Diversity

At Banyan, we support meditators around the world. We envision an awakened humanity. This has to include all individual expressions of our shared humanity, and we embrace people of all backgrounds, racial identities, gender identities, disabilities, and sexual orientations. These are some of the ways in which our individual expressions may be different, and they are also the ways in which we become separated and in some cases are used as a basis for oppression.

For all of us to rediscover our shared humanity, it’s crucial that we recognize, explore, and celebrate our differences. And we believe we can work together to heal the wounds that have divided us. When we acknowledge and turn towards our pain, we can transform that pain into clarity, compassion, and belonging. So diversity is not a checkbox for us. It is core to our aspiration for collective awakening. If you have questions about whether Banyan will be accessible to you, please reach out to us. We look forward to connecting with you.

Teacher Community

Teachers in our community represent a wide range of identities and backgrounds. Today, 38% of our teachers identify as other than white, 17% identify as LGBTQIA+, 21% reside outside of North America, and 23% speak a language other than English.

As we grow and invite new teachers to join, we are mindful to ensure diverse representation. In our teacher application, we ask about gender identity, racial identity, sexual orientation, language(s), location. In our mentor training program for new teachers, we also have modules that specifically train mentors on diversity and how to work with different identities in groups.

Safer Spaces and Affinity Groups

We also know and recognize that many people need dedicated spaces to practice in the safety of others with similar life experiences. This safety can be necessary to turn attention towards suffering — for example as a result of oppression — so that healing may occur. That’s why we offer affinity groups for Women, People of Color (an identity of non-white and can include those with mixed racial heritage) and LGBTQIA+.

Team

Because our ability to create experiences that serve a diverse audience is a direct result of our own awareness and understanding, we also promote diversity within our team. We understand that having a wider range of perspectives within our team will lead to better decisions, and allow us to better serve our global community. Our team is global and represents many different backgrounds, countries of birth and upbringing, gender identities, and sexual orientations.