Consent on the Mat

The Project

Have you ever attended a yoga class where hands-on adjustments were offered?  Did the teacher ask permission before touching you? Did you feel that opting out was a choice?

Consent On The Mat was founded in an effort to address the idea of building consent in yoga practice, where hands-on adjustments to practitioners are frequently offered by instructors. Though adjustments are common in yoga practice, a hands-on experience can become a barrier for some community members not comfortable receiving touch, including those who have experienced trauma, injuries, health concerns, or who simply prefer to opt out of physical contact that day.

To make the practice more inclusive, our team of community members and conference representatives developed the idea of creating “Consent Cards,” so every yoga practitioner would have the chance to clearly express their preference for the day. The cards made their debut at the 2017 conference.