Sign up for the next Butch Yoga Community Class!
November 23 at 1 pm Eastern / 10 am Pacific
Free Virtual Class! Join from anywhere in the world 🌎🌍🌏
Just enter your name and email below to register for the class:
What can you expect from the Butch Yoga Community Class?
Connect with your body 🫀
You'll be guided on how to do simple movements (with lots of breaks to breathe!) to help you feel more connected to what it feels like to be in your body.
Gender-affirming space 🏳️⚧️
Most yoga classes can feel extra feminine (which is fine for people who like that vibe), but this is a space where you can be yourself, without worrying about being misgendered
No Cirque-du-Soleil-turn-yourself-into-a-pretzel-acrobatics 🥨
We do movements that are accessible for beginners to yoga, and that will help you feel more flexible and relaxed
What people say about Butch Yoga Community Classes
Hey, I'm Joelle (they/them)
💜I'm a non-binary butch lesbian, and if you couldn't already tell, I'm really into yoga!
🧘🏻♂️ When I went to my first yoga class in 2007, I was not into it! I just didn't feel like I could do it. But I've learned since then that yoga isn't about how far you can stretch—yoga is a way of relating to yourself and the world, centered in awareness and love. And it’s my mission to share that love with butches! (Because we need it! Especially the self-love part!)
🌠I've gotten to share yoga with hundreds of butches and queers, at events like the Seattle Dyke March and Lezapalooza and teaching classes for Autostraddle and For Them's online memberships.
🤠And the people who attend Butch Yoga classes report feeling less pain in their bodies, more confidence in themselves, and more joy in their lives. (And I want that for all of us!)
🪷Whether this is your first yoga class or 500th, I'm really grateful for the opportunity for us to get to practice yoga together.
Wondering if this class is for you?
Here are some questions and answers to help you decide if you want to come to the class
Am I butch enough to take this class?
If you're here and you're asking this question, I'm going to go ahead and say, yes, you are welcome to take this class!
Sometimes I question if I'm butch enough to teach these classes!
Labels can be kind of confusing! But don't stress about it. Maybe you identify as kind of butch, or sometimes you feel butch and you want to explore that feeling more, or maybe you're just really not sure.
But if you come to the class, no one is going to be like, hey! what are you doing here? 🤨
no matter what you look like
however you have your haircut or like to dress
whichever pronouns you use
This is a space for butches of all genders!
What does it mean to be butch anyway?
Wow, great question!
But that's a big question to answer in a FAQ section 😅
So if you really want to get more into what it means to be butch, here are some resources:
Butch-22: The Paradox of Being Butch a blog post from Butch Yoga
Butch is a Noun by S. Bear Bergman
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
and you can find more books about butches (and other people who traverse and transcend gender norms) at transreads.org
What if I'm not flexible?
You don't need to already be flexible to try practicing yoga.
It's by starting to practice yoga that you start to feel more flexible.
It doesn't matter how far you can stretch! What matters is that you're willing to give it a try, and you're willing to practice being patient with yourself along the way.
Can my friend who isn't butch do the class with me?
Sure, why not!
Can I do private yoga classes instead of just the group class?
Yes, you can take private yoga classes with Butch Yoga!
There's a lot of reasons why you might want to take private yoga classes.
With private yoga classes, you get to do a practice that's designed for what you want to focus on now.
You'll get to do a check-in with Joelle about your energy level before the class, so each class is customized for how you're feeling.
During a private yoga class, you can receive personal attention and support so that you get the most from your practice.
And the best part is noticing the effects of your practice build up over time as you notice that your body feels less pain, your mind feels more relaxed, and you feel more like yourself.
Just click here to fill out a short form, and Joelle will get back to you soon!
Can I have my camera off during the class?
Yes! You can have your camera off during the class.
Some people who come to the class choose to have their camera on, and it is special to get to see each other! 😍
But lots of people keep their camera off, which is totally understandable. (TBH if I wasn't teaching the class I would probably have my camera off 😂)
So you're welcome to have your camera on if you want, but it's up to you.
What if I have a health condition?
You are not alone! Lots of the people who take classes with Butch Yoga have different health conditions that can make it challenging to participate in many physical activities.
Make sure to check with a doctor if you have any concerns about if taking a yoga class is right for your body.
I can't tell you what's right for your body, but I can tell you that these classes are a space for you to check in with yourself about what feels right for you.
You're always welcome to try out the movements that you want to and you can skip anything that's not for you!
What if I've never been to a yoga class before?
Welcome!! That's so exciting that you're thinking about taking your first yoga class!
You're in good company, a lot of people have taken their first yoga class ever with Butch Yoga, and loved it.
You've probably heard that yoga is good for you, but maybe you've felt intimidated about what it would feel like going to a class for the first time.
It's very understandable to feel that way! Especially if you have had experience with classes that involved movement before that felt stressful or unwelcoming.
In this class, all of the movements are explained and demonstrated before we do them together.
You're welcome to go at your own pace.
We take lots of breaks, and you can take a break at any point you want to during the class.
Plus, you can keep your camera off during the class, so you don't need to feel shy about anyone else seeing you try it 🙈
You're welcome to come to the class and give it a try!
What if I want more support to be kinder to myself and to focus on my self-care?
Hey—I'm really proud of you for recognizing this!
You deserve to feel kindness and care 💜
And it's so common for butches to go out of our way to do things to take care of others while neglecting our own needs.
If you want to take some time to focus on your self-care, you can schedule a time to talk to Joelle about it one-on-one.
You'll have space to talk about:
How your self-care is feeling these days
What you want to be doing more of
What you want to be doing less of
How you want to feel in your life
Just taking some time to think about this stuff can be so helpful.
And I'll help you plan how to bring more self-care into your life, in ways that feel right for you!