Decolonizing Yoga

June 8, 2020 Angie Follensbee-Hall

Decolonizing Yoga- the following has been a component of the yoga teacher training manual of our YTT program for several years. I now offer it to the public for further inquiry.

Thoughts and reflections

To speak about the white-ness and white body supremacy I must include conversation about yoga. It is important for white westerners practicing and teaching yoga (or any technique or practice that is not part of our own tradition) to pause and reflect on the impact of our use and assimilation in the practice. For nearly 200 years, the British colonized India. There were many negative impacts from this loss of sovereignty, and there still remains some animosity toward westerners for this act of conquest. The practice of yoga in India was, for many thousands of years, kept reserved for only a few people, usually men, who were devoted to its spiritual ideals. It was not a practice offered publicly. That situation began to change in the early 1900s, and many teachers left India and traveled to the west to spread the teachings. Paramahansa Yogananda wrote about being led by his lineage of teachers to bring the teachings of yoga to the west to help heal and bring peace to humanity (http://www.yogananda-srf.org/Kriya_Yoga_path_of_meditation.aspx#.XB1NCc9KjVo). Other teachers, such as Swami Satchidananda of Integral Yoga and Yogaville, Yogi Bhajan of the Kundalini Yoga tradition, and B.K.S Iyengar of Iyengar Yoga are a few other teachers from India who felt drawn to bring these healing teachings to the west. (The scandals surrounding these teachers is not to be ignored, but is not in the scope of this writing. Please research that as well.)

Tradition and respect for one's teachers and elders are major beliefs and principles in the Indian culture. They are so revered that any questioning of one's teacher or a tradition is not encouraged or even condoned in any form. But America does not hold to these same principles, and the idea of the “individual” being more important than the lineage is a western approach. So the arrival of this deeply rooted Indian tradition of yoga into the American population brought about unexpected change to these practices. The practices of yoga, meditation, and chanting exploded, and with it came changes to the traditions and practices that had not been anticipated by the original teachers. Many of these original teachers and lineage holders are no longer with us in their physical bodies. But their teaching and practices have endured, though there have been many permutations of these original teachings.

As teachers moving out into the world in what many are calling “post-lineage” (a term coined by the teacher Thea Wildcroft), we must pause and ask ourselves: how can I continue to honor this ancient practice? Can I practice and teach in a way that includes my innate beliefs of individuality while still paying homage to the rich land and culture of its origin? How do I marry my need to earn money with this practice that was certainly a calling to its lineage holders, but not ever a “career” to these original teachers?

Here are some suggestions and thoughts as I continue to learn:

We should always pay respect to the teachers of the past and present who brought these teachings to us from India. Though the teachers may personally be flawed, we should honor the culture and country of origin.

We must notice when our capitalist and commercial tendencies are crossing over into this richly spiritual tradition. In the United States, in most cases, tuition will be paid for yoga instruction, whether an individual class or a year-long training. Even Swami Satchidananda used to say to people who questioned him accepting money: “You are not paying for the teachings, you are paying for the electricity and the rent of this building.” But when are such offerings overtly gimmicky and commercial? What is the purpose of “yoga and beer,” “Goat yoga,” and other unusual forms of yoga? What is the actual intention of these classes? To draw attention? To bring one to a deeper place of reflection? To bring in more people and more money?

Always work on your learning and understanding. Work to understand the Sanskrit language, and to pronounce the language to your best ability. If in doubt of the pronunciation be honest about it! In some cases, when you are not sure of your pronunciation, you might want to avoid saying the words in Sanskrit—but work to try to grow your knowledge and understanding. It is certainly a lifelong practice!

Always defer with respect to anyone from India in your classes. If some of your students are from India, learn from them! Talk to them about their traditions, and thank them for helping you to understand. They are the expert on the traditions and topics if you do not come from India!

Learn the basics of respect to the tradition and religion. Some things are quite sacrilegious and offensive to the culture: yoga pants with deities, especially on the buttocks, privates, or feet; deities placed directly on the floor (they should be on a platform with a cloth); or pointing one's feet toward a deity or a teacher are just a few examples. If traveling to India, be aware of respectful attire and dress accordingly, especially in ashrams and temples.

Most important of all is to keep a humble attitude toward the peoples and origins of this rich practice and to notice when there is a tendency to commercialize or popularize. I hope to bring this to a deeper level of awareness in my own teaching, and I do not profess perfection in this regard. May we continue to learn and grow in humble relationship together.