Like millions of Westerners out there, I too joined the yoga bandwagon about eight years ago after trying out my first Bikram class, moving on to Moksha and then settled at a hot yoga studio which practices all types of yoga in a hot space.
I too fell in love with how yoga made my body feel after a particularly tough workout.
I too fell into the pseudo-spiritual aspects of the practice.
And, finally I too got burned out by the practice, disillusioned and at times, even disgusted at the people who I thought should be setting an example to the rest of us but turns out that they are even more messed up than you realize and the yoga was just an effective cloak to hide their true nature and personalities.
For me, it was and always will be the health benefits of yoga which attracted me and still keeps me around but I also, perhaps in my naïveté, thought the people who were a part of the scene would be as sincere as they appeared to be. I had read every book out there, was thoroughly sick of the new age charlatans claiming to have psychic abilities all in the name of Mr. Dollar and selling their wares, whether it was books, weekend retreats or $1000 seminars and very disenchanted with what the so-called “good life” of a westernized professional was offering (it’s a formula, no more) . With yoga, I finally felt that I found something authentic, based on authentic teachings, plus I was feeling great afterwards. The people seemed nice; they had read and kept quoting all the great seers and sages of the centuries. Aurobindo, Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, Rumi, Hafiz and more recently, writers like Eckhart Tolle. They were into the green movement, recycling and genuinely concerned about Mother Earth. They wear Toms and donated to legitimate foundations like Unicef, Right to Play etc.
But a few nagging observations wouldn’t leave me.
1) First of all, I’m of Indian heritage. I’m brown. You look at me and you know I’m ethnic. I speak the language and still have many extended family members there and have gone back often. By and large, and I’m generalizing since it’s not always the case, but yoga in the West is increasingly becoming a trendy diversion for the affluent and bored or those who are obsessed with the body beautiful and the cult of hedonism which follows that. Now I see yoga branching out in such things like “Chocolate Yoga” or “Trance Dance Yoga”, where in short, the culture of the nightclub or rave is being super-imposed on yoga. India is still deeply conservative socially. Arranged marriages are still the norm in the villages and were also the norm in the big cities until maybe 20 years ago. Binge drinking, sexual promiscuity and drug taking, which are elements of the club culture are strongly frowned upon and considered socially unacceptable in many social circles in India but yet it is being passed off as something that is a part of yoga by North American suburban kids and marketers looking for the next big trend, when that is just not true.
Yoga rave in Atlanta
2) It is extremely classist. It lacks plurality and inclusiveness. I do not see many people of blue-collar backgrounds who can afford these classes on a regular basis and many of them are precisely the ones who could probably benefit the most from yoga. Most of the studios in my city charge around $1200 for an unlimited yearly membership. That’s serious coin. I can hardly envision a stressed, single mother trying to raise her kids on social assistance being able to afford that when she probably needs the benefits of yoga more than the pampered trophy wife who just returned form her 5-star shamanistic initiation retreat in Bolivia. I walk into most of my yoga classes and I see nothing but a sea of white faces, maybe the token black and Asian. Some people may read that as a racist statement but I’m not trying to be racist and this isn’t a reverse racism argument either, it is just my observation. Yoga in North America caters to the affluent and is falling in line with the capitalist system of profit. It is increasingly distancing itself from the roots of yoga.
I can barely make out one non-Caucasian at this Bikram yoga training session.
If anyone can find a non-Caucasian here, let me know.
3) It is really annoying watching some white people try to act ethnically brown when they are not and they never will be. Intention is everything here. I can understand there is a difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation, but when the Pussy Cat Dolls show up in saris at some premier, you have to ask yourself, what the intention here is.
Pussy Cat Dolls at the 2008 Fashion week Fashion Rocks concert
Pale women with Shiva tramp-stamps do not look good in saris doing Bollywood dance moves or wearing bhindis especially if they have freckles (Like, really). For Indian women, this is part of their cultural heritage and identity, not some gimmicky hip trend to try out and pose around in until the next trend shows up.
Happy woman dancing in sari
5) Sanskrit, like Latin, is a dead language. Let it go already. The Catholic Church let go of the Latin Mass after Vatican II back in the early 1960s. Chanting in Sanskrit does not make you look cool nor does it make you an automatic Hindu. Or an authority on yoga, Vedic studies or Indology (Yes, that is a real academic subject). Nor does having a made up Sanskit-derived moniker name make you any more real either with names like Blissananda, Ganeshananda, Serenityananda etc.
Ganeshananda – I’m wondering how many Indian followers does he have?
6) Just because it’s exotic does not mean it’s real or more authentic. Real Indians, in India make fun of many Westerners behind their backs and are making money off of their ignorance. Do you see real, native Indians in the fancy, expensive ashrams in India? No. Do you see many native Indians “following” your Guruji? Probably not. Do you see many Indian women at these open air clothing-optional Tantric weekend couples workshops in Hawaii? Did you ever ask why not?
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Many, many of these so-called gurus and God-men (and women) of India are scam artists but because their ashrams and centres bring in so much, much-needed cash and tourist dollars, the Indian government looks the other way and in fact, are in on it too. There is nothing spiritual about it. It’s a cash cow and they are milking many Western followers of yoga for all they can get. Not always, I’m generalizing. There are some authentic teachers left in India but they’re usually just minding their own business and not interested in selling anything or proselytizing people. Unfortunately, the former is happening more frequently than the latter.
(I heartily recommend anyone who is interested in this topic to watch this BBC documentary on Sai Baba called “The Secret Swami”.)
Another yogi who pretty much indirectly admits Caucasians are inferior to Indians is Bikram Chowdhury. In his 60 minutes interview he said that the intense physical aspects of Bikram yoga is more “suitable” to North Americans because they need to discipline themselves physically before they can start on the spiritual and psychic and that it’s not necessary for Indians. That somehow the physical and mental make up of Caucasians is different from Indians and therefore they need to do an additional step of rigorous physical training before attempting anything spiritual. Does anyone see the double-speak and double-standard here? ( at 1:15 and 10:10)
Bikram Chowdhury on 60 Minutes
They are promising you Enlightenment just as long as you pay up or keep giving enforced “donations”, but it does not work that way. Why do you think celibate Buddhist monks devote their entire lives living in monasteries under vows of poverty, living off of alms trying to achieve Enlightenment? Because it’s excruciatingly hard work and it takes a lot more than a weekend retreat or two plus reading a best-seller to get there.
Thai Forest Tradition Buddhist monk
7) Yoga can become cultic very quickly and the levels of self-absorption and narcissism can sky-rocket easily if you don’t watch it so keep your radar tuned in. I have heard stories of certain Jivamukti yoga instructors threatening to cut off friendships with other yoga instructors from other traditions because they were not completely vegan.
Really folks? That’s all you can worry about and think about? There’s a nuclear reactor in Japan which is about to fail and spells disaster for the West coast of North America. Workers in Greece, Spain, Ireland and Portugal are on the frontlines fighting technocrats and bankers who are trying to rob them of their right to live in some semblance of dignity and respect. There’s a Maoist insurgency in central India and peasants are trying to keep their land from mining companies and THIS is what you have to bicker about?
A woman runs from anti riot police during a demonstration in central Athens, Greece
8) The level of cultural awareness among some of the yoga set is pitiful at times and yet this is the same crowd that tries to come off as cultural and spiritual mouthpieces for that sub-continent. It is truly a subcontinent, with vast differences in culture, religion, diet, language, customs, and history. The only commonality you will find among Punjabis, Gujaratis, Marathis, Rajasthanis, Bengalis, Tamils, Goan, Keralese, Nepalis, Uttar Pradeshi, Kashmiri, Assamese, Ladakhs, Orissians etc is possibly the brown skin, if that. Once upon a time, all these provinces and territories were their own kingdoms and countries and were amalgamated and consolidated into one state and created into “India” by the British. Think of them as entirely different countries with their own unique identities. You wouldn’t mix up a Pole with a Russian (and if you did, they’d probably punch you), so why should you mix up a Tamil with a Punjabi?
You have no idea how annoying it is to hear some girl at the yoga studio look at you and say “Oh, I have an Indian friend and her parents made her get married to some computer engineer in San Jose and she had to get this thing signed with witnesses, what’s that about?”
Me: “Was she Sikh?”
Girl: “No, I think she’s Muslim”.
Me: “Well, I’m Sikh so I’m not really sure”
Girl: “But she’s Indian, just like you.”
Me: “Yeah, but we have many different religions in India and practise things differently…”
And it just goes downhill from there….
In the end, I began to see how vacuous the scene was becoming and has become. I still love the feeling I get after doing a session but I just can’t stand to be around the high-school popularity contest atmosphere which has permeated many of the studios these days and some of the more vapid personalities who are claiming to be instructors and taking advantage of their privileges.
I know they are not all like that, there are some genuine well-meaning people in that community and some of them are truly doing outstanding work like outreach into prisons and so forth. But for me personally, I’m questioning the profit-driven, hedonistic aspects which seems to have taken over the subculture.
Yogadork recently had an article asking if yoga needs to grow up.
In short, yes. Big time.
Other Links
Why cultural appropriation hurts
Yoga and the exclusion of people of color
Why I really want to give up on yoga
Why I will Never give up on yoga
For anyone who needs to understand WHY issues of inclusion and plurality is not about visible minorities “getting over the whole race thing” but rather understand that this is a “white problem”, please watch this video and reflect on some of the comments here (especially from 13:00 on and 29:00 onwards)
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Let’s get it out of the way: I hated Eat Pray Love. And I understand everything that you’re saying because I’ve written about the same thing (i.e., what yoga has become in the West, no diversity, etc..). I am a white woman of a certain age who travels to India yearly to study at a yoga school in Chennai. Believe me, I know I will never “blend in” in India, but I wear salwar kameez most times and I would in no way attempt to wear a sari without guidance on how to wear one than I would wear a mini skirt in Fallujah.
