Yoga in the Black Community: Healing Practices and Principles is a book designed for Black yoga teachers who are teaching or plan to teach in communities of color and for Black yoga practitioners in general. The book shares the basis of how yoga practices teaches us to learn how to be, know and do through the study of self and nature.
The book explores key core yoga teacher training competencies (yoga philosophy, asana, pranayama, and mediation) within the African American cultural context. Key concepts include Black cultural norms around pain, trauma, and resilience; cultural and religious taboos of yoga in the Black community; health disparities in the Black community, historical use of natural modalities of healing in the Black community; and the practical application and applications of traditional yogic principles within Black cultural norms.
The book explores key core yoga teacher training competencies (yoga philosophy, asana, pranayama, and mediation) within the African American cultural context. Key concepts include Black cultural norms around pain, trauma, and resilience; cultural and religious taboos of yoga in the Black community; historical use of natural modalities of healing in the Black community; and the practical application and applications of traditional yogic principles within Black cultural norms.
The history of Blacks living in the United States and the diaspora has resulted in multiple unique challenges and crises that would benefit from an application of yoga that specifically addresses the overall lifestyle conditions that are plaguing the community. Yoga as a way of life is not based on a cookie cutter formula. A deeper understanding of yoga philosophy can be applied to address the critical health disparities that the Black community is facing.
The book is written as a primer for understanding the basics of yoga philosophy, provides a summary of Black history in the United States, and explores fundamental yoga practices such as asana, pranayama, and meditation. Black yoga teachers, yoga teachers facilitating classes for POC and yoga practitioners in general will benefit from reading the book.
No. Although the book focuses on the history and challenges within the Black community, anyone interested in learning more about how best to support yoga in the Black community will benefit from reading the book.
A graduate of Cornell University, Charlene holds a master of science degree in Herbal Medicine from Maryland University of Integrative Health.
Marilyn is a retired Air Force Colonel and holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and a master’s degree in business and National Resource Strategy.
Both Charlene and Marilyn serve on the board of directors for the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance.