Yoga & Activism
A Blueprint for Collective Transformation
A 12-hour online course exploring classical yoga philosophy and contemporary social justice work with Anjali Rao
Registration is currently closed.
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We are deeply interconnected beings.
Yoga invites us to experience personal transformation, teaches us that we are deeply interconnected beings, and offers us liberation from our suffering.
We are in the midst of individual and collective suffering and more than ever need to turn to each other for collective change. Each of us have a role to play based on our unique skills, position and social location. For those of us who are interested in dismantling systems of oppression that divide us, how do we start on this path of collective care? For those of us who are already on the path, how do we sustain ourselves through the complex journey towards forming deep connections in the community and towards collective liberation?
Intentional transformation requires us to show up as our most embodied selves.
Yoga offers us a helpful container, inviting us to show up in the world with courage and compassion, to unravel our internalized bias, and to create sustainable and authentic ways to transform the world around us. We build capacity as activists by bringing our embodied selves to actively build equity and social justice in our families, our workplace, and our communities of influence.
This program integrates tenets of yoga philosophy, along with concepts from sociology. We’ll take an action-oriented approach so we can co-create diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities.
In this course, we will:
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Delve into the mythology and history of the intersection of yoga and activism
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Gain deeper understanding of key classical yoga philosophy concepts as it relates to social justice work
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Learn about culture, power and positionality
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Explore self-care strategies and practices for activists
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Cultivate individual discernment into where we have agency and our role as yoga activists
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Co create a culture of inclusion and equity by designing a sustainable and authentic blueprint that can be implemented in one’s community of choice.
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Be a part of a community of dedicated activists and advocates
What our students are saying
"Inspiring and validating"
I was fortunate to attend one of Anjali’s online yoga workshops hosted in the UK, which was aimed at co-creating a culture of inclusion, equity, and justice in the world of yoga. Anjali skillfully integrated principles from sociology and communication studies with Patanjali’s Sutras, with reference to wider yoga philosophy-psychology. Her presentation allowed us to reflect safely and sensitively on unconscious culture related processes, power dynamics and privilege. Anjali’s presence as an Indian yogini facilitating this event from her home in the States was inspiring and validating. I very much appreciated her taking the time to connect with us and share her courage, wisdom and knowledge in a down-to-earth and relevant manner.
Nina Dhiman, UK Registered Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher, Clinical Psychologist
"Opened my eyes"
I have taken several of Anjali Rao's workshops on yoga and social justice and I'm always impressed with how well she manages delivering challenging information in a straightforward manner that invites participants to clarify their feelings around culture, power and their yoga experience. I feel strongly that every yoga teacher training program should include her workshops on yoga culture. If I had attended one of her programs when I was a new teacher I would have made fewer offenses over the years and built more "safe spaces" for my students who don't fit the mold of the dominant culture. Now that Anjali has opened my eyes, I am dedicated to acting from a place of better understanding - in my yoga classes as well as in my life! And isn't that what yoga is all about?
Lorien Neargarder, C-IAYT, BSME
Meet Your Instructor
Anjali Rao is a yoga teacher, social justice activist, multi-cultural training specialist and a cancer survivor. She is an Indian American immigrant from Bangalore, India. Her work explores yoga philosophy and history integrating marginalized voices using story- telling, imagery and poetry. She teaches intensives integrating social justice and yoga, is a part of teacher training faculty, conducts workshops and is a speaker at wellness conferences .
Being diagnosed at 37 for early-stage Breast cancer, and recovery for multiple surgeries brought her to her first Yoga-Asana class. She knew by the end of the first class that this practice would change her life in big ways. Her passion is to share this alchemical practice and philosophy with people across ages, genders and abilities.
Anjali serves on the Board for Accessible Yoga, an international non-profit and grassroots organization dedicated to sharing the teachings of Yoga with everyone. She also serves on the Board of HERS Breast Cancer Foundation, a non-profit that helps survivors and those going through treatment regardless of financial status.
Tuition
We offer sliding scale pricing for this training:
- $225 Community Rate: For folks who need financial assistance
- $300 Sustainer Rate: Base cost of this course
- $375 Supporter Rate: For folks who can afford to pay a bit more, you'll enable community members experiencing financial difficulties to join at a lower rate!
You may also choose to split the tuition cost into three monthly payments. If none of these price points work for you, there are a limited number of partial scholarships available.
When you register for Yoga & Activism: A Blueprint for Collective Transformation you’ll get:
- Access to your student portal, where you’ll have a welcome message from your instructor and tips to set yourself up for success
- 12 hours of live training with Anjali Rao, and a place to learn in community with others on this path
- Video archives with captions of all live content
- Reflection prompts to deepen your learning
- 15 hours CEUs (after completion of the course content, you may submit your certificate for 12 contact and 3 non-contact hours through Yoga Alliance if desired)
What our students are saying
"Relevant and timeless"
Anjali is one of the most skilled facilitators of this kind of work. She had me thoroughly engaged throughout the 3 hrs and gave me so much to think about. I’ve attended a few of these virtual discussions and trainings on inclusivity and cultural awareness, but this was by far the most enlightening. I love the way in which she weaves traditional yoga philosophy into current social issues and makes you realize just how relevant and timeless these teachings really are. I am so grateful for her teachings.
Elle Daniel
"Knowledge, passion, and integrity"
I have taken multiple classes with Anjali Rao and her knowledge, passion, and integrity shine through her teaching with skill and compassion. I have learned such great tools from her workshops on social and racial justice and how to integrate specific anti-racist actions throughout my life.
Jennifer LaBreche
