The Vibe is a lie:

Unf*ck your yoga

part 1: workshop for yoga teachers

or yoga students

facilitated by Anne Esguerra & Liz Kovarsky

Physical exercise was never the true purpose of yoga.

Yoga is a living tradition thousands of years old, rooted in India and North Africa — and it’s not about putting your foot behind your head. To truly honor yoga’s roots, we must practice all eight limbs of yoga, not just one small piece: asana (the physical postures). Many of these limbs call us toward social and personal transformation — toward awareness, compassion, and justice. Yoga carries a long history of resisting colonization and supremacy. Yet when it reached the West, it was commodified— repackaged and sold back to us as $25 classes in $100 leggings. Yoga is not fitness. It’s a practice of liberation.

Liberation from the internal barriers of the ego — self-judgment, shame, fear, and clinging to comfort. These patterns create suffering and cloud our ability to live with presence and peace.

Liberation from external barriers — systemic oppression, trauma, and cultural narratives (like productivity culture) that reinforce disconnection and over-identification with the ego — (re: $100 yoga pants).

For many, these internal and external struggles are deeply intertwined. Through yoga, we begin to untangle both — to remember our wholeness, our interconnectedness, and our capacity for liberation. This is where we begin with, The Vibe Is A Lie: Unf*ck Your Yoga Teaching

In part 1 we will cover

Goals

Build community of practice
Explore personal and collective relationships to yoga
Create shared understanding of language and responsibilities in carrying the lineages of yoga

Agenda

*6 hour workshop

Embodiment exercise
Processing prework
Learning shared terms
Social location activity
Solo & small group reflections
"Community support system" Expressive arts exercise
Read more specifics here

what

This workshop introduces the impact of Western white supremacy culture on yoga, supports reflection on personal teaching and personal practice, and fosters a community of shared responsibility for carrying the lineage of yoga with care and integrity. We will offer a part 2 in the future where we will move from awareness to action steps, offering guidance and support for teachers, students and studio owners to implement these learnings in their communities.

why

Yoga is often marketed and taught in ways that contradict its foundational principles. “The vibe is a lie” speaks to the disconnect between surface-level wellness culture and yoga’s deeper ethical, spiritual, and historical roots. The longer we (Anne & Liz) have practiced and taught, the less drawn we’ve felt to many modern studio spaces, where the marketing and presentation often fail to align with the values they claim to uphold. The language may sound “right,” but the actions frequently tell another story—and that misalignment causes harm. This workshop invites honest reflection, shared learning, and collective accountability as we explore what it means to honor the lineage of yoga with integrity.

what people are saying

Anne and Liz hold a mindful space to support our learning and growth, to explore and notice discomfort, and to connect with peers around this essential component of yoga teaching.

Very helpful activities and I enjoyed that it remained positive and growth oriented.

It's important content and needs more people involved in the discussion

Want to join our workshop?

Our next workshop is on May 17, 2026 for yoga students. Learn more & register at the button below:

Pricing

Part 1 at ECC: $100-$500 (for pricing breakdown visit this link, 25% to local mutual aid organization)

Part 1 at your studio: $2250 for up to 10 participants. $4500 for 11-20 participants (25% to local mutual aid organization).

Want to offer this workshop at your studio?

Just ask! Contact: Liz@ElectricCottageCollective.com