Iyengar Yoga for Deaf people - in BSL with Transcript

4 POSES IN BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE

Angela and Lisa are Deaf yoga practitioners training to be Iyengar teachers, so that in the future Deaf people can learn yoga directly from someone who shares their own language and culture.

Normally yoga classes are impossible for deaf British Sign Language users to access because the information is delivered in spoken English, often during poses. But in Nottingham, Cissy Harrison has been able to teach the Deaf Yoga Group thanks to funding from the Iyengar Yoga Association, reduced room rental from Nottinghamshire Deaf Society, and the sign language interpreter Jules Dickinson giving her time for free.
As a result, Nottingham Deaf Iyengar Yoga group has been running for 3 years. We hope the funding continues.

TRANSCRIPT

ANGELA:
I personally feel an intense connection with Iyengar yoga, one which is different from any other yoga. There is a sense of real connection with my body, a mind-body connection and a sense of exactly where each part of my body is held. It has given me strength, not just in my body, but by making me a stronger person and it has helped me develop in so many ways.

This is not something I could have had by attending classes run by hearing people speaking English. There I lose my sense of balance and get a stiff neck while trying to lipread what is being said, I feel thrown by the lack of clear communication. The connection between mind and body is completely lost; there is a complete disjuncture. In the deaf yoga group, I am so much more relaxed; there is more connection because there is communication in sign language via the interpreter and a brilliant, qualified teacher giving us one-to-one support. In a class of hearing people, I simply have to copy the person in front, hoping that I can somehow adjust my body to match what they are doing, with no idea whether I am doing it right or wrong. I am trapped in a lack of understanding by having to lip-read. When I lie down, I cannot see what is going on, I cannot see to try and lip-read what the teacher is saying. Other people can relax and enjoy the class but for me it is extremely stressful. Yoga should not be stressful! Deaf yoga is beautifully relaxing: it is such a passion for me.

LISA:
Iyengar yoga is a different type of yoga. The poses we have shown you are suitable for deaf people, because the focus is on the body rather than a reliance on being able to hear instructions in spoken English. Angela and I have shown you four different poses, just as a taster so that you can see what Iyengar yoga is like. If you are interested in taking it further, join a class where there is a properly qualified yoga teacher. We have shown you these examples so that you can get an idea of what it is like: I hope you will be interested in joining a class. The things that you learn from yoga are absolutely fantastic: it helps your mind and body to relax. It is utterly de-stressing.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• deaf
• yoga
• iyengar
• nottingham
• cissy
• british
• sign
• language
• BSL
• access
• interpreter

[elfinspace]

delighted you like the video AND that you're learning sign language. The sign for yoga is a circle made with finger and thumb touching (like the sign for MEDITATE), palms facing upwards. There is going to be an article in the Iyengar Yoga Association magazine in a few months about the process of teaching yoga to deaf people via an interpreter.

[elfinspace]

You can click on the 'Show more' tab to read about the video and a transcript of the BSL.

[vforveggie]

hi, im marie and im learning sign language. i cant quite see what the sign for yoga is. could you tell me! Love you video btw :)

[jogger60]

excellent video! my sister (hearing) was teaching a group of Deaf in Glasgow but now the class stopped due to lack of numbers - Paul (Deaf from Glw) - good to see lisa !! would be good to link up for advice n support!?