But I would have to take exception to what you say about it being mostly Westerners who follow the God-men of India. Just to see what was what since I had seen some of his videos, I did a 4 day “Inner Engineering” retreat at Sadguru’s Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore, TN. http://www.ishafoundation.org/ — most of the participants were Indian men. I won’t get into a review of the experience, but it was freaky. The ashram was like a 5 star hotel, but the atmosphere was damn freaky and I could not wait to leave.
And look at the followers of Swami Nithyananda — Indian. http://www.speakchennai.com/index.php/tag/swami-nithyananda A friend of mine in Chennai attended one of his retreats and she wasn’t impressed. My friend now tells me that Swami is selling “instant enlightenment” for a couple of lakhs. So it’s not all Westerners with their heads up their assanas.
I could go on, but I won’t. Just want to say, I hear ya.
p.s. this is what I consider real yoga…. interesting that he says no “yoga teachers”, other than one who used to be a pro wrestler, would help him. http://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448
Hi Linda,
It’s not just Westerners, it’s everywhere nowadays. While I don’t doubt there may be genuinely spiritually enlightened persons in India as anywhere else, it’s become a bit of a circus in India, involving both Indians and non-Indians alike. Maybe I’m jaded or naive, but this sense of dis-ingenuousness and lack of authenticity seems to have gone viral. My issue isn’t so much as Caucasian women wearing saris or salwar kameez, because let’s face it, they are very comfortable and given the Indian humid climate and the social norms of not showing legs, ideal to wear, but it’s this rave yoga set who in a certain sense hijacked some aspects of Indian culture are doing it because it’s this week’s trend I have problems with that.
But thank you for adding your voice, even on sites like yogadork or recoveringyogi, I’ve had a hard time trying to get this dialogue started and I think it’s one which needs to take place.
“sense of dis-ingenuousness and lack of authenticity seems to have gone viral” — I’m with ya. and feel free to get the dialogue going over at my house: http://lindasyoga.com (writing about similar issues since 2005.)
(and I don’t say namaste!)
slowly but surely this dialogue is taking place, teachers and students alike have had enough of this drive thru, inauthentic stuff that’s being churned out. A few birds of a feather have flocked together already in a short space of time since I started my blog and have been putting my thoughts out there. It’s hard to inflitrate in the realm of Yoga apps and reality show ‘rock stars’, but it’s happening. I’m hoping over time, and thanks to a few controversial shake ups in the mainstream that have forced contemporary yoga circles to take a good hard look at what is going on, the necessary changes will start taking place, and like you say teachers like Linda (who I’ve connected with in the blogosphere) and real attitudes like your own, will be the rule not the exception.
And never mind Eat, Pray, Love – Yogawoman has got to be one of the most smarmy, shameless self promotions of yoga and teachers I’ve ever seen. I am trying to connect with veritable sources as I endeavour to become a teacher, what a disappointment that was.
I think the biggest problem is that this drive-thru, inauthentic stuff is what’s currently dominating the yoga scene. Yoga is BIG business right now and while I agree there is a movement towards more genuineness in certain circles, I can’t help but have a bad feeling that it may take more controversies like Anusara-gate or that awful killing at the Lululemon store to make more people shake out of their kula kool-aid haze. It’s market forces which are dictating the predominant yoga culture. If it sells, it rules. How do we make authenticity, genuineness and humaneness popular?
Thanks Linda
! Great video! Yoga needs more instructors like his to be the norm, not the exception.
Reblogged this on Warriors and Goddesses.
I dropped out of college in 1969, went to a Northern California retreat and became a hatha yoga instructor there. I loved the opportunity to immerse myself in hatha yoga and meditation, but things turned sour the second summer when a woman I liked was called in for a private talk with the (Caucasian) leader of the retreat and came out traumatized after he rather crudely came on to her and tried to grope her.
Another thing worth mentioning is that after leading a meditation session, somebody tried to touch my feet and call me their guru. It really creeped me out and made me wonder if that’s how some gurus get their start. All it takes is one with some cash and blind devotion and you’re off to a good start.
All that said, there are many good things about yoga and meditation. It just seems we live in an age where everything gets corrupted. Jesus may have turned water into wine, but our gurus seem to turn it into coca cola.
or kool-Aid
…
I’d like to introduce you to The Babarazzi….. http://thebabarazzi.com/
I totally hear you on this…. Especially on the name changing and sanskrit thing…. Changing the name your parents gave you is just, well, WHY?! When I was in India doing my teacher training, we had the option of getting a spiritual name given to us. I opted no, because I don’t see the point of someone who barely knows me giving me a name based on how my current one sounds! And plus, I already have a name – the one my parents gave me! Sanskrit to me is just another language, and one I am not very good at communicating in. I sometimes don’t understand why people feel the need to throw in a million sanskrit words during a yoga class or a normal conversation, because it just confuses my little brain.
It’s not only in Sanskrit to yoga, but this idea of linguistic purity and power in a certain spiritual tradition is also found in Arabic to Islam, Hebrew to Kabbalah, Native American languages to their traditions, that somehow if you chant, meditate, read or pray in those original languages, then that’s all that matters. I don’t buy it, I think the intention behind your actions is key, not what language you use to get there. I’d rather attend a class where no Sanskrit terms are dropped but the instructor was excellent and was watching out for everyone in the room than a class where a dozen Sanskrit terms are employed and the instructor doesn’t know her ass from her armpit about what she’s doing.
Amen!
I think yoga is like everything else: you have to use discrimination. Part of being on a spiritual path is about choosing to accept and reject. Personally, I find it easy to reject the western, commercialization of yoga, for the most part. I just ignore it. But I wouldn’t “throw the baby out with the bath water.” I don’t blame yoga for the misinterpretations.
Also — can I offer a potentially different perspective on why “white people” are doing yoga in vast numbers? Perhaps it’s because that’s who needs it most.
Maybe everything is as it should be, and we are all just in a state of evolution towards higher spiritual consciousness. Naturally, some are ahead of others due to education, capacity, experience or what have you.
Cheers,
Mariellen
Very good points here, Mariellen – every last one of them!
Though the original post brings up some valid observations there may be many more reasons why this is happening and many many more ways you can approach and appreciate the current state of yoga (all around the world).
I think it starts with knowing what it is you are asking for. you can’t possibly have it if you don’t know to ask for it.
so what do “you” want out of yoga? Many never even begin to ask that question. Those that do are the “enlightened ones”.
Take it or leave it I suppose. But I view articles like this narrow in their scope, and I’d argue, do a diservice to the practice so many of us deeply embrace.
Doug
I don’t believe though that the higher “enlightened” people are the ones who just accept things. Christ and Gandhi were pissed off quite a bit and refused to just accept a whole lot of things. I see the normal crowd of people who just accept things to be by the least conscious people. They’re the type of people who if (for if example) you try to tell them about the LIBOR scandal (totalling over 800 TRILLION dollars) just tell you that that’s “conspiracy theory” and dismiss it that way. That is pure narcissism and is the polar oppisite of enlightenment.
Hi Mariellen,
I completely agree with you that yoga itself is not to be blamed for the misinterpretation, it’s some of the people (and their questionable motives) who are responsible for the misreading and so forth.
However, I’d respectfully disagree with you that it’s “white people” who need yoga the most. I think our capacities as human beings for spiritual evolution, intellectual development, emotional fullfillment are the same, irrespective of race, class etc.
The problem does not lie so much in race, I think. It’s in cultural interpretation and right now mainsteam yoga in North America in particular (and I’m generalizing because I know there are so many sub-subcultures in yoga these days) is being seen through the lense of largely, the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) culture, and interpreted as such. Values like hard work, accomplishment, profit, industry, individualism (and this includes hedonism), and utilitarianism has permeated yoga culture here.
For instance, nowadays, there’s naked yoga in most major N.American cities. If you did that in India, you’d be kicked out for gross indecency since modesty is a huge value in that culture (except in the case of sadhus who are a class of their own in Indian society). When I read about how naked yoga developed and why it would be a good thing to do yoga in a room full of other nude people, I personally can’t help but think it’s more about the neuroses of these persons trying to finally get out of themselves than it is about yoga itself. But, when you read the literature, the ads, the website etc. They aren’t talking about the neurorses, they talk about the yoga. Therein lies the problem, IMHO.
I know from personal observation what you write about gurus is true. I was living in Oregon in the 1980′s during the reign of terror of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. My boyfriend’s (at that time) mother almost died when she ate at one of the many salad bars that Rajneesh’s diciples poisoned. He sent his diciples out to murder pubilc officials in Oregon, yet almost thirty years later he still has blind devotee followers all over the world. Second case: Someone I know witnessed Deepak Chopra in a morally compromising situation, and he became very threatening when he was recognized (the details of this encounter are on my website). Three years later when the Weekly Standard caught Chopra with his pants down again, most of his blindly devoted fans refused to believe it. From my observations, the average person would not recognize a real spiritual teacher, or the spiritual truth, if it bit ‘em in the arse.
Hey Fernando, get off your arse and finish that book! Your story really is amazing. Since you didn’t add the link, I will: http://searchingforfernando.wordpress.com/
That’s for damn sure. Especially in the USA most people are pathetic sheep.
I don’t understand how people can still fall for Osho, I don’t care how great the teachings sound, if these persons aren’t walking the walk and setting an example then what the hell is any of it really worth? As for (married) Chopra, I know someone who had to go pick him up from the airport for a talk in town and in the car, he tried grabbing her and coming on to her while she was driving! Deepak has a long history as a lecherous perv. Most of these blind devotee-types are usually from very affluent, flakey enclaves like Encinitas, Big Sur, Ojai, Rhineback, NY etc. who just love these teachers, because they affirm their followers’ philosophy of “If it feels good, then it’s good, it can’t be wrong” Responsibility and cost of actions doesn’t seem to weigh on them at all.
