MY ROLE AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN YOGA TEACHER

IT WAS WINTER 1993, AND I WAS 27 YEARS OLD.

All at the same time, I had secured positions in Atlanta as a live-in macrobiotic chef, a corporate marketing database manager, and a yoga instructor.

I was Peachtree Center Athletic Club’s very first yoga instructor, and this was my first professional yoga job.

Immediately, I noticed that some students projected images on to me. Some thought that I could heal their physical ailments. Others thought that I would cross-train their type-A training workouts by adding a deep stretch. Some thought that I would be a spiritual beacon who would guide them toward peace. Still, others thought I would help them attain a body that would look like mine, long and lean.

At the end of each class,...