Cultural appropriation in yoga

When a dominant culture takes from another culture—usually a minority or disadvantaged culture—without full regard for the context, respect or reverence, or even acknowledgment of the culture it’s taking from, it is cultural appropriation. The things that are usually co-opted include images or symbols, scripts, practices, fashion, art, music, etc. (This phenomenon can also be called cultural misappropriation—a term that was more widely used in the 1980s.) 

This dynamic has happened with numerous cultures. In the case of India, specifically (the birthplace of yoga), it’s helpful to consider that it was colonized for centuries by everyone from the Portuguese to the Dutch, the French, and, finally, the British, who initially came on the pretext of trade and ruled for nearly 300 years. 

Some people do it knowingly, while others are completely unaware. 

What is appropriation in yoga? 

There are many ways that yoga has been misused and misunderstood over the decades. Beyond the false equivalence of yoga and asana, here are some other examples of appropriation in yoga. 

The use of the word “yogi”

“Yogi” refers to someone who does and lives yoga. Calling anyone and everyone who does yoga a “yogi” is incorrect, however. Typically, a yogi is someone who practices all the limbs of yoga intensely.

Misuse of “namaste”

Namaste—the word and prayer-hand gesture—has become synonymous with yoga and almost every yoga class starts or ends with a namaste. But growing up in India, I never said “namaste.” Since I am from the southern part of India, I instead said “namaskara,” “namaskaram,” or “vanakkam.” Namaste and its regional variations are a manner of greeting that simply mean “I bow to you.” It is neither hello nor welcome.

The use of sacred symbols and deities as décor

In India you will notice that deities and sacred symbols are treated with reverence. They’re placed on a pedestal, never on the ground, and most often some sort of altar is created for them. Special care is taken to maintain this altar and what goes on or near it. The altar is usually a space that is considered sacred and not an ordinary or random spot in the home.