Thanks, Rob. By the way, why is it that the people with the most to say, never get to say it, but the idiots spewing rubbish get the soap boxes?
OH my goodness I just found your blog via Yoga Dork and I love it!!! I agree with all that everything you said. It’s sad, because there are a few of us (I’m a yoga teacher+student) who really are in it for the good of it. But I am aware of all of everything you spoke of, and it really does not sit well with me. I’ve been thinking and thinking and thinking of these things a lot lately, so this blog and conversation couldn’t have come at a better time for me.
Hi Lisa, it seems that something is in the air because even a quick look at the comments section over at YogaDork, particularly for articles that came out in the last few days, and it would seem that many other voices are finally speaking out and being heard around these issues. Maybe this is just a dialogue in cyberspace but if we can get this discussion going on in earnest and that would hopefully translate into more positive and meaningful change in the real world. Yoga has been hijacked, (not by everyone, there are sincere people too) by the mainstream, corporate rock-star yogi types. It’s starting to turn this science and art into a cliched joke and in order to take it back, we need to make our voices heard more frequently.
I agree with you but I think in mainstream American culture, yoga has been hi-jacked by the yuppie(hedonistic) culture.
this is a wonderful article. as a fellow Indian (N. American born) Indian yogini (Punjabi Hindu parents) who started practising in studios about 9 years ago, i have HAD it. my soul is sick in these big fancy studios (Chopra’s studio is one of the worst, and the most expensive!). and for the record, Anusara classes made me itchy from the outset and JF creeped me out. A white Texan businessman teaching adoring, beautiful thin white yogis about Sita and Lakshmi? NO, that is not right.
i don’t have much to add except I agree with everything you say. when i visited India, I looked for authentic yoga. i did not really know where to find it. i did realize that I am more Western than I think I am. Rishikesh had a lot of ashrams, but the cultish aspect and guru worship of ashrams in general also make me kind of itchy. i might try one eventually.
i have gone back to traditional Ashtanga yoga practised Mysore style in a tiny studio. i am researching Krishnamacharya extensively and the origins of modern yoga. this has helped my soul a lot: focussing on the other 7 limbs, doing the physical Ashtanga practice (because I am Western-born and I do love the physical aspect and study), chanting the prayers I learned as a child when I am at home by myself, and reading up on what Krishnamacharya’s Indian students have to say and teach about yoga.
good luck with your yoga journey. There is always a way to find and get back to the aspects of the tradition that resonate with you. step 1 is stopping going to all of the drop-in studios…
Thank you Omiya! You have no idea how many Hindu friends of the family (Punjabi, Maharasthra and Bengali) also share your feelings on Chopra. And as for JF, he always somehow gave off a pervy vibe, I’m surprised no one picked up on it sooner and said something, he was just so….eager. Rishikesh is quickly becoming an Indian version of Sedona, just like Benares and Varanasi has been taken over by backpackers looking for cheap pot and wanting to hang out with sadhus. Stay true in your search, when you’re ready the right teacher or teaching will appear, regardless of where in India or the world, it’ll take you.
Is any of this actually new? I’ve always been under the impression that the “profit-driven, hedonistic aspects which seems to have taken over the subculture” have always been a part of the yoga/householder realm (Osho didn’t manifest in a vacuum), as have questions of authenticity and intention.
I think there are authentic and genuine teachings and people, that there is something to the sacred sound stuff (as India-stuff bills itself as- should anyone be then surprised that people take on sacred names?), but too that people have a lot to learn from one-another, including the way we romanticize and cling to our identities and cultures even when we are so much variations on the same theme. I don’t mean to encourage the materialism and attainment stuff, but can’t seem to help being an apologist for materialism when it comes to the “yoga culture” as “real” yoga is such a good antidote for all of that, an antidote that otherwise might otherwise be ridiculed if not ignored outright by these profiteering hedonists.
It boils down to intention, methinks. If you want to get something materialistic out of it, then be upfront about it, don’t hide behind new-age speak and psychobabble navel-gazing jargon and paint the whole thing with “spirituality”. I have more respect for that wrestler-turned yoga instructor than I do for most posh studio-based instructors because he doesn’t hide who or what he does. He wears his identity and his practice on his sleeve.
well said………….This tradition as many others will lose some integral parts of its Integrity ,in the “Commodified Models ” we have set up…………..best to….develop a discriminating mind…………develop a relationshiop with a teacher who’s vested in developing your self practice…..in order to set you free. become colleagues as the relationship evolves….into a less hierarchal standard …..
At first, I thought you were just bitter or angry when I began reading this article. However the more I read, the more I realized what you were saying and I couldn’t agree more. I am a caucasian male practitioner and first was introduced to asana practice as a type of fitness. It was 100% physically-oriented and I went to a studio full of middle-aged, rich, suburban, Lululemon clad women with social cliques where the “themes” of the class would be discussing how hard it is to deal with their kids or making arrangements for their next vacation.
As time went on, I was introduced to the scriptures and ancient texts. With research of my own and research from others I quickly realized that not only were these people not walking the walk, they didn’t even understand that what they were trying to pass off as “yoga” was really a cardio-fitness class with flowery language. Teachers would become bitter about those who surpassed their physical abilites or went to a rival studio. Many of these teachers did not know, let alone understand, the yamas or niyamas. Asana was simply a physical workout. Don’t even think about discussing pranayama or concentration and meditation with them, they are not only unaware but don’t have an interest.
I was introduced to a yogi who is also a teacher and it opened my eyes to what yoga really is. Strict adherence to the ethical rules, asana only as a benefit to health, stillness in the postures, and as an offering are all wonderful and prepare the body and mind for pranayama exercises, which prepare the body for meditation (which is the focus of my practice now). I feel lucky to have met this teacher and he taught me proper and practical methods to the spiritual path the way it was meant to be, incorporating ALL forms of yoga (bhakti, jnana, etc.) through constant practice; something far beyond what Hatha yoga has become.
I appreciate the article you wrote and while you were blunt about it, I’m glad you were – it needed to be said. I may never achieve illumination in this lifetime but after finding the right path, I too would like to see these corrupted forms of fitness and pseudoscience come to an end.
Thanks J. for your comment.
I wasn’t trying to sound bitter and angry but admittedly as an Indian, I am upset at the direction yoga has gone in the West in some respects, particularly the more shallow, disingenuous aspects. When you walk into a studio and it feels like some exclusive country club instead from the 1950s where instead of talking about their golf game and the tomato aspic on the menu and how clumsy their maid was that morning, they’re talking about the organic wild rose petal oil and Antarctic water facial they had that morning at the spa and how the Filipino nanny was late in picking up the kids from school, all the while in their Lululemon shorts and slurping on a shot of acai berry serum, something’s amiss.
It’s especially galling when it’s your own cultural heritage that you see becoming distorted or misinterpreted by people, who very often don’t have a clue as to what they are talking about.
You are also spot-on when you describe teachers who get upset or feel threatened by those students who surpass them and eventually leave. I’ve seen that happen too. Yoga was never meant to be exclusive. These insanely priced studios and teacher trainings are doing more harm than good. I think if more voices from minority groups, whether it’s from those that define themselves at ethnic, visible minorities, queer, transgender, fat, big-boned, whatever, the better. People have to speak up more and add their voices to the discussion and the practice. I also think if the co-op movement and co-op studios/trainings were to become more dominant in the scene, the inclusivity problem would take care of itself.
I have to say that you do come off sounding bitter and angry – at least at first. However, I can understand you being upset. I’ve been pondering the evolution of yoga in “the west” for a couple of years now. How can we as westerners incorporate the aspects of yoga and the spiritual practices into our culture in a way that is authentic?
I’m not sure I have an answer but I do have ideas.
It’s still evolving and will continue to do so. Giving up on it isn’t the answer though.
At a studio I use to attend they ran a 1 hour yoga class – a set sequence. There were also the classes where the more experienced and aware students frequented. Most of us were in it for the same reasons (the deeper [if you will] reasons). What I observed is that though 99.9% of those in the 1 hour class would never show up at the class the smaller group attended. But every once and a while someone would make the transition and their life would change.
So I say let them have those “spa” classes or whatever you want to call it. Seek those that understand the difference and are on your side of the view of what yoga is and isn’t. Practice the practice and surrender to the fact that that is the way it is. The grace still exists and those that ask for it and seek it will find it. And they will find you.
I came to yoga in the same way J did and though I didn’t find the same teacher but I did dive deep in to the scriptures. I continue to study. Not everyone will do this or find that path.
I spent 2.5 months in India last year. I found often times that I knew more about some of the stories and deities than many of the Indians I met. It would surprise them (being a 6 foot tall white guy). The beautiful thing is that once they realized I was well studied and cared the energy would shift.
I guess I just can’t help but question if your article helps or hurts the evolution. Perhaps that is not the correct way to look at it – the correct question to ask. But I do think it’ll evolve and perhaps no matter what anyone writes or says it will “mature”. I suppose it’s just part of the process
In the end those that find it and go deep are rewarded. Isn’t that what we all want?
A.G. Mohan wrote a book on Krishnamacharya and in conclusion states that he wishes Krishnamacharya had lived long enough to see how yoga had become so popular in the west. I think he still holds this same view. Though I do wonder what Krishnamacharya would think of that migration today.
all the best,
Doug
Hi Doug,
.
My article is not meant to hurt the evolution of yoga, it’ll evolve in it’s own way irrespective of anything I say or write
What I am trying to do is open a discussion about where yoga has gone and is going in some quarters, particularly from my perspective, growing up Bengali, being exposed to Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism from a very early age. Discussions around Rabindranath Tagore or Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, and Aurobindo’s stance against British imperialism were common in my household. For those of us who come from a spiritual Indian background, this “market yoga” is especially insulting to say the least. It’s just not for all of us.
