Welcome to the Yoga Australia Reciprocity page. In 2021 we were honored to have launched the Yoga Australia Reconciliation Action Plan on behalf of our wider yoga community across Australia, with the firm intention to promote healing within this nation. Please explore the information and links provided below and engage in the conversation with us as we move towards a positive inclusive future respecting Country, Culture and Community.
Upon the Yaan Circle’s suggestion, it was decided to refer to this process of respecting, acknowledging, listening to, holding space for and supporting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander yoga teachers and their communities as Reciprocity. This approach recognises that the word reconciliation means “the restoration of friendly relations”. Given the initial absence of a post-invasion relationship, Reconciliation is seen as a bit of a misnomer. Reciprocity instead implies we start from the beginning to develop a robust and reciprocal relationship based on goodwill and respect.
Yoga Australia has committed to the development and actioning of a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) assisted by Ngungwulah Aboriginal Corporation (ICN 9263). Due to this process being held by Reconciliation Australia, we are unable to use the word Reciprocity in the title, but all of our actions keep the sentiments of this adjusted perspective at their heart.
In June 2021 Yoga Australia proudly launched the Reflect RAP. A Reflect RAP clearly sets out the steps you should take to prepare your organisation for reconciliation initiatives in successive RAPs.
Committing to a Reflect RAP allows an organisation to spend time scoping and developing relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, deciding on their vision for reconciliation and exploring their sphere of influence, before committing to specific actions or initiatives. This process will help to inform successive RAPs that are both meaningful and reciprocal.
After completion of our RAP, we will move successively into the next three phases of Reconciliation; Innovate, Elevate, stretch and Elevate as per the Reconciliation Australia guidelines.
Below you will find further information, links and tools to support Reciprocity:
We are delighted to be supported in our work by a number of yoga teachers who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples from Countries across Australia. We hope that this circle will grow as we are able to more widely disseminate this initiative across the country. If you or a yoga teacher you know are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and interested to join this circle we’d love to hear from you. Just drop us a line at [email protected]
The role of the Yaan Circle is twofold:
To be introduced to our Yaan Circle and more fully understand the Yaan Circle’s role, please take a look at their website.
The continent that we now call Australia is one of the most multicultural continents on this earth. The term “Aboriginal” or “Torres Strait Islander” is a blanket term, kind of like the word African or European, describing heritage of an estimated 250 – 500 distinct countries across the land.
Having been custodians of these lands, seas, skies and waterways forever, the Cultural knowledge held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities is beyond precious. In the beautiful words of recently departed Yuin elder Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison:
“So I take this word reconciliation and I use it to reconcile people back to Mother Earth, so they can walk this land together and heal one another because she’s the one that gives birth to everything we see around us, everything we need to survive.”
There is perhaps one fundamental consideration in developing relationship with Community members and that it is Respect. Read more about Connecting to Community here…
Acknowledging Country, Welcoming to Country and Smoking Ceremonies are a really wonderful way to pay respect to local Custodians and develop relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Communities. Knowing when and how to proceed is important.
Read more about Paying Respect to Country, Community and Culture here…
You can find out more about your local custodians through:
This continent is broad with countless ecosystems and weather patterns. As with all of humanity’s calendars, the cyclical nature of the seasons and celestial events informed the movement and ceremonies of the people here. Being familiar with the flow of seasons in the Country that you live and work on, is one of the best ways to really understand, mark respect
and be present. In addition to direct observation, knowledge from aeons of experience can be found by listening-up to Traditional Custodians, visiting your local Cultural Centre or searching for specific Country’s calendars.
Read more about Important dates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands People here…
In Providing a bursary position for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the idea is that the learning is two-way. Developing a clear and open relationship with the person/people to whom you will offer the bursary will allow you both to grow from the experience.
Read about Providing Bursary Positions for Classes and Courses here …
Acknowledging Country prior to class is becoming increasingly common. This has huge benefits for yoga students, by way of centering and bringing them into the present moment. In addition it establishes a sense of reverence and respect in the room, making the point that their practice of yoga, at this class, is about preparing to be of service …
to connect body, land and spirit.
Download our suggested Acknowledgement of the Custodians of Country before class here…
Below, we have outlined the work that has been done by Yoga Australia relating to the RAP. We will continue to communicate progress through our, social channels and publications.
Acknowledgment of Country cards are available to all members. These, along with an accompanying information sheet provide guidance on the how, what and why of Acknowledging Country prior to class, and providing Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremonies at more important events. You can download these documents here.
Two articles have been written specifically for Yoga Today magazine to help raise awareness of the work we are doing in the space and other initiatives that are taking place in communities.
In the teacher training edition of Yoga Today, Cate Peterson wrote an article titled “Teaching Yoga In Australia is Different”. This article outlined our plans for the RAP and discussed ways in which our members could get involved. The article explored the question of how we best engage all Australians in yoga in Australia. You can download the article here.
In the April 2019 Yoga Today, themed ‘Beyond Asana’, Sara Jones introduced us to the ancient wellness practice of Wayapa. Download Yoga Today Beyond Asana to read “Why Yoga needs Wayapa”
In each member newsletter we include a section called ‘Yaaning’, you can access previous newsletters through your member dashboard.
How you can get involved:
We recognise the continuous and deep connection to Country, of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first peoples of this nation. In this way we respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land, sea, the waters and sky. We pay tribute to the Elders past and present as we also respect the collective ancestry that has brought us all here today.
Last updated December 2022.
Next review scheduled March 2022