"Neurodiversity-affirming" is nothing more than a marketing tag. Full stop.

Neurodiversity describes the fact that all of us are unique in the ways we think, feel, move, express, and connect with the world around us. No two nervous systems are exactly alike. We're all special or none of us are. We're all normal or none of us are.

Yoga connects us with our wholeness; inherently, it's affirming in all ways. Yoga stands on its own and doesn't need descriptive qualifiers to announce itself, although for modern-day yoga teachers, adjectives like "adaptive" or "trauma-informed" can be helpful for letting folks know who we're prepared to serve. We add labels to yoga as a practice because they're useful for communicating a certain style, system or approach to the practice, but the goal is the same even if we may put it into different words.

Neurodiversity-affirming yoga is just yoga.

Of course, there are many definitions of yoga as a practice, a process, a spiritual tradition, and a state of being, so what "just yoga" means to you depends on a constellation of factors, including your background, who you learn from, and how your unique body-mind processes the teachings. Our relationship with yoga, what it means to us and the way we experience the practices, is inextricably informed by our diversity, and that complicates things. An affirming approach acknowledges that the way we practice and what yoga means to each of us might be expressed differently, and neither of us would be right or wrong, and that's okay.

I keep coming back to this quote: "Do not mistake the technique for the Goal."

This is my favorite quote from Paramhansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi. In the book, a sage offers this wisdom to his student as a reminder that the point of yoga is deepening our relationship with Spirit (you may call it source, true Self, universe, God— whatever name you give to the ineffable). We're not practicing to be the best meditator, or to achieve the perfect pose. Yoga is about spiritual awakening and collective liberation from suffering, not perfectionism or individual accomplishments. In other words, there's no "one right way" to access the state of Yoga. It doesn't exist in any single posture or practice alone; a technique is a means to an end, a tool to move us toward the Goal, and there are many such tools to fit diverse needs.

So what is neurodiversity-affirming yoga, really?

Neurodiversity-affirming yoga is just yoga presented in a way that honors and makes space for the fact that each person thinks, feels, moves, expresses, and connects in different ways. Yoga doesn't need to be reinvented for neurodivergent folks. We just need access to affirming spaces where our differences are welcomed, supported, and embraced so we can receive the teachings and experience the joy of knowing our true Self.

There is no oversight on who can use terms like "neurodiversity-affirming" or "neuro-affirming" or "neurodivergent-friendly."

Not everyone who claims to be "neurodiversity-affirming" understands what they are committing to, despite well-meaning intentions. There's no badge or certification that grants a teacher or studio permission to label their classes as such, so it's important to be cautious when seeking welcoming spaces, especially for neurodivergent folks.

Here are some green flags to look for, in no particular order:

• Differences are celebrated over conformity. Rather than expecting adherence to dominant cultural norms, there is a rejection of harmful normativity and a conscious effort to embrace all ways of being.

• People are listened to and believed. Unusual experiences are never minimized, dismissed, or invalidated. There is an understanding that we don't know what we don't know, and we can't imagine what we can't imagine; we can't step outside our own nervous system to know what someone else is experiencing.

• Neurodivergence is centered and represented. Neurodivergent folks are already practicing and/or teaching in the space. Aspects of neurodivergent culture are present, such as encouragement of safe stimming, sensory tools as props, low-demand instruction, no forced social interactions, and clear, direct, plain language communication.

• Pathologizing language is avoided. Nervous system differences, including neurodivergent traits, are described in neutral or positive terms, rather than deficit-based language that carries negative value judgments. Example: "difference" versus "disorder."

• Inclusive language is prioritized. The way each individual identifies is respected, including pronouns and words used to describe differences, diagnoses, or disability. Example: some prefer "autistic person" or "disabled person" while others prefer "person with autism" or "person with a disability."

• Wholeness and competence is presumed. All people are treated as whole and complete divine beings with dignity and bodily autonomy. No one is treated as broken and in need of fixing or incapable of making decisions about what happens to their body.

• There's no "one right way" to practice. There is an understanding that everyone is having a unique experience, so there is always room for choice, options, adaptations, etc. Stillness is never forced. No promises are made about how a practice will feel.

• Expectations for participation are super clear. There are no secret rules. Information about how to access the space, what to expect, and ways to ask for help are easy to access and provided in plain language.

• Support needs are met without fuss. There is an existing collaborative process for requesting accommodations where access barriers prevent full participation. If a support need can't be met for any reason, the disabled person never takes the blame.

• Feedback is welcomed and valued. When a teacher or other person in a position of power and authority unintentionally causes harm because of ignorance, they take responsibility to learn and do better.

As a final note for yoga teachers and others seeking to cultivate a neurodiversity-affirming approach, it's important to remember that this is a collaborative process grounded in relationships, and a practice built on learning from failures. It's not a final destination. We'll never do it perfectly, but we do need to keep making the effort no matter how uncomfortable it may feel to mess up and be humbled by our mistakes. It's best to start small, go slow, and be really kind to yourself along the way. 💚

P.S. You’re invited to join us on June 23rd fora 90-minute workshop on Cultivating a Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach to Yoga. All are welcome! This is an opportunity for practitioners, teachers, and anyone else interested to peek at yoga through the vibrant lens of neurodiversity and explore what we find together.