What *IS* that fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation?
When is yoga not yoga anymore but a a workout?
When does the studio become a cruising bar? Or a temple?
I don’t have any answers to these questions myself but I do think getting this discussion going is a step in the right direction, no? Particularly around these issues of inclusiveness and diversity.
“It’s All Yoga, Baby” posted about a studio in Toronto which will be offering “Brown Girl Yoga” and “Queer Yoga” in an attempt to create space to make all types of persons more comfortable and I applaud the initiative.
http://www.itsallyogababy.com/an-anti-racist-fattransqueer-positive-yoga-studio-kula-yogas-positive-space-initiative/#more-4016
http://www.mykulatoronto.ca/positive-space-initiatives
Cheers!
Liked your post very much and glad I found your blog…thank you.
Thanks for the fix!
I’m not questioning the intent of your article. And certainly if I was that last thing I would insinuate is that your article is intended to hurt the evolution of yoga.
What I’m getting at is I run across articles like this on a regular basis and it makes me simply ask, “is this helping or hurting?”. I suppose it can do both. It can also do neither – it just is.
I get your perspective (at least to the point that my western mind can appreciate). I admire that perspective and hope more will offer and embrace it.
After reading Singleton’s book – Yoga Body – I think is when began to really consider how yoga has evolved in the west. When I was in Mysore last year my friend Sudhama took me to the Shala where Krishnamacharya first taught non-Indians yoga. That experience really made me start to ask questions.
I was surprised by the fact that most Indians are Bhakti yogis and practice no asana. A stark contrast to yoga in America where we are more devoted to our dog than to our spiritual practice! But that is our culture.
In my mind I’ve been trying to piece together the evolution of the migration. In a way I sort of start it the Beatles and their acid trips and searching out (and finding!) for their guru. Could it have began any other way? Considering the era (the 60′s) I’d think not (assuming that was the start). And so from there (I think) it’s morphed and changed. Woo-woo yoga isn’t as popular is it use to be. It’s big time mainstream now. I try not to look! Where will it go next?
I guess I feel like if I can get an idea of where it began and where it is now I have an idea of where it can go. And with that I can begin to ponder the answers to the questions you bring up above in your last post.
No real answers yet but hey…. I’m trying! And I think that perhaps your first question is the one that deserves the most consideration. Though I’m not so sure many that “practice” will ever care to ask.
Doug
I know what you mean about the plethora or articles out there and if they are doing more harm than good. When I read some of the stuff over at Recoveringyogi.com and how jaded and disenchanted people become, I feel like asking,”Well what did you expect – mainstream yoga now is business”
Again, it always returns to intention and asking what do you want to get out of yoga and being honest with yourself about that.
I think the 1960s and the Beatles were huge catalysts in popularizing yoga and TM in the West, but it goes back further. If you get a chance to read “The Razor’s Edge” by W.Somerset Maugham, it’s there as well and in “A Passage to India” by E.M Forster. It started from the very get-go of British rule in India. German Indologists like Max Muller, Heinrich Zimmer (Joseph Campbell’s teacher) and Max Webber also added to the fascination the West had with spiritual India.
There are some contemporary historians like William Dalrymple who are doing truly fantastic work around the deconstruction of the Anglo-Saxon world’s interest in India (not just yoga), if you’re interested. I think another factor that adds fuel to the fire is that fact that many in the West feel that their own organized religions no longer serve them anymore, so there is a spiritual void and want to fill it. For some, it does end up being yoga, for others it’s the shamanistic path. It’s a complicated issue which needs to be examined from all sides.
I am laughing and shaking my head yes! I agree!
However, for me it still is a daily practice on my own, since I can not find a class i can afford and don’t feel like dealing with all the B.S. I teach for free, and believe that getting groups together and meeting in a park/beach and donating a few $ bucks per person is the way to go.
My Yoga studio in Encinitas was paying 5 grand a month for rent, that’s where one of the biggest problem lies. They barely ever broke even.
Get out of the yoga studio and into nature, it’s FREE
thanks for your gift… I enjoyed the laugh this am xoxoxo
I think a lot of your complaints about Yoga are valid. Instead of focusing on the negatives, you should focus on the positive and what makes Yoga great and special to you.
Hi Books,
Of course there are aspects of yoga I love, but as some others have pointed out, my criticisms are mostly around the “scene” which has grown around it and not really yoga itself. It’s hard to get away from that “scene” when that’s what’s largely on the offering.
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“I question the profit-driven, hedonistic aspects which seems to have taken over the subculture”
I haven’t left but I’ve dialed back to my pre 2011 levels for most of the same reasons listed in this outstanding article. FTR, I’m Hispanic so your points about the lack of diversity and the distortion of the ethnic nature of the practice are understood on a deep intuitive level. Here’s hoping that the Westernization of the practice does not destroy it.
There is a reason why I always loved yoga at the gym vs. a studio. I LOVE the physical aspects of the practice. The rest? Not so much even after a year of trying. A year which included teacher training which I knew on paper looked like a logical step after 14 years of practice and hundreds of hours at the studio, on the mat, or reading about yoga. But the deeper I got the more I disliked what I was seeing. The more the apparent hypocrisy and inconsistency appeared. The more illusion turned to disillusion. Ultimately, I didn’t want to become what you are describing in a Western style psuedo-Indian/yogi.
I saw it early on and kept plugging through it hoping that it was my years of cynicism clouding my view. I forked over the hundreds of dollars of dollars for workshops and trainings only to feel like I knew more before I started. I knew what yoga meant when I didn’t know what it was supposed to mean. The term ‘yoga rock star’ repulses me. Sadie Nardini and her ilk , give me a freakin break. Likewise, people who aspire to be them. I was never going to make money in yoga because I never believed that was a place to make money. Therefore, any future career would be doomed if it was to contribute to my livelihood. I couldn’t take money from people to show them something they can do for free for themselves. Most Westerners just want to stretch and breath and move safely. They don’t want the rest. Yet, I kept hearing that unless you got the rest you weren’t doing yoga. Translation, unless you fall in line you aren’t one of ‘us.’ Fine.
Maybe I’m in the inevitable burnout phase. I don’t think so as I only got burned out after trying to take it further than my previous 14 years. I didn’t respect my own boundaries and let ego speak louder than my heart. IF I teach now it will be to family, friends, or coworkers for free or for donation. I’ll never recoup what I’ve spent to get to this point but I also think about how much time, money, and energy I’ll save realizing this before going any further on down what is, for me, an inauthentic path.
So I’ve shut down blog and my feeble attempt to be a yogi with a cool yoga blog. I might start blogging again but not about any one thing. I’m not a one dimensional person and trying to be was killing me. I’ve sold many of the books, tapes, and other things I purchased trying to ‘be the change.’ An action that felt remarkably liberating. No more excessive money will go to yoga. I’m back to my videotapes (now DVDs), gym classes, and the occasional studio Groupon to help keep me grounded in my decision to walk away. Nothing like getting disillusion at a discount…
I will always do yoga but I won’t ever “be” a ‘real’ yogi. That realization feels freakin great! I like my vices including my uncommon but well placed cynicism. I like the imperfections. I like being the real me whether yoga says it’s real or not. Who the fuck are they to judge anyway?
Hi DDAC,
Thank you for catching my drift, you understood exactly where I’m coming from. Judging on the commentary being left on Reddit and Elephant Journal, I think many are misunderstanding me and thinking that I’m critiquing western culture and have some kind of ax to grind against it. I’m not and I don’t. Clearly I’ve hit a nerve.
What I am critiquing is this market-driven yoga, particularly for those of us who still see is as a spiritual practice. I think there are many, many people who go into yoga nowadays because of the relaxing, spiritual aspects it offers, but when you come to loggerheads with this “spa yoga” , the cliques, the posers, the popularity contest, it is a frustrating and disheartening experience. That might explain the burn-out and disillusionment.
As I’ve stated earlier in other comments, I think it really does boil down to what do you want to get out of yoga? A work-out? A meditation? A deeper spiritual life? A new group of friends? A healthier and more self-aware lifestyle? My experience, unfortunately has only shown me that people aren’t asking those deeper questions not nearly as often as they should be asked.
Best,
EER
Thank you for your response. I tend to believe that people who are secure in their practice won’t own others opinions or criticisms of it. I became increasingly insecure in my practice when I felt that it was supposed to fit some sort of yoga culture norm especially for a teacher. My breaking point was when I had to paint my toes for a class. Not because it’s written in a teaching manual but because it’s rather expected that teachers, or studio students for that matter, don’t have unattractive feet. Yet, as a student at a gym class I could show up with a shoddy pedi at my gym class and no one gave a shit. Perhaps this was symbolic or the pretext of something deeper but that was the beginning of the end. It was a visual reminder of what was going on inside and what I didn’t want to admit. I could teach in clearance Kohls yoga wear, I could act my way through a class, I could pontificate with the best of them.
I could not hide and would be judged by my neglected piggies. And avoiding such would mean spending time and energy doing something I don’t do to keep up appearances. Pass.
A View from the UK
I think we can be over-zealous in our encompassing of the guru-mentality and all you criticise, but we can also be over-zealous in our rejection of it. Someone earlier mentioned babies and bathwater and I do support that comment – maybe you need a bit of (old fashioned) English middle-way patience on your side of the pond!
I enjoyed reading your blog, EER*, and think you have struck the right chord to stimulate the debate. No-one will bother responding unless you are at least a little controversial.
I have also enjoyed reading all the comments in their varied views.
In UK we do not have so many flashy and expensive yoga studios – though there are the expensive celebrity ones for those who choose to afford them and seek that lifestyle. If it works for them then let them do it.
