Holly Hancock: the Intersection of Yoga, Faith, and Social Justice

“The yoga stays the same so that you can change.”

In this episode, yoga teacher Holly Hancock talks us through the various ways that yoga intersects with her faith and her striving for social justice. They may seem worlds apart, but there are a multitude of parallels of practicing yoga and practicing Christianity. Both yoga and Christianity teach us how to be in relationship with others, with ourselves, and with the being who created us. They offer guiding principles to help us grow and evolve. And the good news that Holly offers us is that there is no such thing as a perfect yoga student, just like there is no such thing as a perfect Christian. In the same way, Holly offers the notion that when we are doing anti-racism work, we never get to a place where we receive a badge that says we are “officially anti-racist.” It is work that we will continually practice. And in Holly’s words, the hope is that, as we continue practicing, we get to a more loving and less judgmental place of yourself and others.

Holly also speaks to how, through the practices of yoga and Christianity, we are called to work for a world that embraces and uplifts the diversity of our world. They call us to look around the room and notice who is not present, who is not given a microphone or platform, and pay attention to the ways that white supremacy has seeped into our practice. Holly describes the eight limbs of yoga and how they can help guide us in this work, to help us become more loving, compassionate, and strive for equity and justice in our world.

Ultimately, this work begins with us, with our own practice, on our own mat or in our own pew.
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About Holly:

Holly Hancock is a full-time yoga instructor based in Washington, DC. She’s been practicing yoga since 2006 and teaching since 2014. She believes a good yoga practice should be joyful, effective, and most of all, sustainable. She considers it her job and privilege to make yoga accessible to anyone interested. You can find Holly on her website, on YouTube, or on Instagram, and be sure to sign up for her newsletter to take her classes on Zoom.

Resources & Links:

• Susanna Barkataki and her book Embrace Yoga's Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice
• Yoga is Dead podcast with Tejal Patel and Jesal Parikh
• A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation by Jacobi Ballard
• The Body is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor