lfî.
CULTURE
Healing the damage
ending, twisting, stretching and breath
ing like you just discovered oxygen. It
seems that more and more o f us are
walking our downward dogs to yoga
Q ueer y o g a classes p ro m o te a w ell body an d mind.
class these days.
by H elen S ilvis
W e know the rewards are supposed to
include a kick-ass body and inner peace. But
yoga isn’t a gay and lesbian issue...is it? N oth
ing much here for queer activists, trannie boys
because he believes emotional healing happens
ating a safe, affirmative atmosphere, but gay
or drag queens.
faster when people practice yoga.
people don’t know who these teachers are."
“W ron g,” says Bart C h u rch , a Portland-
“Because yoga connects us to our inner
area yoga teacher who has launched
selves, it’s an amazingly powerful tool to heal
oga student David Birchmeier says
www.gayyogaportland.com for the c ity ’s sex
the damage caused by homophobia,” Doherty
he would never have gone to a
ual m inorities com m unity. “T h e re is a huge
says. “And for gay men who feel they have to
class if he hadn’t known it would
need for classes that attend to the special
have the perfect body in order to be sexy, it’s a
be queer-friendly. “It was important to
needs o f the queer com m unity.”
way to nurture and accept the bodies wc have.”
me, and it made it easy for me to bring
Church points out that many gay, lesbian,
Som e gay and lesbian teachers prefer not
two gay friends along. It just makes for
bi and trans people suffer
to discuss their sexuali
a very friendly, comfortable environ
attacks on their sexual
ty— saying that it’s
ment where you can be yourself.”
identity and body
irrelevant or that they
Birchmeier used to think yoga was
image— simply because
don’t want to be
just for fit, beautiful people. At 50,
they stand, move their
pigeonholed or to
overweight with heart problems and
bodies or express them
alienate straight stu
high blood pressure, he didn’t qualify.
selves differently from
dents. But Doherty and
Now after attending Church’s restora
the mainstream.
C hu rch are am ong the
tive classes, designed for people living
“Homophobia has a
handful o f Portland
with chronic illness, he’s breathing
gigantic effect on our
yoga teachers who
more easily and feeling much better.
feelings about our bod
believe it’s im portant to
“It’s the best thing that ever
ies,” he says. “If you are
be out and open. T hey
happened to me,” he exclaims.
queer or you might be
hope more teachers will
“Aches and pains that I used to
—David Birchm eier sign up with the W eb
queer or you just have a
have are gone. I’m a very conserv
different way o f present
site and expand the
ative person, and I’ve always had
ing your gender, you can he abused horribly
ch o ice o f classes and spaces.
preconceived ideas about yoga,
just because o f who you are. S o lots o f people
“If someone is living with HIV, they don’t
but this has been wonderful.”
carry a fear o f being taunted or beaten up that
necessarily know who out of all these hundreds of
Doherty has raised more than
is very real.”
yoga teachers has the experience and understand
a few eyebrows in Portland’s yoga
Joe Doherty, a longtime social worker who
ing they need,” Church says. “There are incredi
circles by also initiating a Tantric
specializes in gay and lesbian relationships,
bly loving and compassionate straight teachers
form o f yoga for gay men— where
recently opened Revolved Heart Yoga studio
who have gay students and are really good at cre
the first order o f business is for
B
everyone to strip their clothes off.
Nude yoga might be taken for granted in
New York, but this is a first for Portland.
Doherty says many people mistakenly think
the classes are about getting turned on sexu
ally. But while Tantric classes do work with
sexual energy, they aim to harness that
energy toward spiritual growth.
“Being naked is liberating,” he asserts.
“W e learn to challenge our own body
issues— the shame and guilt we are
socialized to feel— and reach for a deep
er part o f ourselves.”
Angel Kelly, who has been looking
for a women’s class that explores
Tantric yoga, says it’s hard to find
queer perspectives in mainstream
Tantric books and. workshops.
Tantric practitioners seek bliss and
enlightenment through sacred sex. Both
male and female energy is honored as an
aspect of the Divine, but much of the
practice has been narrowly heterosexual.
“Teachers do bring assumptions
to their classes,” Kelly says, “and they
can unintentionally be hurtful, make
judgments and not be welcoming. So
I really think you have to have queer
teachers in order for queer people to
explore it.” J H
Y
“I'm a very
conservative person,
and I've always
had preconceived
ideas about yoga,
but this has been
wonderful"
Contact R evolved H eart Y oga
STUDIO, 1318 N .E . Broadway, at
503-281-9772. For queer yoga class
times and locations, visit
www.gayyogaportkmd. com .
H elen S ilvis is a Portland
free-lance writer.
it's ME!
OREGON POTTERS ASSOCIATION
2 2 nd ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE
s
CERAM C SHOWCASE
WHEEL THROW ING
COM PETITION
Between leading Portland
mayoral candidates.
Friday evening 5:30pm
AWARDS CEREMONY
& MUSIC
Friday 6 - 9pm
N o'H ost Bar
Music by Sweet Thunder
April 23, 24 and 25
W estoyer H eights
C
L
I
N
I
C
Offering general internal
medicine and excelling
in sexual health care
S e n ’ing the com m unity for 2 2 yenro
breast forms, bras & more!
• Cinchers • Gaffs • Padded Panties
trans friendly
susan johnson ow ner/fitter
2041 ne burnside, gresham
503/491-5110 - www.shopitsm e.com
2330 NW Flanders
Suite 207
503 - 226-6678
Casual Dining
Piano Lounge
Game Room
Open 4:00 Daily
Friday & Saturday 10a.m. " 9p.m.
Sunday 10a.m. ' 5p.m.
Oregon Convention Center
777 ME Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Over 2 00 participating artists
www.ceramicshowcase.com
tliv u « « to
EREE ADMISSION
OPA is a non-profit organization
1 20 N W Third Avenue, Portland OR 97209 • (503) 224 3285 • www hobospdx com
SM TI
P a rk in g V a lid a te d S m art P a rk D a v is & Front
)