Most of my practice has been in studios and village halls where sweat is the garb of choice as we progress through the primary series of astanga. The largest classes were some years ago with John Scott at the homoeopathic hospital where he, with other teachers, lead a ‘Mysore style’ practice every weekday morning for just a few pounds. Even then it was probably no more than 40 at most.
All my other regular practice has been in groups of 10 to 20 except for the occasional weekend workshop where there will be a few more – often controlled by the size of the hall.
I am also a complementary therapist in bodywork so I do not appreciate the hard-knocks school of Astanga. My take is that when my energy is focussed my muscle will follow – it won’t work the other way round. So the practice is, in my words, ‘down to earth’. No gurus, just good teachers who can teach me yoga and guide me through that practice. I am not looking for them to guide the rest of my life – that is for me, with support from other teachers in their skills. If my yoga teacher has an affair with someone, I don’t blame yoga for it.
I came to yoga originally at the age of 36 in 1984, through Derek Ireland and Radha. Derek was/is considered a guru of astanga by some but he was just a normal guy with good and bad points. So what? He is dead now so that leads some, including those who never met him, to idolise him. Fine, so what?
Currently, I practice in a couple of studios that are crowded if 15 of us turn up for the same class. And not a shred of lycra to be seen. And not many Asian faces either, I have to agree.
I recently spent three months in Bhopal, India working with people still suffering from the after-effects of the gas explosion and there I could not find a teacher! In the clinic they use yoga as part of the Ayurvedic treatment protocol, though many of your students probably would not recognise it as yoga. Rather like the man in that lovely video – they are using it to help people heal. No gurus there, but 100% Asian! And of all religious persuasions. Apart from that, the normal working individual hardly knows of yoga, and rarely knows anyone who practices it.
If someone is looking for their guru – in yoga or whatever, then, if it helps them, let it be. If it hurts them then be a friend and talk to them. But let them go their own way as there may be something they may learn. All ways are not your way.
So I will continue to practice in my way. First asana, on the mat. Second asana, focus my energy. Third asana, calm my breath. Then move through my practice. It brings what it brings and each practice is different. A body workout? Yes. A meditation? Yes. A brain rest? Certainly.
The primary focus into the eight limbs may vary but isn’t the final result (if there ever can be one) the same? And it is fine that others have different ideas. That is what makes it delicious!
Thanks for stimulating these thoughts. Much love to all of you.
Ian Jarvis
(* I DO hate these pseudonyms, is everyone scared of being who they are?)
Hi Ian,
Thanks for commenting and I agree with most of what you write. I’m guess you are visiting from the Elephant journal link? I’m quite surprised at the vitriolic reaction I received there, particularly the anti-white racist bigot thinly-veiled accusations. Like downdogandcats had posted there, those reactions are quite indicative of why yoga may self-destruct in the West, or at least in North America anyway. My critique is really not about yoga itself, it’s really about the cultural paraphernalia which seems to have sprung up around it.
I think most of my reaction has to do with yoga within the North American context, most European, Asian and South American yoga practitioners that I’ve met seem much more level-headed in my opinion and there may be because there are cultural differences at play. I don’t know. That’s not to say that there aren’t genuine and well-meaning yogis in the US, but I have a sinking feeling that because of the whole trendy-let’s-make-serious-money-off-of-this-mentality, yoga has gone in that direction also. Things happening south of the border come up here very quickly, unfortunately that also includes that rock-star, spa-yoga bullshit.
I think the initiatives that you speak of like your experience in Bhopal does show that it’s a question of digging a bit deeper and finding these sorts of more authentic and genuine outlets for yoga. I mean maybe there should be something like “Yogis Without Borders”? I think that would be wonderful if yoga instructors showed up in a place like Bhopal and worked with victims from the disaster.
Cheers!
“Yogis without Borders” – I like that. Made me chuckle.
And in the clinic they do actually need a new yoga teacher (ideally with ayurveda skills and health experience – and Hindi) as the one I knew is expecting a baby soon. Maybe I’ll see you out there when I next visit.
(On a serious note you can read more about Bhopal and my experience on my website – you have the url from my registration.)
Yes, I did discover you from that link, and I think I found that via astangayoga.inf or something – it is easy to mislay the track!
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This is a great documentary which is very much connected to the article!
Thanks Aras, very pertinent! I’ve been looking for this for a while now.
I just read this, VERY TRUE. That’s why I do Yoga at home alone and in peace with the help of some dvds and some online websites.
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My experience with yoga teachers that I have practiced with is quite different from yours, however, I would tend to agree with your overall observations. One of my yoga teachers was one of my meditation teachers who taught the teachings of Pra Rajadhamma Jetiyajarn (originally from Thailand, living in Canada).
I tried a couple different types of yoga but I never really found what I was looking for in the practices. I studied shamanism and had a greater connection to that. Interestingly enough I found a new practice and I have shared this practice with my friends and my yoga teachers and the yoga teachers love this practice.
The teacher, Ratu Bagus, refers to it as yoga and meditation. It is called Bio-energy shaking meditation. This practice has become very popular in Europe but has been slow to grow in North America.
As you have noted many North Americans have a greater focus on material things than developing their spiritually. It is not easy to choose a spiritual path and there can be many difficult periods during the journey. There is a saying “that when the student is ready the teacher will appear” Hopefully, many of the people that have been drawn to yoga because it is the “it” thing to do will find the true meaning of the practice and will find that new teacher. I have finally found the practice that helps me connect with the “I AM” and it took nearly 12 years for my teacher to appear.
Remember the people who irritate us are often our greatest teachers as they are mirroring what needs to be healed in us and we need to be grateful.
Shirley
if it is and always will be health benefits that attracted you and maintain your interest in yoga, why do you care about the rest? go and get what you say you want. the rest is there. to find it, you will have to allow it to exist. my guru, mata amritanandamayi is quite authentic! there is nothing pseudo-spiritual about her or the sadhana she teaches. and i see so many indians at her feet! it is quite beautiful and inspiring.
i totally agree with your view about yoga branching out into areas that are not congruent with the teachings.
the power and energy of the sanskrit language is immense! this can not die! it is eternal! perhaps spending some consistent time with a mantra, 10 to 20 years, will convince you of this. perhaps it will never happen. regardless, because you have not had an experience with the power of the language does mean it has no value, you speak of your heritage and culture yet you have no problem eliminating this integral part of it!
bikram choudhury is not someone i have much respect for! all he has to do is open his mouth and you can hear for yourself what he really thinks! no thanks.
thank you for haring your thoughts! you are right on target with so much of what you say!
sorry, namaste!!
Congrats on having this piece published in Elephant Journal. Certainly got the conversation going again!
Thanks W&G! Did you see some of the commentary there? I stopped responding because so much of it was accusing me of being a racist or with “issues around culture”. Methinks I have hit a nerve of sorts…
It has gotten a little heavy. Some missed the fundamental points of your valid argument. Anyway we are all entitled to our opinions and articles are subject to interpretation. Keep on writing though!
Here’s a classic comment I received today by someone named Natalie:
“I had to walk away for a while to figure out my thoughts on this. I’ve been practicing for 8 years, have taught and stopped teaching. I too left the yoga scene where I lived in the US because it no longer fit with what I wanted (too much lululemon for my taste). For me, yoga is prayer – sanskrit, english, whatever. Intention is what counts. I’ve found a studio in Amsterdam where I live now where yoga is, once again, prayer.
Your post is negative. I had to walk away because there was too much negativity, anger, I don’t know. I don’t feel angry myself, I feel sad. Taking the time to write this kind of thing where you’re basically just criticizing and negative on a whole general level, it’s not good for you or for anyone. I believe in the energy we spread around us with thoughts, words, actions, intentions. You know, where people are is where they are, but we are all doing the best we can wherever we are. Some days that best kind of sucks, but you live and let live.
I almost want to say you owe people an apology not so much for what you wrote but for the negativity you added into the world.”
Your “blog”" is negative. It is full of judgement and criticisms. I personally find zero merits behind a hot yoga practice but if that is what suits you so be it. I find it interesting that you allude to numerous postings in which you are taken to task about your elitism’s but I don’t find any of them on the page. It must be convenient to manipulate your environment so that you only have those postings that ultimately sooth your ego be the posting that are available for viewing. I say to you, return to your mat and revisit one of the basic principles of yoga – ACCEPTANCE. Namaste (from a white, freckled face, fat woman who loves henna tattoos, saris and bhindis)
progessingenlightenment, I don’t understand why I would need to post the comments from EJ here when they are already posted somewhere else. I posted your comment, no problem. I will not however post comments which accuse me of being a racist or some sort of bigot with “issues around white people”. If you want to have a calm and civilized discussion on cultural appropriation, the state of commercialized yoga, I’d welcome that. If people want to throw slurs at me and ad hominem attacks, I don’t see how posting that is constructive in any meaningful way or conducive to starting a respectful discussion?
wow. ok….. I guess like everything it’s open to interpretation but that’s not how I read your piece. I thought you were quite diplomatic, and didn’t bring into the argument any tricky topics that you weren’t educated on -like the reference to Indians and yogas heritage- since you are after all Indian (or have Indian heritage, correct?) Unfortunately when we open ourselves up and express ourselves in any way (as a teacher, writer, blogger, whatever) there will always be criticism and misinterpretation of our words. Like I said, keep doing what you are doing. You push the envelope with all that you write about, but I for one get a lot out of it. Bliss and Bless.
Let me preface this by saying that I agree with a lot of what you’re saying.
But that example you gave of the girl assuming all Indians know each other and have the same beliefs/cultures/whatever? Well… hate to say it, but you’re just like that girl if you’re going to assume the entire white/western yoga world all has the same intentions, beliefs, actions, etc.
