Why cultural appropriation of Yoga needs to be called out

My heart swells with pride, seeing the Yoga Day celebrations around the world. Most celebrations are done in a Bharatiya way, a break from the Westernized way of Yoga. This year PM Narendra Modi said, “Yoga comes from India. It is a very old tradition. Yoga is free from copyrights, free from patents, and free from royalty payments.” While he emphasised Yoga is universal and encouraged the practice globally, he didn’t forget to mention the ‘Made in Bharat’ stamp on Yoga. Yoga is truly embedded in Sanatan Dharma, which translates as ‘eternal path of righteousness’. Dumbing down illustrious Yoga philosophy Yoga has come to mean physical postures alone. Originally, Yoga philosophy is a central theme of Bhartiya culture. The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, meaning ‘to unite’ or ‘to yoke’. The practice of Yoga unites the individual consciousness (jeev-aatma) with the Universal Consciousness (param-aatma). The Bhagavad Gita gives three paths to uniting oneself with universal consciousness - Gyan Yog, Bhakti Yog, and Karm Yog - the paths of Knowledge, devotion, and action. Each chapter of the text is titled, a Yog. Sage Patanjali codified the path in 400 BC into eight limbs - Yama (observances), Niyama (self-discipline), Asana (physical postures), Pranayama (breathing), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (focus), Dhyana (meditation) and finally Samadhi (union with the Divine). It is sad to see how this illustrious philosophy of self-realisation was dumbed down and brought down to just physical asanas alone. But we have surely lost a huge part of its original offering. Appropriating marginalised cultures We live in a globalised world, where it is easy to take inspiration, borrow thoughts and ideas from across the world, and take them out of their original context, without any understanding of its complete framework. When a privileged cultural group borrows or steals from a marginalised culture and strips elements of the culture to use it as a prop or for profit, researchers term it as ‘cultural appropriation’. The more powerful culture may borrow ideas and pass them off as an invention, a discovery or just give a new context. Often, backed by financial, academic, and political power to give it a new context and erase the original connection. In 2012, the fashion company Victoria’s Secret was accused of cultural appropriation. In a ramp-walk show titled, ‘Nomadic Adventures’ the models were featured in several tribal and Native American-inspired outfits. The focus was especially on the models wearing native-style headdresses, with feathers. Native tribes wear the head-dress as a traditional symbol of respect. It is worn by chiefs and warriors. Each feather placed on the headdress corresponds to an act of compassion or bravery. This context and respect are completely lost when models parade a headdress down a ramp. Victoria’s Secret was accused of cultural misappropriation and insensitivity. Zara and Louis Vuitton have also been criticised for appropriating traditional African prints and designs without acknowledgment. In 2018, Italian fashion house Gucci put the blue Sikh turban on female models and listed it for sale, at $790. These turbans are an integral part of Sikh identity, worn with pride. The Sikh Coalition called this appropriation inappropriate saying, “The turban is not an accessory to monetize; it’s a religious article of faith and is sacred.” Permanent appropriation When cultures are on their guard, they can point out the appropriation, and put a stop immediately. When appropriation goes on for a long time, without being called out, it may acquire a completely new meaning. Now, it is difficult for an average person to even recall the true meaning of yoga. The word Yoga is deeply ingrained with physical postures and mostly with ultra-thin female bodies. The practice has been cut off from its roots, entirely delinking it from its glorious past and distinguished philosophy. The Western definition of Yoga, and teaching standards dominate. In 1997, Yoga Alliance was formed, a US-based nonprofit, a professional organisation for yoga teachers, certifying and authorising teachers. Traditionally, a Guru authorised a student to teach, after years of practice. Yoga Alliance started to accredit 200-and 300-hour programmes, where anyone could teach. Many Indian schools also train people in these programs. Without realising the bigger impact, I have also been a teacher in such schools. The revenues of Yoga Alliance USA are mind-boggling. In 2019, Yoga Alliance had 7,748 registered yoga schools, and 86,928 registered yoga teachers, with $7.4 million in application fees, and annual revenue of $5.6 million from teachers just to maintain their certification. The Western appropriation of Yoga created a ‘yoga-body’ archetype which was gobbled up by the fitness industry. The Yoga prop and equipment market is valued at $9.5 billion, including mats, pillows, socks, yoga gloves, headbands, special yoga blankets, and yoga toe blocks, the list is endless. Financial muscle re-defines culture With immense financial muscle, it is easy to give anything a cultural context. Marketing, communication, and social media reiterate new interpretations of culture, conditioning our minds. The new definition is then exported to the rest of the world and comes back to us. Lululemon throws money at global ‘Yoga’ influencers, to market its clothing. Alliance Yoga lists different styles of ‘Yoga’ like hot yoga, fitness yoga, spiritual yoga, power yoga, and ‘hatha’ yoga. Sadly, most don’t know that in Sanskrit, ‘hatha’ itself means power. Yoga is from Bharat. It is a discipline for physical and mental well-being and spiritual progress. The Rishis did not design this masterpiece for a size zero body. The big audacious goal was to unite us with universal consciousness. The cultural appropriation of Yoga needs to be called out. The writer is the founder of YogaSmith and author of four books. She is a lawyer and has worked in the pharmaceutical and technology industry in Asia, USA, and Europe. Views are personal. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .