In this conversation with Melissa Shah (she/her), we discuss Melissa and Tristan’s experience in being featured on the cover of a popular yoga magazine—the complexities, the celebrations, and the challenges, exploring themes of tokenization, performative activism, recognizing harm when it’s happening, uplifting community, and more.

Tune in to hear us talk about...

- Melissa’s work as a yoga therapist and a team member with Reclamation Ventures

- Her experience of being the only South Asian yoga teacher featured on a magazine cover of “game changers in yoga”

- The importance of and need for representation alongside the challenges of tokenization

- What it looks like to give up power or share power with others

- Looking to other teachers, leaders, and models for inspiration and lessons on how to be in meaningful relationship and uplift across lines of identity difference

- Practicing boundaries, self-advocacy, and challenging monolithic narratives of marginalized communities

…and more!

Connect with Melissa:

Melissa’s website

Melissa on Instagram

Reclamation Ventures

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Here’s where you can view a transcript of this episode of ALL THE F*CK IN.

Thanks to Son of Nun and DJ Mentos for the music. You can find their work at sonofnun.bandcamp.com and djmentos.com.