Isn’t what you’re accusing the yoga world of doing true of any “spriritual movement” or “religion” or “philosophy”? the origins may be valid, great and beautiful, but man (by “man” I mean humans of both sexes) goes in there and effs it all up and tries to get rich off the gullible. It doesn’t make the original philosophy any less beautiful.
That being said, I stepped into a Bikram class once and hated it. HATED. That’s a pretty strong assessment from someone who’s pretty willing to try any physical activity at least once and many styles of yoga. But there was something about the teacher, maybe (he was extremely condescending – even though I was new to Bikram and respect that every style of yoga does things slightly differently, I already had completed a 200hr teaching certification at that point so I knew enough to know it wasn’t me, it was him). I don’t usually hate things that are harmless that strongly but he really left a bad aftertaste, and once I learned more about Bikram himself I felt even more strongly against it.
Still, I do not hate yoga. It has helped me physically, emotionally, and mentally more than anything else except perhaps running. I rarely teach yoga anymore – but the last time I did, it was for (mostly) minority urban high school students (for free). By the way, I studied computer science at an engineering university so I’m very well-versed in the many different flavors of the Indian continent.
Confession: I am white. And middle class. I like Indian food (I also like Italian, Portuguese, Latin American, Chinese, Japanese, and probably every type of food there is as long as it’s done right). I also used to dance bhangra pretty regularly. Not because I’m trying to pass myself off as Indian or try to appropriate the culture wholesale (no offense, but I do like my own background and culture) but because it was fun. And despite my lack of coordination I got pretty damn good at it. (By the way, the instructor was Indian. As were several of the students).
I do not however, follow any “gurus” or go on retreats (too expensive! not to mention cult-like) and I don’t plan on converting to Hinduism or changing my name to something Sanskrit for the same reason I don’t really follow any particular Christian “leader” or the Pope. Though again, I do like Sanskrit. But I also like Latin. So there you go.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I understand your point, but you’re painting the yoga world with a pretty wide brush when in actuality it’s pretty fractured and varied.
Hi Nora,
I’m addressing the “spa yoga” part of the community because that’s where a large part of my experience has been based. I know the community is extremely diverse and wide and I’m actually looking for a community which resonates more with me.
My beef isn’t about “white people” doing yoga as some of the commentators over at EJ have insinuated, it’s really about the cultural misappropriation and commercialization going on in certain quarters because it’s trendy and very current.
Thanks for taking the time out to reply
You say you want a calm, civilized discussion about appropriations of culture and the commercialized state of yoga. This is not the tone nor the sentiment behind your writings. Do you not wonder in the slightest if perhaps your article does have elitest overtones? That you are placing yourself in the role of judge and jury. To ignore input that you don’t agree with is tantamount to saying that you are perfect with no room for growth. As the saying goes “if the shoe fits wear it” in other words if enough persons felt your article was negative, racist and judgemental maybe you should take a step back and explore the possibility that there is some truth behind those statements. Your valid points about the propensity of humans, in general, to exploit anything for personal financial gains is lost due to your sweeping demeaning generalization which seem to be focused on Caucasians. I will happily try to repost my original reply to your blog in which I address most of your assertions regarding citizens of the USA. Will this or the dropsy make the “cut”?
Do you perhaps think the reason why so many people are reacting negatively are because most of them are white and someone has finally decided to call them out on A) White Privilege B) Entitlement C) A cultural history of appropriation and gross distortion of other cultures? Do you think perhaps a nerve, which until recently went unnoticed, has finally been hit?
I’d encourage you to read “Orientalism” by Edward Said and understand how far back the roots of this sort of cultural imperialism goes back. Old wine in new bottles. I could post the many,many private emails I received from Indians and Caucasians alike who expressed that they were happy someone finally decided to open this can of worms, but I won’t because I don’t have their permission and quite frankly I don’t see why I would need to.
I’m sorry if my anger and my article causes you such discomfort and rancor but it’s very clear that I’m not criticizing yoga itself, I’m criticizing the false community and plastic culture which has sprung up around it.
I’m not criticizing Caucasians practicing yoga, I’m criticizing the North American version of it inc ertain quarters. I’ve practiced yoga in other Caucasian countries in South America and Europe, and the “scene” is NOTHING like the way it is in the States and Canada. I hope you can see that.
Do I think I’m perfect? Far from it. We’re all on journeys of our own. As for my alleged racism, judgmental attitude and negativity, I’ll ask the white branch and Japanese branch of my family along with my white friends if they ever got it from me.
Check out some of these other websites as to understand and see why some people from other cultures get a little upset when they see gross misrepresentations taking place.
http://newagefraud.org/
http://theangryblackwoman.com/required-reading/
Once again you come out firing away at “white” ethnic groups with a huge focus on the USA and Canada. Neither country has a corner on the market for exploitation or appropriation of cultures, food, philosophies, etc.
I grew up in South America in the middle of the jungle and as a result have very different view points than most citizen of the US. However I also take umbrage when individuals, who enjoy the freedoms this country has to offer, think that it is appropriate to make blanket disrespectful assertion.
I beg you to address the fact that industries in India think nothing of pirating technology from anyone and using it for their own personal gain. This includes the current obssession with yoga and anything involving yoga. Who is wrong here? The shallow, short sighted neophyte or the calculating, selfish mercenary?
You refer to the “plastic culture” that has infiltrated the yoga community and take all the gullible individuals to task for believing any and everything they read, see or hear but isn’t it better to have yoga introduced into mainstream living than not at all? Granted there are aspects, individuals and application that are being introduced merely for personal gain but if someone is truly motivated to gain the benefits of a regular yoga practice they have greater access to information than wa s available in the past. I just feel that you could have approached the subject in a less incriminating manner with a greater application of yoga principles the most important being non -judgement, non-harming and acceptance.
As stated before your basic message is lost in the rancorous verbiage of your blog. A great shame since you have some very valid points about the commercialism surrounding the introduction of anything proverbially “new ” to the general public.
I appreciate you taking the time to engage in this discussion and hope that my observations are not merely brushed aside. I have read the links you provided and take the points you offer to heart and ask the same of you. Ultimately I think we agree that as a discipline, yoga has much to offer and.it is very personal as well. I wish you peace on your journey and honor the light you offer the world
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Hello there. Just found this vibrant discussion after my first elephant journal link – glad I was able to read it without the subscription! While I’m a recently qualified hot yoga teacher, and am slowly working my own path in this world, I wasn’t sure what kind of article I was getting into, but it hits the nail on the head. Practical discussion and real observations are what’s going on on this blog, and that’s knowing things for what they really are.
I don’t have much to contribute, but on my own ‘yogic’ path – stemmed from finding tai-chi and moving meditations to heal a childhood of mental and physical pain – I also feel that before I go straight into the deep end of veganism, fasting, or swallowing cotton rolls for cleansing, I like to know the purpose and necessity for such actions in my own life, and how these actions will go beyond me and make larger changes in the world.
I was trained in hot yoga in the beautiful land of sunshine, cars and dollar signs – Long Island. Now, I won’t hate on it too much, because I have had interactions with some of the most truly lovely people there who have taught me many valuable life lessons. Dharma Mittra also holds affordable, truly insightful classes, and is known to be quite the guru. However, on ritzy-ditzy L.I. it’s very easy to spot yogis and yoginis who are not getting the point. Whether it’s coming to class after a botox session, or going out for ‘liquid lunch’ after classes (i.e. boozing, not juices) it’s hard to watch the Xanax nation keeping up their bad habits, when they need to let yoga do its job!
I like the mention of Americans needing that extra kick in the behind from Hot Yoga because, personally, it’s probably true! Myself, along with so many Americans weren’t raised, or were too depressed, and/or stuck up our own egos in too-cool-for-school smoking to actually challenge ourselves physically. Running up mountains, climbing, or being encouraged to stay active in physical activity (or any hobby) sometimes doesn’t happen very well in suburbia, or the 5 boroughs. Enough of the pity party though, doing any yoga, heated or not, gets you out of your own head – the heat just helps. (On a side note: I have been to a handful of Bikram classes, and while they’ve got the smelly heat, it’s not about being yelled at in yoga).
Lastly, it’s a shame that hot yoga is so expensive, probably because of heating costs, it’s good to remember how lucky some are to be able to get that heat at all! Now living in Yorkshire, UK, my yoga goals are always persistent, but always changing. Here, with a small home studio, (that is very difficult to get ‘hot’ in the year round coolness and lack on insulation) and classes for only £5, I can’t even drag most people into a once a week routine. I do know, however, that many peoples wages go towards cheap food and frequent pub visits – with plenty of rounds and vodka red bulls. Where bacon and sausage on bread is a normal daily breakfast, and eggs and cheese are in most veggie meals – keeping the path of normal healthy eating full of fresh fruits and veg is very challenging. I don’t like to judge and often don’t attack anyone’s lifestyle outright, because I too have had all the deliciously bad habits in my life, but I find there are some cases where some tough love needs to wake people up, and other times when we need to be compassionate to ourselves, but overall be honest and truthful about reality.
Hope I didn’t blab about unrelated things, but thank you very much for such a provocative article. I like the cultural points as well. (At the yoga parties, I wasn’t given a bindi, and I didn’t want to be a poser by wearing one – although saris and bindis on Indian women are very beautiful).
Cheers, keep up the interesting thoughts. x
By the by, usually when people get ‘offended’, it’s because they have a strong sense of ego to ‘defend’. I do yoga, am a white American, not super well off, but I get it. I was not offended by your article, but was almost expecting to be : D
Hi A.M
Thank you for “getting it”, you’re quite correct that people go on the defensive if they perceive a threat or challenges to their own status quo. The article was not written in a spirit of threatening others so I’m fairly sure the mudslinging is mostly about projection, the projecting about something about themselves on to me and the article which clearly pushed those raw nerves in them. Those are their issues, not mine.
