Decolonize Yoga for Collective Liberation
I’ve tried several times to create an Instagram reel on the topic of decolonial yoga, but Instagram wouldn’t allow me to post it. Frustrated by the platform’s limitations, I’ve decided to take a different approach and share this important message through a blog post.
Real talk 📢 If you're looking to decolonize your yoga practice, let's start with something simple: where you spend your money.
I know, I know – it’s super easy to grab a cute pair of leggings from Lululemon or throw money at trendy yoga studios. But here's the thing: Lululemon is known for its problematic, racist practices. And they’re not alone – many mainstream yoga brands and studios profit off yoga’s popularity while blatantly ignoring the sacred roots of the practice. These companies often steal from BIPOC and marginalized communities without giving back or respecting the cultural significance of yoga. So, next time you’re about to make a purchase, ask yourself: Is this brand supporting ethical practices? Are they honoring yoga’s origins, or just cashing in on a trend?
It’s a small but powerful shift. Every euro or dollar you spend is a moneyfestation of the world you want to live in. Let your money flow to small, local, and BIPOC-owned businesses that truly respect yoga’s values.
But decolonizing your yoga practice goes beyond your spending habits. It’s about shifting your entire perspective – from how you move on the mat to how you engage with the community around you. Let’s break it down into nine practical steps:
1. Stop Supporting Racist Brands and Studios
Mainstream yoga often thrives on high-end brands like Lululemon, which profit from a whitewashed version of the practice that overlooks its rich cultural and spiritual origins. These brands emphasize luxury and exclusivity, presenting a sanitized image of yoga that fails to honor its true roots. In contrast, decolonial yoga encourages us to make more conscious choices about who and what we support.
As yoga practitioners, we have the power to drive meaningful change by choosing to support BIPOC-owned businesses and brands that genuinely reflect the diversity and inclusivity that yoga embodies. By aligning ourselves with platforms and practitioners who are committed to accessibility and authenticity, we contribute to a practice that respects its origins and serves all communities.
Jessamyn Stanley’s platform, The Underbelly, is a prime example of this conscious choice. Through her work, Stanley creates inclusive spaces that celebrate bodies of all sizes and backgrounds – particularly those marginalized by mainstream yoga. Her platform stands as a testament to the transformative power of yoga when it is approached with respect for its diverse heritage and commitment to inclusivity.
In regions like the U.S. and the UK, there is growing awareness and momentum around decolonial practices, reflecting a shift toward a more equitable approach to yoga. However, in Germany and similar regions where yoga has become a booming market, these conversations are still in their infancy. There is a critical need for practitioners to engage more deeply with the origins of yoga and to support those who uphold its true spirit.
2. Recognize Yoga’s Non-Linear History
Mainstream yoga often presents the practice as static and unchanging, but this view oversimplifies yoga’s rich and dynamic history. In reality, yoga has evolved through a complex fabric of cultural exchanges and influences.
Yoga is known for its origins in ancient South Asia with deep roots in the Vedic texts, but its development didn’t begin or stop there. As yoga spread across Asia, it absorbed various influences, including tantric practices from Tibetan Buddhism in the 8th century CE and elements from Chinese and Southeast Asian traditions through trade routes. By the 20th century, Western adaptations of yoga further transformed the practice, often emphasizing physical postures over its spiritual dimensions.
Furthermore, ancient Egyptian (ancient African) civilization, known as Kemet, also practiced physical and spiritual exercises that bear resemblance to yoga. These practices involved postures, breathing techniques, and meditation for health and spiritual growth. There is evidence suggesting cultural exchanges between ancient Egypt and other regions, which may have influenced the development of various spiritual practices, including yoga.
Decolonial yoga embraces this rich and diverse history, recognizing that yoga is not a monolithic practice but one shaped by a multitude of cultural influences. To truly honor yoga’s origins, we must explore and respect the many traditions that have contributed to its evolution. Understanding yoga’s complex history helps foster a more inclusive and informed practice, reflecting its global heritage and honoring its multifaceted roots.
