How Practicing Yoga Helped Me Become a Better Teacher: Reflections on Using Contemplative Practices in Race and Ethnic Relations Courses
Abstract
This paper explores how yoga has helped me become a better professor. I begin by reflecting on the challenges of teaching race and ethnic relations as a White faculty member at a predominantly White institution, and how my early efforts were marked by insecurity, resistance, and disembodiment. I then trace how my personal yoga practice led me to incorporate contemplative practices such as meditation, reflective journaling, and active listening into my courses. Drawing on student reflections, I show how these practices helped cultivate openness, empathy, and critical engagement with systemic racism.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Educational Philosophies and Pedagogies
Critical Race Theory in Education
Reflective Practices in Education
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Humanity & Society
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 203–221
- Publication date
- 12 February 2026
- Language
- EN