Cultural appropriation of yoga

Why is it important to talk about the cultural appropriation of Yoga?

Not too long ago I finished my 300h YTT in Bali where I met the most impactful yoga teacher in my life. Aka. She brought to life topics that would usually be avoided by most to steer clear of difficult and important conversations. One of them is cultural appropriation.

In the Western World, when you ask someone about yoga, the responses often revolve around flexibility, Instagram worthy poses, or the latest fashionable yoga leggings. But let’s step back a little bit and uncover the origins of this ancient practice. Yoga roots back to thousands of years to ancient India, with the earliest mentions found in the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of Hinduism, dating back to around 1500 BC.

Yoga was never considered a physical practice but a philosophical and spiritual journey. The first recorded documentation of asanas in scriptures came through Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Even then, Patanjali assigned little to no importance to the physical postures, considering them just one of the eight limbs of yoga.

So how did we venture off so much in the west? How did it become a trendy aesthetic rather than a philosophy?

Unfortunately, capitalism helped with this. We can see everywhere the commercialisation of yoga. As it gained popularity in the West, yoga was stripped of its cultural and spiritual significance and reduced more and more to a workout routine.

What can we do as yoga practitioners to honour this beautiful practice?

We can shift the narrative from appropriation to appreciation. It begins with acknowledging its roots in Indian culture and embracing yoga as a holistic practice that does not only rely on the physical postures but also meditation, breath work and ethics. Let’s educate ourselves about the cultural origins of yoga and to practice it with respect. We also should foster inclusivity and diversity within the yoga community. As yoga practitioners we have the duty to make sure that we are creating a space where everyone feels welcome and valued.