There’s no such thing as a safe space.

Published August 8th, 2024

“This is a safe space.”

I've heard this phrase countless times, particularly in yoga and wellness settings, shared as an intention to welcome everyone in their full humanity. The truth is we cannot guarantee safety for every single person in a group space; intention doesn't always match impact.

Safety is a deeply personal, subjective experience.

We all have unique needs and a personal understanding of what safety means for us. It’s impossible to hold space for a group and ensure that every varying need will be constantly met, especially when what we need will shift or change.

So-called safe spaces often cater to those with more privilege.

In my experience, spaces that claim to be safe are frequently rooted in unchecked biases, normalizing the inclusion of some (folks more proximal to power) at the expense of others (folks experiencing more marginalization).

The phrase safe space has often been weaponized to avoid accountability when harm occurs.

This is yet another unfortunate example of how liberatory teachings can be manipulated to bypass the truths of our world and our individual, real lived experiences (and differences).

While we cannot guarantee safe spaces, we can create safer spaces.

I originally learned this concept from the work of my colleague, teacher, and friend Michelle C. Johnson and her book, Skill in Action: Radicalizing your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World.

Safer spaces rely on transparency, collective care, active listening, believing someone when they tell you their truth, holding one another accountable across difference, and so much more.

Safer spaces for the trans + non-binary community might include (this list is non-comprehensive):

• pronoun shares in group introductions

• a commitment to gender neutral and inclusive language

• community agreements

• leaving cishetero assumptions and norms at the door

• scholarship opportunities and three-tiered pricing

• affinity group conversations

• queer guest facilitators (who are compensated for their time and labor)

This is a learning process for many of us. Let's normalize that.

The cultural conflation of sex/gender has confused and harmed all of us to varying degrees and in different ways. The good news is that, with practice, we can unlearn it.