As a parent, I’ve always been incredibly proud of my youngest daughter’s strong feminist values. Ten years ago, at 18, she was already challenging gender biases, including successfully advocating for a fairer dress code at her high school. She surrounded herself with a diverse and inclusive group of friends, and her awareness of inequality gave me hope for the next generation.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on an issue she brought to my attention back then, a moment that made me deeply consider gender stereotypes in yoga and the larger implications of such policies. This happened in her high school yoga class...seems like a lifetime ago! At the time, I was thrilled that her advocacy led to real change. But now, with today’s political climate rolling back DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, I can’t help but wonder: Has her old high school kept the changes she fought for? Or have outdated policies crept back in?
The Problem: Boys in the Front Yoga, emphasizing mindfulness and inner awareness, should be a space for students to practice focus and self-discipline. However, my daughter was surprised to learn that the boys in her class were required to practice in the front of the room. The reasoning? To prevent them from “checking out” the girls and making them feel uncomfortable. Puhlease!!
Even ten years ago, this rule was well-intentioned but deeply problematic. It sent a harmful message that boys are incapable of self-control and that girls are responsible for managing male behavior. It also failed to acknowledge the complexities of gender identity and sexual orientation, assuming that attraction in the classroom followed a simple boy-girl dynamic.
The Underlying Issues: Reinforcing Harmful Narratives While this policy may have been created to maintain a respectful learning environment, it actually reinforced outdated and dangerous ideas:
Boys Are Not in Control of Their Actions
The assumption that boys will inevitably behave inappropriately around girls absolves them of personal responsibility. This is a slippery slope that can contribute to a culture where boys are not held accountable for their behavior. When we normalize this thinking, it feeds into narratives that excuse harassment and assault with phrases like, “Boys will be boys.”
Girls Must Modify Their Behavior to Accommodate Boys
The idea that girls should dress or position themselves in certain ways to avoid “distracting” boys is a classic example of victim-blaming. This is the same logic that fuels strict dress codes that disproportionately target girls, policing their bodies rather than teaching mutual respect and boundaries.
Ignoring the Existence of LGBTQ+ Students
By structuring classroom seating around the assumption that attraction only occurs between boys and girls, the school policy completely erased LGBTQ+ students from the equation. Who’s to say that girls weren’t also looking at other girls, or that boys weren’t interested in other boys? The truth is, attraction is not something that seating charts can control....I mean, come on!
A Better Approach: Teaching Respect and Accountability.
Instead of implementing gender-based rules that separate and stereotype, schools should concentrate on fostering a culture of respect and accountability. Teachers can:
Encourage mindfulness and focus in class, emphasizing that yoga is about inner awareness rather than external distractions.
Address any inappropriate behavior on a case-by-case basis, rather than assuming all boys will act improperly.
Ensure that class policies are inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
Yoga teachers should guide students in proper form and alignment and not reinforce outdated gender norms.
Advocacy for Change: A Success Story (But Did It Last?) After my daughter spoke with her yoga teacher about this policy, the teacher realized its unintended consequences. She took the concern to school administrators and discovered that it was an official school policy—not just a classroom rule. But here’s the good news: the administration listened. Thanks to my daughter’s advocacy, they agreed to revise the seating policy. From that point on, students were arranged alphabetically rather than by gender.
At the time, this felt like a small but meaningful victory. But now, I wonder if that policy change remained? Or has it been quietly undone, just as we’re seeing with so many DEI efforts nationwide? Keeping Yoga Spaces Inclusive Yoga is meant to help students develop focus, self-discipline, and awareness. Yoga classes should be an environment where everyone feels comfortable, not a place where outdated gender norms dictate the rules.
With so many schools and institutions rolling back efforts toward fairness and inclusion, revisiting these issues feels more important than ever. I hope my daughter’s old high school has upheld the changes she fought for. And I hope today’s students continue to stand up for what’s right, just as she did a decade ago. Real progress happens when we challenge the status quo and push for a more equitable future.
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