‘Glorified Stretching’? My Relationship with Yoga
Should we be engaging in the appropriation of yoga?
My fitness journey has just begun, but there have been many ups and downs.
In January 2021, I did home workouts in my university flat.
In May 2021, I went to the gym.
In August 2022, I stopped altogether, for reasons I mentioned in my other article. Since then, I’ve been trying other physical activities that meet my goals and lifestyle.
I tried running, which was lovely, but as soon as I worried about technique and performance, my perfectionist mind got the best of me. The dark winter mornings didn’t help either.
Then there’s pole dancing. Unfortunately, I only do it once a week; I cannot afford to do it more often. Therefore, I needed another activity that could be done multiple times a week to supplement my pole dancing.
So, I came across yoga.
I started with a 10-minute Youtube video and now, it has become a part of my daily routine.
It calms my mind and allows me to focus on the present moment. I’ve found that my mood has improved significantly.
However, my guilt prevents me from going further with the practice.
It is way more than just posing; it’s about “stilling the mind” and detaching yourself from the world and suffering.
Unfortunately, it has become a part of fitness culture in the modern western world.
There are many accounts and debates about how yoga has been appropriated and how the people practising it are far removed from its origins.
Although yoga is a South Asian practice, yoga is open to everyone. However, it’s hard to ignore who is profiting from it the most.
I am not South Asian or someone who claims to be a practitioner. However, I can’t help but think about the part I play. My participation makes me complicit to the effects that Westernisation has had on yoga, especially when my motivations are not spiritual.
I could do better by seeking a yogi who has been trained by a South Asian monk and improving my knowledge through reading.
Will I do those things? Probably not.
Should people who want to take yoga seriously do those things? Well, they can do whatever they want, but I’m sure it would be helpful. Not only would it deepen one’s practice but honour its heritage.
This is not to say that yogis on YouTube know nothing about yoga, however, I think it would be amazing if influential yogis actually expanded beyond hatha and informed their followers about why certain practices are done.
Just food for thought.
So where does this leave me? Well, I’m not going to take any classes until I am sure of my spiritual path. Also, I will no longer say that I’m doing yoga. Since I’m only focused on the poses, I will just call it “stretching”.
Please let me know what you think in the comments below.
