finding their power.

This website explains it well www.holistichealthderbyshire.com/womb-yoga

I don't dispute the existence of yoga practices around the womb. I don't think anyone is. The point people are making is that in a blurb for practices around the womb it is weird, to say the least, not to use the word 'woman'. It seems pretty clear to me that they're running scared of trans-identifying men and their ideology.

They use women throughout the blurb.

I think this is just making it clear which women this is for, and it is for women with or who have once had wombs. Not for women who have or once had penises.

It is what it has come to hasn't it?

Not in the blurb you immediately come to when you use the link, which starts 'Yoga for wombs is a gentle, nourishing class' and ends 'who wants to practice with respect for its power.'

I don't disagree that it is what it has come to. I just would have liked these people to be braver and say 'for women', and have a note somewhere saying they mean biological women.

That was my assumption too. Quite clever really.