3. Challenge Patriarchy and Gender Oppression
Let’s be real: mainstream yoga doesn’t do enough to challenge patriarchy. You’ll see slogans about "oneness," but rarely do we hear conversations about intersectional feminism or gender equity. Ironically, many of the most popular yoga teachers are men, while the contributions of women to the practice are often sidelined. What's more troubling is the lack of accountability and discussion around abuse within the yoga community. For example, prominent figures like Bikram Choudhury (Bikram Yoga), Pattabhi Jois (Ashtanga), Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar, John Friend (Anusara), Ruth Lauer-Manenti (Jivamukti) and SO many more, have been accused of serious sexual harassment and abuse, yet some of these individuals continue to influence the yoga world despite the proven allegations against them. We must acknowledge that sexual abuse within the yoga community has a long history and remains unfortunately prevalent.
Decolonial yoga strives to address these issues head-on. It creates spaces where healing from the trauma of patriarchy is prioritized and ensures that women, femmes, and non-binary individuals are not only included but actively uplifted. Decolonial yoga recognizes that true inclusivity involves confronting uncomfortable truths, holding abusers accountable, and fostering safe environments for everyone. This includes having open, honest conversations about power dynamics and abuse, and ensuring that the practice of yoga serves as a force for genuine justice and healing.
4. Honor Differences in Race, Class, Gender, and Ability
Mainstream yoga spaces often cater to the privileged – mostly white, affluent, able-bodied individuals – creating environments where many people feel excluded or invisible. If yoga is truly meant for everyone, then it must be a practice where all people, regardless of race, class, gender, or ability, feel seen, respected, and valued. Decolonial yoga actively works to break down these barriers by fostering inclusivity through sliding-scale pricing, adaptive and accessible classes, and a deliberate effort to elevate and honor the contributions of diverse and BIPOC teachers. It also emphasizes creating safe and brave spaces where marginalized voices are not just included but centered. True inclusivity goes beyond opening the doors – it requires dismantling the systemic inequalities that exist even within the yoga community itself. This means challenging biases in teaching, acknowledging and addressing privilege, and ensuring that all voices have equal opportunities to shape and influence the practice. By doing so, decolonial yoga seeks to create a practice that genuinely reflects and serves the diverse communities it touches.
5. Practice Appreciation, Not Appropriation
Cultural appropriation is deeply tied to power dynamics, much like racism. It’s not just about borrowing elements from another culture – it's about who holds the power to “put on” or “take off” those elements without consequence. Ask yourself: Am I bound to this by culture, heritage, and identity, or can I adopt and discard it like a coat?
If I have the privilege to choose to wear or practice something without being tied to its deeper cultural significance, I am exercising power. And when I have that power, it can easily become appropriation if I’m unaware of it – using cultural symbols, practices, or traditions without fully recognizing or appreciating their roots, or without giving back to the communities that created them. In decolonial yoga, we understand that true appreciation comes from learning about the origins, respecting the significance, and ensuring that the cultures we draw from are acknowledged and supported, not exploited. This requires mindful, continuous reflection on the power we hold and how we engage with the cultural practices we adopt.
6. Prioritize Community Over Profit
In mainstream yoga, it often feels like it’s all about profit – expensive memberships, overpriced retreats, and high-end gear dominate the scene, making it feel exclusive. Decolonial yoga, however, shifts the focus from commerce to community. While donation-based classes can make yoga more accessible, let’s be real – I’m torn about it. BIPOC yoga teachers already face significant barriers to earning a fair income compared to their white counterparts, and donation-only models can sometimes perpetuate the undervaluation of their labor. This can reinforce the very inequalities decolonial yoga seeks to dismantle.
That said, there are ways to create inclusive spaces and promote accessibility without compromising fair compensation. Offering sliding-scale pricing or tiered membership models can balance accessibility with financial sustainability. Studios like Yoga for Black Lives are leading by example, centering collective healing and social justice while ensuring that BIPOC teachers are fairly compensated for their work. It’s about finding that balance – making yoga accessible to all, but not at the expense of the marginalized teachers who are integral to creating these inclusive, healing spaces.
7. Actively Work Against Racism, Sexism, Ableism, and Antiblackness
Mainstream yoga spaces often remain silent on critical issues of oppression, from racism to casteism to ableism, allowing harmful structures to persist unchallenged. This silence reinforces privilege and marginalization, making yoga feel disconnected from the very communities that could benefit most from its healing power. Decolonial yoga, however, refuses to shy away from these uncomfortable but essential conversations. It actively confronts systems of oppression both on and off the mat, addressing not just generalized racism but also casteism, antiblackness, sexism, and more.