Thank you also for sharing your story about your own yogic journey. Like all journeys, there are surprises, pitfalls and unexpected surprises, it’s just the nature of the beast. Since you are in the UK now, I’m sure you’ll pick up the differences in culture from Long Island fairly quickly! The UK also has a fairly large South Asian population of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, though I’m not sure how involved they are in the yoga community there. If you’re looking for support, try to get in touch with Bill Feeney and Fiona Agombar. I have heard nothing but fantastic things about them and they stayed at my first spiritual teacher and guide’s hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey.
Good luck!
Cool. Thanks for that. How interesting to find that Fiona Agombar happens to be doing a specialist yoga retreat in Yorkshire – where I live, for MS. That would be helpful to broaden the understanding of yoga and it’s purpose to a larger audience. I find that people here are either really fit and able, or really would have to reverse years of certain lifestyle habits to really see, or become aware of different changes in mind, willpower and health. Always moving forward..
When you close your eyes and think of “the capitalist system of profit” do you “see nothing but a sea of white faces”? LoL You didn’t see all this coming to Yoga like back in the 90s?
Found your excellent blog through your Yoga article and wanted to say thank you. You nailed it. I find it amusing how many of the comments were about the exceptions disproving the rule (“our studio is DIFFERENT!”). I dropped out of a Jivamukti Teacher’s Training last year when a “celebrity” teacher from New York came up to teach us “Planetary Chanting” promising us the chance to “taste the flavor of divinity”.
What turned me off most was the self-justifying, narcissistic belief that Yoga could be ANYTHING you wanted it to be. Seemed to me that when something could be anything, it was by definition no-thing….
Hi Claude,
Generally things which are the most bland and vacuous are subject to being interpreted as anything you want it to be OR projected with any “meaning” you want it to have. It’s the same with many celebrities and politicians who deliberately stay away from controversy and avoid taking firm and definitive staces on anything and usually stick to the approved script and say the blandest, most banal generalities. What they say can then mean basically anything you want it to mean or wish it to mean.
Yea man, but similarly, life and ‘life purpose’ is just the same. It can be anything you want it to be, or it can be nothing, it can be bland, it can be bold: whatever you like. Either way, you gotta work for it. Be true to yourself, and what you reflect will be true.
Yeah man I hear you and I hear that line of thinking a lot but I guess anything can be anything you want it to be – like language or dance or as you say, life itself. And while your interpretation and expression of these things may be your unique truth, without formal structure to ground it and give it context, it often devolves into mish-mash gibberish. Or have you noticed ?
I love this….everyone has a point! I started doing yoga almost six years ago and a few months into it, stumbled upon an Anusara yoga workshop and totally fell in love with the philosophy of this tradition. I am a Malaysian Chinese practising Tibetan Buddhism, so I am most familiar with the teachings. I love my practice and am grateful for the opportunity to study his beautiful teaching. As all of you here know what happened to the Anusara founder, I am now convinced that the term ‘yoga’ has been abused by the many! It is a shame, really and I do thank you though for posting and sharing your thoughts and observations. Its been enlightening to read all of your experiences here..all who have shared!
I read your post on Elephant Journal, and I just wanted to say, rock
on, you are such a badass! I laughed my ass off the whole way through,
and even more so when I saw the blow back on the comments section,
coming largely from the kinds of people you were critiquing. I’ve been
so frustrated with new age white followers of other new age white
pseudo gurus, and it is especially annoying when they try to censure
you for being “judgmental” when you critique them for pimping out
things they don’t understand. Not that I’m an expert on yoga or
meditation, either, but I know a fraud when I see one.
Anyhow, just wanted to let you know that the post was awesome! Thank you!
Hi,EER, I’m happy to find you. I am Diana, I am from Romania, and I am on my way to ascension since 2010, when I woke up to the truth. I also have a blog where I write to people about spiritual matters and try to support them, cause this is a part of my mission in this life.
I feel you with this post. Yoga is a sacred practice for the spirit, and for the body – but through the spirit as well. It’s about finding yourself into the peace and silence of your moments of practice and finding your energetic balance and your healing grace to the yoga positions. It’s a way to reconnect to your greater self and to the divine as well. People, most of them, don’t understand yoga. it became so commercial, so fancy, so misunderstood and fake…theiy have distorted it’s real meaning and turned it into something superficial. I read the autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda and I’ve understood the true meaning of Kryia Yoga. I think that the indian culture is holding the secrets of the spiritual enlightening through the practice of yoga and of meditation. The indian culture is so rich in spirituality! It must be studied with much awareness and understood corectly, and not modified. Any modification alterates its sacred secrets. You are trully blessed to have indian blood in your veins, cause I am sure that you also have the energetic line with the wisdom of your ancesters.
Be blessed kind spirit, and continue to bring the Light to our beloved Earth!
Namaste!
Diana
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Very valid points, especially on the accessibility of Yoga to people who really need it. I guess the next question is will there be yogis who are willing to not join the flashy world of yoga and do the work that is less rewarding financially to help those who can truly benefit from the true essence of Yoga.
fatyogitoes, I can hardly envision some of the yogalebrities like Elena Brower, Colleen Saideman, Rodney Yee, John Friend or Sadie Nardini going out of there to volunteer their time and teach yoga on a REGULAR AND PERMANENT BASIS to underprivileged or under-represented populations like inner-city kids, welfare moms, abused women in shelters or half-way houses, returning war vets from Iraq or Afghanistan suffering from PTSD or neglected senior citizens wasting away in old folks homes. There’s no money in it (and no glam or a Hollywood celebrity clientele).
Plus to be quite frank, I really don’t get the impression that any of them have the emotional depth and spiritual maturity and interpersonal skills to deal with such sensitive groups and issues. Can you imagine John Friend at Walter Reed Military Medical Center teaching and doing yoga with male Iraq War vets who are double amputees? They’d rather give their time at some crappy corporate event like GLBL Yoga and hope the donations goes to some charity and the charity can go do the dirty work and deal with the unwashed masses on their behalf. They’d rather stay cloistered in their Long Island or Encinitas affluent enclaves and OM the rest of the world away from them.
IMHO, I think it’s going to be yoga activists, people who are truly dedicated and can see and understand the healing capacity of yoga, who will make those inroads. They will be the bulwark in making yoga accessible to all.
Reblogged this on fatyogitoes and commented:
Very valid points raised by a fellow yogi. It was exactly how I felt lying down in Savasnana after 2 Yoga classes yesterday…has Yoga today completely lost its heart/ essence?
Love it, thank you for your article. I’d say one little thing, when I travel to a country where I don’t speak the language, it’s convenient that the names of the poses “are what they are”. Ballet was invented in France so, no matter where you go, the names of the steps are the same so, when I started practicing yoga, I just accepted that the poses had names, albeit from a dead language, that I’d understand no matter where I go in the world. But I hear you, boy do I hear you. Again, great article!
Hi Renee,
I agree about using the terminology from it’s original language, it’s in Latin dance as well. tango and flamenco especially. My beef is about the use of Sanskrit for fake made-up names like Blissananda of for marketing campaigns or promoting a specific product.
I agree with this almost totally with the small caveat that while it is as disconnected from the Western version as much as the rest of yoga, there is an Indian tradition of sexual and drug related practice related to yoga. It also involves a lot of death symbolism (up to living in charnel grounds covered in the ashes of the dead) the fact that these actions are taboo is a big part of the point of these Indian practices.. They end up in their distorted Torm in the western “yoga” through being appropriated by Alistier Crowley 19th century magician and scam artist, as well as other British Occultists.
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for writing. Yes, I am aware of that form of tantricism within yoga. Much of it is unfortunately misinterpreted in the West and you end up with what George Feuerstein calls “California Tantra”.
I touch on it in this blog post:
http://earthenergyreader.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/magick-addicts-vampires-and-sex/
mmm… it’s unfortunate when the elements of human suffering invade an inherent spiritual practice. greed, hatred and delusion. In this article the author targets those aspects strongly with the Western civilization, which in truth seems to exude negativity the strongest upon this planet. Does she think to examine the source of what she perceives, which is the self?
Further, weakening language is weakening that of which we speak. In this case, “Yoga”. i believe yoga encompasses all area of life (and death, for that matter). Yoga does not start in the classroom and end at the classroom. It is a way of being, of opening our minds and hearts, freeing our spirits. What about the ‘yoga’ of making a cup of tea, or going skateboarding?
I view the western introduction to the Sacred as extremely beneficial. Maybe if we shift our perceptions as such will strengthen that betterment process. Please, i ask her, leave the “scene” get rid of the “life style”, for Yoga is not this.
and maybe, after 8 years of practice, she’d feel confident to her own drop in, by donation classes open to ALL.
peace
I agree with a lot of the original article that the “business of yoga” is truly an oxymoron in and of itself, and that this process of commoditizing (and modification of the practices for the sake of find new market niches) the process of self-discovery, healing, and reconnection is unfortunate. However, I think it is a necessary evil because it gets to reach greater amounts of people. What I take issue with is the author giving up on yoga and claiming we are all being duped. A major point that is being missed here (and I only read a few of the comments, so maybe it has been discussed) is that yoga is a very personal journey, and its true a few bad experiences can turn even the most enthusiastic student off, it is your journey to take and explore. Lets not be so myopic, I think this is just a phase for yoga as it reaches more and more people, like everything that gains mainstream popularity, theres going to sectarianism and divisiveness because everyone feels the need to be right, and get paid, and all that. But, even if all this hoopla surrounding styles and methodology and guruism benefits 1 out of every 100 people, then perhaps it is worth it, no? I got into asana practice after doing a vipassana meditation retreat. My physical practice has greatly benefited my meditation and my overall well-being. Awareness, breath, strength, integrity, intention, reconnection to spirit. These are worthwhile endeavours to me and what yoga helps me achieve. This is a great discussion to be having, nonetheless, so I that the author and other commentors for piping up.
