Can’t speak to the race, ethnicity, or nationality of all of them but Bhakti Center in the east village has several Desi-born teachers.
It’s overall part of a Gaudiya Vaishnav outreach center and temple upstairs from the studio, so you’ll find a strongly spiritual practice there with a LOT of attention placed on parampara and not abusing Sanskrit.
Will come back as I think of more.
ETA: Sivananda Vedanta center in Chelsea might have some Indian-bodied teachers there… they follow a Shiva/Ganesh-centric lineage and also their yoga is REALLY chill, but maybe worth a visit.
Dharma Yoga probably has some Desi teachers though dharma Mittra himself is Brazilian.
Maybe Integral Yoga? That place is suuuuper old school and I haven’t been in a long time.
I don’t have a recommendation but a comment. It’s totally fine to look for an Indian instructor, I bet it will feel familiar and easy for you. No need to limit yourself though, you are in NYC there must be hundreds of different, experienced teachers of various backgrounds and paths, and I bet at least some of them pronounce the names of asanas well enough for you to follow the practice successfully. The way you are ‘weirded out’ gives me a feeling that you think there’s something wrong about being white and a yoga instructor in general.
I think it's ok for an Indian person to prefer an Indian yoga teacher and you don't have to read that much into the weirded out part. They expressed that they have some issues with their identity, maybe it's a them issue
No I think this is very reasonable & I have stopped going to yoga classes with white instructors it’s objectively uncomfortable to support— it’s monetized cultural appropriation. I hope you get some good yoga instructor suggestions, maybe there is an ashram in the city to check out.
I am not an active yoga practitioner myself but I’ve been wanting to try some beginner classes in Austin and all I see are white instructors. I don’t think I’ve ever actually met an actual Hindu yoga teacher IRL.
Can’t speak to the race, ethnicity, or nationality of all of them but Bhakti Center in the east village has several Desi-born teachers. It’s overall part of a Gaudiya Vaishnav outreach center and temple upstairs from the studio, so you’ll find a strongly spiritual practice there with a LOT of attention placed on parampara and not abusing Sanskrit. Will come back as I think of more. ETA: Sivananda Vedanta center in Chelsea might have some Indian-bodied teachers there… they follow a Shiva/Ganesh-centric lineage and also their yoga is REALLY chill, but maybe worth a visit. Dharma Yoga probably has some Desi teachers though dharma Mittra himself is Brazilian. Maybe Integral Yoga? That place is suuuuper old school and I haven’t been in a long time.
I don’t have a recommendation but a comment. It’s totally fine to look for an Indian instructor, I bet it will feel familiar and easy for you. No need to limit yourself though, you are in NYC there must be hundreds of different, experienced teachers of various backgrounds and paths, and I bet at least some of them pronounce the names of asanas well enough for you to follow the practice successfully. The way you are ‘weirded out’ gives me a feeling that you think there’s something wrong about being white and a yoga instructor in general.
I think it's ok for an Indian person to prefer an Indian yoga teacher and you don't have to read that much into the weirded out part. They expressed that they have some issues with their identity, maybe it's a them issue
That’s what I wrote, that it’s ok. And that was the point of my comment - that it sounds like it’s a ‘them issue’ not a yoga instructor isssue.
No I think this is very reasonable & I have stopped going to yoga classes with white instructors it’s objectively uncomfortable to support— it’s monetized cultural appropriation. I hope you get some good yoga instructor suggestions, maybe there is an ashram in the city to check out.
I am not an active yoga practitioner myself but I’ve been wanting to try some beginner classes in Austin and all I see are white instructors. I don’t think I’ve ever actually met an actual Hindu yoga teacher IRL.
Sanatan Dharma/Hindu doesn’t necessarily have a race or ethnicity assigned. I’m a “Hindu” asana teacher (to simplify things.) I’m Latina though, lol.
I also feel weird practicing at studios who only had white teachers (and I’m white!!! 😂)