Casteism is particularly relevant when discussing yoga’s roots in South Asia, where the caste system has historically shaped societal dynamics. Yet, it’s a topic that is rarely, if ever, discussed in Western yoga spaces. Many mainstream yoga communities in the West remain unaware – or choose to remain oblivious – to the ongoing realities of caste oppression. Decolonial yoga, on the other hand, acknowledges this, ensuring that its teachings honor not only yoga’s spiritual origins but also the social context from which it emerged, confronting caste-based exclusion head-on.
Similarly, antiblackness is often left unaddressed in mainstream yoga, despite the exclusion and marginalization of BIPOC communities – especially Black communities – from these spaces. Decolonial yoga centers the voices of Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized practitioners, recognizing the interconnectedness of various forms of oppression. By actively engaging in discussions around privilege, social justice, and allyship, decolonial yoga transforms the practice into a tool for collective liberation. It's not just about individual healing – it’s about using yoga to dismantle the systems that harm marginalized communities and creating a more just, inclusive world for all.
8. Focus on Holistic Healing, Not Just Physical Fitness
Mainstream yoga often promotes the concept of the “yoga body” and focuses heavily on physical fitness, sidelining the deeper, more holistic benefits of the practice. This emphasis on aesthetics and physical achievement can obscure yoga's true essence, which encompasses much more than just Asana (Posture). The result is a commodified version of yoga that can feel superficial and disconnected from its roots.
Decolonial yoga, however, embraces the full spectrum of yoga's potential for mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. It goes beyond physical postures to incorporate practices like breathwork (Pranayama), meditation, and trauma-informed techniques. These elements are crucial for addressing and healing from deeper wounds, including racial and generational trauma. By integrating these practices, decolonial yoga provides a comprehensive approach to healing that respects and utilizes the full tradition of yoga.
For instance, Pranayama isn’t just about controlling the breath; it’s about connecting with and regulating our inner energy, which can be especially transformative for those dealing with stress and trauma. Meditation isn’t merely a tool for relaxation but a means to delve into and address emotional and psychological scars. Trauma-informed practices ensure that the healing process is sensitive and respectful of individual experiences, particularly those shaped by systemic oppression.
Decolonial yoga also acknowledges the importance of creating safe spaces where people can explore these aspects of the practice without judgment. This approach not only honors the traditional roots of yoga but also makes the practice accessible and beneficial to those who need it most, fostering a deeper, more inclusive form of healing that extends far beyond the mat.
9. Stop Romanticizing and Fetishizing Yoga
There’s a tendency to romanticize yoga as an exotic, mystical practice from India, often marketed to Westerners as a quick spiritual fix or a trendy lifestyle accessory. This commodified view reduces yoga to a superficial product, stripping away its rich and complex origins.
Decolonial yoga challenges this narrative by recognizing yoga as a living tradition with deep roots not only in South Asia but also with connections to ancient African spiritual practices. It’s not about offering a mystical escape but about engaging with a profound, evolving tradition that has been shaped over millennia. By moving beyond the commercialized, exoticized image, we honor yoga’s true essence and its role as a deep, transformative practice that fosters genuine personal and collective healing.
Final Thoughts: Yoga as a Tool for Transformation
Decolonizing your yoga practice is a journey of intention and transformation. It goes beyond changing your Downward Dog to a Kemetic Pyramid or swapping out fancy leggings for more sustainable choices. It’s about reconnecting with the rich cultural and spiritual origins of yoga and engaging with its deeper meanings.
Practicing decolonial yoga is a continuous process of learning, unlearning, and relearning. It’s about acknowledging and addressing the complexities of yoga’s history and its impact today. This journey should not detract from the joy and fulfillment we find in our practice. Instead, it enriches it, allowing us to experience yoga in a way that is both meaningful and respectful.
As we grow in our understanding, we must strive to do better. By choosing decolonial spaces and supporting BIPOC-owned businesses, we actively contribute to creating a more inclusive and justice-focused yoga community. Yoga is not just a trend or lifestyle – it is a powerful path toward collective liberation.