The practice seriously lacks diversitybut some studios are trying to change that.

Teacher J. Cole Thomas leads students Rochelle Citizen (left) and Kris Williams (right) in tree pose. (Rosalie Murphy)

Thick, glossy copies of LA Yoga, Yoga Journal, and Yoga Magazine cover the rickety folding table in the lobby of Green Tree Yoga and Meditation. The magazines share tales from Malibu, Santa Monica, and Pasadena. Nearly every spread features a thin woman, usually in slim yoga pants and a tight tank, stretching her arms toward the sky or closing her eyes in meditation. Nearly all of these women are white.

But in South Los Angeles, where Green Tree opened last year, fewer than one percent of residents look like the people in those pictures.

You can look at all those journals and you'll not see one woman of color, said Raja Michelle, herself a white woman, who founded the studio. We associate yoga with being skinny, white, and even upper class.

You go to classes and youre the only black person, or there are very few, said Robin Rollan, who practices yoga in New York and D.C. and runs the popular blogBlack Yogis. People who find my blog say, I thought I was the only one.

The magazine images may seem like stereotypes, but theyre grounded in reality: About one in every 15 Americans practices yoga, according to a 2012 Yoga Journal study, and more than four-fifths of them are white.

You have to have an education about yoga. Otherwise people think it's some kind of devil-worship.

Racism is so implicit that you never even notice that its a white girl on the cover every single time, added Amy Champ, a PhD from the University of California, Davis, who wrote her dissertation on American yoga. But when you begin to ask yourself, What does yoga have to do with my community?, then you begin to question all these inequities.

L.A. yoga studios are heavily concentrated in wealthy white neighborhoods. In a corner storefront beside a tattoo parlor and across from a used car dealership, Green Tree recognizes that religious, economic and social divisions underlie yogas racial divide. Its neighborhood is about 80 percent black and 20 percent Latino. Household incomes hover around L.As average, but crime rates are high and college diplomas are rare.

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Why Your Yoga Class Is So White

Nosara, Costa Rica (PRWEB) July 08, 2014

Nosara Yoga Institute (http://www.NosaraYoga.com), a Yoga Alliance-recognized yoga teacher training center located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, announces the opening of its new Nosara Yoga Village accommodations and resort facilities located immediately adjacent to the Institute. In addition to serving its students, the Nosara Yoga Village is open to the public, serving guests seeking a yoga vacation or hosting their own yoga retreat. (http://www.NosaraYogaVillage.com)

The Nosara Yoga Village enables us to offer accommodations to serve the needs of the international yoga community who visit Costa Rica as well as our students, is the fulfillment of a dream, said Amba Stapleton, Nosara Yoga Institute co-founder and co-director with husband Don Stapleton, Ph.D. This expansion reflects the growth and success of the Institute as a prestigious center of yoga not only in Costa Rica but also around the world. More importantly, when guests stay here for yoga teacher training, yoga vacation, R&R, or as part of a group retreat, they will cherish how the Village and grounds create a setting of serenity and meditation that complements and deepens their entire yoga experience.

Offering a yoga-centric alternative to local Nosara hotels, the Nosara Yoga Village can accommodate up to 56 people in a variety of shared and private rooms and configurations. Each fully furnished bungalow features air conditioning, overhead fan, stone sinks from Bali, private open air showers, free Wi-fi, top-of-the-line bedding, jungle views and other amenities.

The bungalows are positioned near the main building named Ananda Kutir (House of Bliss), which houses the reception area, canopied outdoor dining area, boutique, and juice bar. Guests can relax poolside, as well as enjoy a 25-meter saltwater lap pool. Public yoga classes are taught daily in the Institutes beautiful yoga pavilions. Massages, manicures and pedicures are optional services offered in our Spa. Two (2) sumptuous vegetarian lacto-ovo meals are served daily and are included in guests stays.

Notes Canadian developer and Nosara Yoga business partner Gary Edwards, who directed all aspects of the Village construction and expansion, Our focus was to create a memorable stay for each and every guest, while preserving the natural jungle beauty that surrounds this property through the use of sustainable, environmentally-friendly construction materials and building methods. The feedback from our guests has already far exceeded our expectations.

The Nosara Yoga Institute and Village grounds are located within an 8-minute walk to the stunning beaches of Playa Guiones, where aqua-hued lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean beckon both swimmers and surfers alike. In addition to yoga, the Nosara Village staff is available to assist guests in taking advantage of nearby recreational opportunities capitalizing on the country's beauty and terrain, such as eco-tours to view rainforests, active volcanoes and waterfalls, zip-lining, horseback riding, kayaking and hiking.

Detailed information, pricing and reservations for accommodations and group retreats can be found on the Nosara Yoga website at NosaraYogaVillage.com.

About Nosara Yoga Village (http://www.NosaraYogaVillage.com) Nestled amid the lush green Costa Rica jungle that creates a haven of serenity and introspection, the brand new Nosara Yoga Village, adjacent to the Nosara Yoga Institute, offers both students and guests alike accommodations, vegetarian meals, yoga classes and resort amenities within a yoga-oriented meditative setting that will enrich their entire yoga experience. Yoga teachers who wish to host their own retreats will also be able to choose from a variety of yoga pavilions based on availability and group size. Located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, the Nosara Yoga Village is just a few minutes' walk from the breathtaking Pacific Ocean and its pristine beaches.

About Nosara Yoga Institute (http://www.NosaraYoga.com) Internationally recognized for its successful professional career training curriculum in yoga education, Nosara Yoga Institute is a registered Yoga Alliance school (RYS) specializing in 200-, 300-, 500- and 1,000-hour yoga teacher training tracks and RYT certification programs. Located amid the stunning beauty of Costa Ricas Pacific coast, Nosara Yoga was founded in 1994 by Amba and Don Stapleton, PhD and author of Self-Awakening Yoga: The Expansion of Consciousness through the Bodys Own Wisdom. Nosara Yogas approach to teaching yoga goes beyond traditional poses and yoga styles to offer a vitalizing, life-opening experience of studying and practicing yoga. Specifically, it integrates the concept of inner inquiry into each training, resulting in a transformative and more gratifying individualized approach to teaching yoga.

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Nosara Yoga Institute Opens Nosara Yoga Village, a New Yoga-Centric Alternative to Nosara Hotels for Costa Rica Yoga ...