Accessible Yoga PodcastYoga for Neurodiversity
Join host Jivana Heyman and guest Becky Aten, founder of Yoga for Neurodiversity, for a conversation about making yoga accessible and affirming for neurodivergent students. Becky shares how their autism diagnosis at age 38 shaped their approach as a yoga facilitator and led them to create peer support spaces for neurodivergent people. Together, Jivana and Becky explore what makes a neurodiversity-affirming space different and why affinity spaces and more welcoming general spaces are both needed.
In the second part of the episode, Jivana chats with co-host Deanna Michalopoulos, in person in Dublin, Ireland, about how teachers can expand beyond their own experience and trust the wisdom in students' choices. They discuss why embodying the yoga teachings means being open to other people and conclude with an update on Jivana's upcoming Accessible Yoga Trainings.
Topics include:
The origins of the term "neurodiversity"
Why adapting an existing space is harder than building one from the ground up
Pathology paradigm and ableism
Quantum physics and yoga
The tension between yoga as a spiritual practice and the goal-oriented "wellness" model
Why yoga doesn't need to keep proving itself through Western science
Letting go of a "helper" mindset and embracing community care
Community organizing as leadership
**Learn more about the Accessible Yoga Mentorship Program and join today! We look forward to seeing you there.**
We Want to Hear from You!
How do you balance self-care and service in your yoga practice and teaching? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga
Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Becky:
Becky Aten (they/she) wears many hats in their work as a neurodiversity advocate, yoga facilitator, and a space-holder and bridge-builder for the neurodivergent community. As the founder of Yoga for Neurodiversity, they are passionate about co-creating welcoming, accessible, and affirming environments for self-exploration and community care, where diverse ways of being are seen and included.
Becky is also a nature-lover and ecological restoration volunteer, and in her free time she enjoys hiking, petting moss, nerding out with science and sci-fi, and playing tabletop games.
www.yogaforneurodiversity.com | @yoga_for_neurodiversity
Connect with Jivana:
Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org
www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
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Credit: Mikus Dharma, AYP Podcast Sound Engineer
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