A Case for Clear Language in Yoga (WTFY)

Today a friend asked me about a particular yoga studio she had been considering, and wondered if I could help her translate what the website was saying so that she would be able to understand.

I opened the website on my iPhone and proceeded to read it, and quite honestly it said all the things we say in yoga, about yoga to the yogis, but as I read the words trying to listen to it from her perspective, all I could hear in the meaning behind the words was blah, blah, blah.

The term "Yoga Practice" means very little to someone who doesn't know what yoga is.  I explained, the word practice really just means the way you do yoga.  I explained that I call it practicing because it's never perfect. It's always different, so it's kind of like a road trip with different scenery every time.

Then the text said, "Open your Heart" - which translates to . . . nothing that I could think of that would make sense to her.  When we are in Savasana (rest), sometimes we say this, but to me, as a teacher it means release your chest, breathe and relax.

Discover the answer to the question, 'Who am I'.  I am Pam, she says.  What more do I need to know. Will I get a yogi name when I arrive, like moonbeam?  I explained that really means to strip away all the layers of titles, jobs, roles and to-do lists and spend time with yourself.

Finding your edge. Another good one.  What does that mean, she asked.  I said, that's the place before pain.  "Will it hurt?", she asks.  "It might," I say.  "So when they say, 'find my edge' what edge are they talking about?"  "Edge", I say, "is a metaphor. It is the place before pain.  It's that place when your body tells you to stop. Think of it as a cliff. The Yoga Edge is a metaphor for the cliff."

I believe that language is a barrier because it is a code.  And when the reader or listener can't crack the code, he or she doesn't get to participate.

What if we used real words in yoga.  What if we said, go up to the point where it feels safe and stop there instead of go to your edge. What if we said, release your chest, inhale and exhale instead of open your heart? What if we said practicing yoga, instead of a Yoga Practice.  What if we said take some time for yourself instead of finding the answer to the question, who am I? (Personally, if I ever find the answer to this question, I will let you know.)