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Reblogged this on Jumakation and commented:
First time I’m reblogging something, but i love this. And mind you, there are major benefits of yoga! Thankfully, there is donation-based yoga provided by community members of Long Beach that takes place on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean – with a diverse range of participants. Exercise doesn’t have to be a luxury, or a privilege.
Hi there,
Really enjoyed this article, it’s reassuring to find someone actually writing about these issues. I’m a Western woman from Scotland and I’m worried in case this bizarre Yoga scene spreads over here. I’ve been learning about Yoga through the ‘official’ Yoga community in Scotland. They are unpretentious and welcoming. It’s very fun and light hearted.
However, I completely agree with the class division. The price for Yoga classes is astonishing. The people I have met through Yoga are mainly middle/upper class white women and their mostly retired. I sometimes feel a little frustrated that I can’t attend a regular class due to financial reasons and I’m sure I’m not the only one
Cheers,
warm regards,
Roisin
I think most of the problems here are because people are looking for a social thing with people who are “like them”. I do yoga by myself because I know that most spiritual groups are full of shit, I have to sit listening to old women talk about their fear of snakes being a karmic residue of a past life, makes me want to puke. I have had private lessons with a teacher. Yoga is supposed to be personal. I think if you even think there should be a ‘yoga scene’ then your part of the problem. I think Isha foundation is good though. I learned Shambhavi from them. They’ve never hassled me and the practice is dynamite. All the emphasis is on doing your home practice. Maybe they do weird stuff together in private but the techniques I’ve learned from them have been excellent and extremely well taught. The British Wheel of Yoga think is ok but it’s quite divorced from spirituality. Whenever I go to that stuff it irritates me because I feel it’s trying to be too palatable. I think it’s a bit sort of arrogant to assume that you know what to expect, and their classes try to cater to that arrogance under the guise of not being too extreme. Just my two cents.
I think your accusations and statements could not be less “Yogi”. Yes, the real meaning of yoga has definitely been lost in the Western Society, but maybe thats because many people in the West are not educated by the Indian people to set it straight. Im from Canada and we have so many Indian Immigrants, you would think that instead of “making fun of the westerners behind their backs”, they could teach them the real way of Yoga and what its all about. I am a certified yoga teacher and I have always been more interested in the culture, history and spiritual side of yoga rather than the “work out” aspect of it. So please dont generalize. I also get annoyed by the lack of education and the fact that its becomming a trend. But, that just motivates me to teach! Teaching yoga is not just about the asanas, but teaching the real meaning behind it as well. Maybe you should stop being so jaded, maybe be a little more yogi, and worry about your own yoga journey rather than what others are doing. I genuinely hope that the majority of your Indian brothers and sisters dont share the same views, as I find them to be judgemental and it sounds like you think you are inferior to the western society. Its upsetting to me that instead of embracing the interest Westerners have taken to your culture, instead you mock them for trying. Way to show acceptance, the way we have shown your culture by welcoming you into our country with open arms. Good luck.
“the way we have shown your culture by welcoming you into our country with open arms.”
First of all it’s not “your” country, North America is Red continent, not a white one and “Canada” is a constructed nation-state based on Eurocentric ideas and imperialistic expansion. Please don’t play the “gracious host” for something which wasn’t your’s to “give” in the first place and then try acting nice about it. If anything, your comment shows up your own inherent and internalized racism vis a vis Indian immigrants. Go check out the “Decolonizing Yoga” faceBook page. And you completely misread my post, it’s not about me thinking Indians are “inferior to the western society”, it’s about the lack of diversity in the scene and the annoying pseudo-spiritual posers who populate it.
LUUUUVE your initial article and love this answer.
so refreshing!!! and true. keep them coming 
Thanks for sharing: D
I really like!
Interesting post and resulting discussion. While I agree with some of your points, I think a few things need to be brought into perspective. I’ve been practicing yoga for years, but I don’t get caught up in the marketing trend of naked/candlelight/hot yoga. I do it for what it brings me mentally and physically.
Getting worked up about others is an ego thing – I personally couldn’t care less what others are doing with their practice(Sanskrit, Hindu names, Indian jewelry and clothing). I think it brings Indian culture to the forefront and why not – hopefully that results in less racism and more knowing of the culture if not outright understanding.
It seems to me that you’re outraged on behalf of your culture and feel that it’s being bastardized – I can understand that, but that Indans are scamming people for money and laughing behind Caucasian people’s backs – that to me shows a lack on the part of Indians – it’s nothing to brag about. Just another ignorant behaviour that if it was a Westerner doing it would be considered atrocious. Right? Not to mention how many Indians are scamming their own kind. Just as their are marketing trends here in the Western world, there is similar trends in other places.
Before you get angry – please note I’m brown too. I have numerous friends who are non-Indian and practice in an authentic way. I think surrounding yourself with the right people is key. Then all this other stuff just becomes silly and you do what you can to right the misinterpretations and practice authentically.
As one of the other readers noted, people that are drawn to the practice are the ones who most likely need it, hence the majority that you see in your community. I would hate to see something this beautiful and healing being kept a ‘secret’ and not be shared just because they aren’t practicing it ‘right’.
Things aren’t always done traditionally and I think that there are definitely some people that go overboard – that’s just them. Name change, eating habits and egos can clash and it creates a toxic environment instead of something real. I had never heard of rave yoga until your post.
I will end this by saying there are many Indians teaching and learning yoga, tantra etc. It isn’t exclusive to ‘non-Indians’.
Glad you started this discussion.
Hi Nazima,
Thanks for your comments.
Back and forth:
“Getting worked up about others is an ego thing – I personally couldn’t care less what others are doing with their practice(Sanskrit, Hindu names, Indian jewelry and clothing). I think it brings Indian culture to the forefront and why not – hopefully that results in less racism and more knowing of the culture if not outright understanding.”
Getting worked up about others, in this case, is really about cultural appropriation and cultural imperialism. The West has a long and ugly history of doing this, especially with respect to using the marketplace to do this for economic ends. Why is it inappropriate for a Caucasian to say wear a burka or hijab or an African mumu to something like the Oscars but it’s perfectly Ok for Selena Gomez to spot a bindhi at a show or Madonna showing up at the Grammy’s in a sari? Why is it OK to appropriate some cultures and not others? While I am completely for respectful cultural exchange and understanding, wearing the ethnic dress and taking on the mannerisms of ethnic groups is really a political act, even if the intention isn’t so. And to say well what about non-whites wearing jeans and T-shirts? It’s NOT the same thing. I’m going to quote Lakshi Nair who left a comment when this article was posted on Elephant Journal:
“Indians wear jeans and t-shirts because globalization means that jeans and t-shirts signify assimilation into a globalized (read Westernized) culture. But why do westerners wear saris? To look exotic. There’s a big difference between trying to assimilate and trying to stand out as unique, right? I mean, why hasn’t any Hollywood starlet worn a burqa to the Oscars? Or a hanbok? Or a buckskin dress? Or any other kind of culturally specific ethnic wear? Why sari? Because other communities might make a hoo-ha over their cultures being appropriated. Because Indian things being stripped of their Indian-ness is so commonplace, no one blinks.”
“that Indans are scamming people for money and laughing behind Caucasian people’s backs – that to me shows a lack on the part of Indians – it’s nothing to brag about. Just another ignorant behaviour that if it was a Westerner doing it would be considered atrocious. Right? Not to mention how many Indians are scamming their own kind.”
By no means am I placing no blame on Indians at all. There are scam artists everywhere. My intention was to alert people to that fact that brown doesn’t automatically equate to authentic and that are just as many snake oil salesmen in the yoga/guru Indian world as there are in the Western New Age movement. I mean we only need to look at what’s happening with the Bikram Choudhury cae to see that.
“Have you considered those Indian people that immigrate to the Western countries and change their names(Paul, Dave, Karen, Jenny)? Why is this not mocked and a non-Indian choosing to take an Indian name or wear ethnic stuff is?”
Most of the Indians I’ve met who have changes their names to Western ones were either Christian Indians or those who did it to get ahead professionally. Let’s face it, your CV or resume will probably have a higher chance of being considered for a job in Salt Lake City, Utah if your name is say Peter MacPherson over say, Parthasarathi Thuraisingham. My personal opinion is that the practice is horrible, cultural heritages should be worn on your sleeve and celebrated but racism, exclusion and their economic effects are realities for visible minorities everywhere.
I’ve have also seen many teens of Indian-subcontinental backgrounds especially in Toronto, try to come across as African-American, wearing the pants down to their knees and taking on African-American turns of speech and so on. I’m not talking about Indians from the West Indies, like Trinidadians and those from Jamaica, but rather those whose parents came direct from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Southern India. Is that them paying homage to another culture? Is it them trying to fit in once they realise the don’t feel comfortable or will never fit in the white community? I don’t know but to not acknowledge that there are real power dynamics at work as well as an insiduous form of racism when cultural appropriation takes place lessens all of us.
http://thebabarazzi.com/2012/10/25/is-de-culturing-yoga-an-act-of-good-faith-or-a-promotion-of-xenophobic-ideology-a-light-and-easy-subject/
I wanted to add a couple more things to consider in fairness to everyone.
1) Have you considered those Indian people that immigrate to the Western countries and change their names(Paul, Dave, Karen, Jenny)? Why is this not mocked and a non-Indian choosing to take an Indian name or wear ethnic stuff is?
2) There are numerous community centres etc that offer yoga at very affordable prices. Not to mention the free videos that teach step by step online. For those that want it, they’ll find affordable ways to do it.
Thanks