We, the teachers, staff and volunteers at the Stables seek to embody and disseminate the principles of non-harming, truth, kindness, compassion, honour and integrity. We welcome debate and accountability, are constantly learning, and are willing to listen.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY

We actively work to be inclusive, anti-racist, anti-sexist and LGBTQIA+ positive. We strive to understand unconscious bias in terms of racism, sexism, trans and homophobia. We recognise that staying silent reinforces the unjust status quo and commit to speaking up against discrimination. We actively support the Black Lives Matter movement.

ABUSE IN YOGA TRADITIONS

We formally distance ourselves from the ‘gurus’ of certain yoga traditions who have engaged in abuse of any form, and we seek to bring the abuse into the light and actively stand with and support the victims. We might teach styles of yoga with problematic traditions, but we are open about all the issues and careful in our use of words.                                                      

We use consent cards in the studio so no student is touched without active consent, and all physical adjustments are done with care and skill. We are not prescriptive or didactic in our teaching and encourage every student to practice what works best for their body, mind and spirit.

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

We honour and respect the Indian roots of yoga, whilst recognising that it has become a globalised practice. We strive to understand better the context of the yoga practices we offer, whilst acknowledging that this will be limited by our privilege, language and cultural difference. We strive to listen, at every opportunity, to the voices of South Indian practioners’ experiences and knowledge. And we welcome robust conversations.

GREEN POLICY

The Stables is a vegetarian building and we ask that no meat or fish is brought in or consumed on the premises. We use green energy as much as we can, compost our food waste and buy non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products from ethical sources. We recycle and re-use.

COMMUNITY OF TEACHERS

We cherish our teachers and pay them a fair rate, look after our volunteers, and have an internal culture of care, discussion and mutual support.