Trans Men Exploring Yoga
Nick Krieger gets practical in "A Trans Guy Walks into a Yoga Class... Score" in Original Plumbing.
He opens with this rationale,
After introducing you to yoga, or at least my understanding of it, in my last OP post, it is my hope that you’ll try to some classes. To this end, I thought I’d share five challenges I’ve encountered or heard about, as well as offer some ideas to overcome them.
He then proceeds to share those challenges and how he approaches them. Within that conversation practicalities, there are some spiritual gems. Some excerpts follow.
1. My packer will fall out in class.
Personally, I’m afraid this might happen. Which is why I don’t pack in class... But I’m probably also the only person who is repeatedly hit with confusion, sadness, and a palpable sense of emptiness downstairs. There is no solution here. Just a practice of breathing into my body and perhaps discovering a few fleeting moments of wholeness. I’m still working this.
2. To bind or not to bind
Much like life, yoga comes with the good and the bad, and if you stick around long enough, perhaps the opportunity to feel them as one and the same.... My advice is to dress in a manner that makes you feel comfortable — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
3. I can't touch my toes
Yoga does require us to start where we are, not where we think we should be. And the reality is some of us can’t bend over and touch our toes.... But experiencing what happens inside during these moments can transform the way you approach other obstacles, ones that matter more than picking toejam in a forward fold.
4. Yoga is expensive
Krieger's suggestions include gym yoga, donation-based yoga, community classes, and other random places where classes may be offered. A commenter suggested starting with free YouTube videos.
5. Transphobia and ignorance
I wish I could say these were easy conversations with simple solutions. But I am learning what it really means to accept and love all people, even those who can be trans clueless. I am learning to take complete responsibility for my own emotional state.... I am talking about yoga here, but I’m also talking about living as trans people. The mat is really just a microcosm of the world, a safe space to explore that which occurs on a much grander scale off of it. This is why I invite you into this practice of yoga with me. So we can create change from the inside out.
Krieger doesn't offer magic solutions, but he does narrate options, along with a heart-felt invitation to the journey of self-exploration and acceptance.
Read the full article at Original Plumbing: "A Trans Guy Walks into a Yoga Class... Score" by Nick Krieger.