Yoga. Derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, meaning ‘to unite’, the practice of yoga is meant to unite the individual’s consciousness with that of the universe. Recently, while reading The Sellout by Paul Beatty, I was surprised to see the words “yoga” and “yogi” in use. The following are the excerpts in which they are mentioned:

“…the closest he got to a white person was the dreadlocked woman who got on at Poinsettia Avenue toting a rolled-up yoga mat”

“…although it was the first, the yogi’s complaint wouldn’t be the only one Marpessa fielded that day” (Note: ‘yogi’ refers to the yoga mat-bearing woman)

The Sellout is a satirical commentary on racism in America, and so it was beyond amusing to see the term “yoga” used as a characteristic of a white person and the term “yogi” to refer to someone who attends yoga lessons. Part of me still finds this more amusing than outrageous, but it did make me wonder about the cultural appropriation of yoga.

I personally find it very beautiful that more people have begun to practice yoga in the West, but I do take issue with the convoluted, Westernised version of “yoga” that is being practiced, as well as the general understanding that people have of it. So in this article, I will attempt to outline some of the ways in which yoga is being appropriated in the West.

Cultural appropriation refers to the “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.” We see this with the practice of yoga in the West where increasingly, people are attempting to dissociate yoga with the place of its origin – India – as well as Indian traditions. Books like No Om Zone: A No-Chanting, No-Granola, No-Sanskrit Practical Guide to Yoga and blog articles like Why We Do Not Use Hindu Sanskrit (question: what is Hindu Sanskrit?) flourish in such an environment. By replacing the Sanskrit terms associated with yoga with English ones such as “Corpse Pose” (Savasana) and “Downward-dog” (Adho Mukha Svanasana), not only are we erasing the language and history behind yoga but we’re also ignoring how Sanskrit is part of the yoga experience. Sanskrit connects us to the classical form of Yoga, which has been in practice for thousands of years. Many of the Sanskrit names have deeper meanings, which enlighten us further as to the original purpose of each posture, technique, or breathing exercise but these meanings often get lost in translation. Using the proper terms while practicing yoga hence deeply enhances the yogic experience.

Unlike what is often marketed, yoga is also importantly not just a physical exercise. Despite the innumerable benefits that yoga does bring as a physical activity, the physical aspect is just a small fraction of the true yoga experience. In fact, the spiritual aspects of yoga were banned under British rule, “forcing yoga to be reshaped in a way that aligned with the western ideals of a more aesthetic practice”. Yoga as is generally understood and practiced in the US is hence “an adapted aesthetic form of yoga that followed the colonization of yoga in the 1700’s” and continually perpetuating the physical exercises derived from yoga as yoga in its entirety thus contributes to the oppressive ideas behind the initial ban.

Lastly, Yoga seeks to enhance understanding of oneself, and focuses very much on the immaterial aspects of being. So it is odd how in Western societies, Yoga is associated with the words “mat” and “pants”, and how it has become a billion-dollar industry. In India, Yoga used to be (and to a large extent, still is) taught in ashrams, schools, temples or in the case of Baba Ramdev, on television, for free. In the US, however, the revenue of the yoga industry is projected to total around $11.6 billion by the end of this year. By commercialising yoga, not only is it becoming inaccessible to the masses, but it also makes yoga practitioners synonymous with the rich and the elite (as demonstrated by Beatty) when in reality, ancient yogis typically renounced all material possessions or lived very frugally. The heavy commercialisation of yoga thus defeats one of its key aims – liberation from material constructs. It also perpetuates a convoluted, capitalist, version of yoga and slowly eradicates its true practice.

Now such appropriation is of course, far from ideal, but this doesn’t mean that only certain people have the right to practice yoga. It simply means that when practicing yoga, we should be respectful and mindful of the terms we use and of the history behind yoga. As Shreena Gandhi and Lillee Wolff put it, “to the so many white people who practice yoga, please don’t stop, but please do take a moment to look outside of yourself and understand how the history of yoga practice in the United States is intimately linked to some of the larger forces of white supremacy”.