Recently one of my students shared the reason she traveled from Alexandria, VA to Washington, DC for a class with me was because she didn’t think she, as a person of color, fit in at yoga studios in her area.

It breaks my heart to hear this because yoga is practiced by many different people with different body types and that diversity should be welcomed, visible and celebrated so that everyone feels welcome in this community.

As a yoga instructor, my community classes are diverse and full of students of color. I make an effort to ensure that reach diverse group of people. I have an opportunity to provide what wasn’t available to me when I started practicing yoga and to help others who have ever been intimidated in “traditional” yoga classes with women who didn’t look like them. Women who aren’t skinny-skinny, who have big boobs, who have cellulite, and who have a bellies are all welcome and can now experience yoga in a safe and welcoming space.

So, how do you know if your yoga studio is a safe and welcoming space for all?

Consider these 7 questions when searching for an inclusive yoga studio:

• Are BIPOC represented in leadership roles at your studio?

• Does the studio recognize the need for inclusive spaces?

• Are processes and resources devoted to recruit and train BIPOC instructors?

• Does your studio offer BIPOC scholarships for teacher trainings and/or classes?

• Is your studio investing in BIPOC communities where they are located?

• Does your studio cultivate relationships with BIPOC businesses and partners?

• Does your yoga studio have a DEI statement on their website?

These may be uncomfortable questions to ask but important so that you can determine if your studio has thought about how bias shows up in their work, how to be truly inclusive and not just check the box, and how to show up for BIPOC students in the same way that they show up for other students.