Yoga is Political; a Call to Dharmic Activism.
Reflections on Black Lives Matter and implications for Yoga practitioners.
“social activism, deconstructing systems of oppression and addressing inequality should all be considered within the aims and intentions of modern day Yoga, with a particular responsibility on the shoulders of those who have benefited from such power structures (white, able-bodied, middle-class folks) to do the work in dismantling them.”
For a long time now I’ve been trying to reconcile two apparently opposing sides of myself; the Yoga teacher and the political science graduate; the spiritual being and the person with a lot of opinions. I’ve decided I can no longer bite my tongue or sit on my hands when it comes to talking about issues that I care about. Yoga is political, and my throat chakra could use some exercising on that front.
I had a reluctance to share my thoughts on current affairs on Instagram for several reasons- I have a real distain for the recent trends in ‘clicktivism’ (performative gestures online like sharing news articles without adding anything to the conversation or taking any decisive action in regards to what they are posting). Equally I struggle to watch people weighing in on complex international affairs issues when they may know very little of the history or wider context of what they’re commenting on. And lastly, I thought it wasn’t my job as a Yoga teacher to share my thoughts on current affairs. I’ve since changed my tune on that last one.
In August 2020 I wrote a nearly 4000 word long blogpost on the intersection between the black lives matter movement and Yoga. I’ve decided it’s worth sharing, even just to create a platform for further discussion on these topics. Don’t worry, this won’t be a lengthy ramble; here’s a condensed version.
Reflections on black lives matter; a reflection on Instagram posts from 2020
The murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the surge of protests that ensued called attention not just to government handling of this case, and numerous similar cases of police brutality against Black people in the US, but also about the deeply ingrained global history of (systemic) violence, and widespread oppression of people of colour. These events were matched by an influx of social media activity drawing attention to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, sparking conversations on a huge range of topics relating to race and identity, privilege and white supremacy. After grappling with the pros and cons of saying something vs. saying nothing and the dangers of performative allyship, I posted, in a rare expression of my political opinions, the following words on Instagram:
The murder of George Floyd, and the countless other horrific cases of police brutality against BIPOC folk (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour), are all symptoms of deeply ingrained institutionalised racism which is part of a wider network of problems that allow racism of all kinds, overt violence to unconscious oppression and micro-aggressions to thrive.
This is not only about white supremacy, racism and institutionalised violence against BIPOC, it's about the context and structures in society that allow this injustice to exist.
It's ALSO about a deeply rooted economic inequality, it's about toxic masculinity and patriarchy, it's about colonialism and slavery, it's about a lack of accurate, unbiased education in favour of whitewashed history books, it's about the false promise of the 'American dream', it's about this 'bigger is better' brand of capitalism, it's about this pervasive, fearful, us-them rhetoric, it's about the unchallenged entitlement and privilege of the rich, its about the private prison system encouraging mass incarceration, it's about the power of unelected lobby groups (mostly run by rich white men) to dictate policy, it's about a corrupt healthcare system, it's about mass media censorship and their ability to control narratives, its about the failure of the government (at all levels) to adhere to their most basic responsibility protect their citizens, and the media's failure to hold the government to account to ensure this happens. This system was built by the [white!] rich and powerful to maintain their power, all of this allows racism to thrive.
What we need isn't (just) reposts of quotes and stories on IG, we need deep seated, RADICAL SYSTEMIC CHANGE. That means taking down the system from the outside and the inside in equal measure. From the outside, this includes amplifying BIPOC voices, protesting and signing petitions, speaking up when we see injustice (no matter how seemingly small), educating ourselves about the experience of others and the wider context that allows these experiences to happen (see the issues listed above), beyond what we were taught in history classes. And changing the system from the inside means voting the right people into power, creating a genuinely representative government with more BIPOC voices. I can't stress enough how important it is to have people in government who personally understand and have experienced the challenges faced by the BIPOC community.
Finally, PLEASE, Let's not forget about this as soon as it falls out of the news cycle like we so often have with issues like government corruption and sex scandals, the refugee crisis, climate change [including natural disasters and their aftermath] and LGBTQ rights. The conversation continues, whether it's being discussed on social media or not, marginalised voices still need to be heard, stories still need to be told. There has never been a more obvious moment in time [during the COVID-19 pandemic, where our notions of normality and assumptions about how society should run have been greatly challenged], to make seemingly impossible changes. The whole world has had to pause and listen. This is what we're hearing. Let's work together to do something about it.
I want to add that although I'm referring particularly to the US here, most of these problems are either reflected in the UK or originated here (colonialism!!), we are not exempt from this, we are very much a part of the problem, and these lessons, challenges and conversations apply to us in the UK as they do to those in the US.
Institutionalised racism, colonialism and the cultural appropriation of Yoga in the west
So I began to ask myself, as a Yoga teacher and a white person inherently in a position of privilege and power - Where might I be (unconsciously) upholding these systems of oppression in my immediate surroundings? How and where do these issues - systemic racism, white supremacy, the ongoing impact of colonialism - show up in my immediate surroundings? As it turns out, these structures permeate the Yoga industry in the west in a number of ways. For the most part Yoga is an unaffordable, often inaccessible (ableist) white-dominated market, and South Asians are massively under-represented in positions of power, especially considering that is where Yoga originates.
The importing of Yoga to the West in the 1950s bears the hallmark of colonialism, Yoga has been taken out of context and exploited to the point that what we now consider to be Yoga (the physical practice) is a massively over-simplified, watered down version of an ancient, yet still living, Vedic practice. Yoga has been culturally appropriated, stripped from its roots, and re-packaged as a fitness ideal and aesthetic to meet a market of (mostly) white middle class women.
spot the difference?
What can we do about it?
I believe that social activism, deconstructing systems of oppression and addressing inequality should all be considered within the aims and intentions of modern day Yoga, with a particular responsibility on the shoulders of those who have benefited from such power structures (white, able-bodied, middle-class folks) to do the work in dismantling them. In practice that might look several things. To begin with, addressing cultural appropriation by —
Expanding your Yoga practice beyond the physical; take a look at Patanjali’s sutras. Asana, the physical is just one among 8 limbs of Yoga.
Seeking out Yoga teachers of South Asian decent and support their work. To name a few: @yogaprasad_institute @susannabarkataki @kallie_rebel_yogatribe @theyogadissident
Actively learning about the philosophy of Yoga; there are 18 paths of Yoga laid out in the Bhagavad-Gita; you don’t have to take them all, but it’s a good place to consider how you can make Yoga a life’s work and not just a daily/weekly practice.
The Paths of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga
And that’s the crucial next part - integrating those teachings. Yoga, when integrated into fully into a person’s way of life, becomes an ethical compass, a guiding philosophy. What’s the point in all that self-inquiry, truth seeking and presence building through meditation and other practices if you choose to put blinders on to what’s going on in the world. Ignorance may be bliss, but awareness is acknowledging what IS. So when we take off the blinders and take a look around, listen deeply, what do we hear? There are so many issues in the world deserving of our attention; deserving of compassion. To sit idle and ‘focus on the positive’ is part of the toxic positivity culture that overlaps with Western Yoga.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna compares the paths of Jnana Yoga, the path of knowledge, with Karma* Yoga, the path of action and Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion. To summarise (and massively over-simplify) a few points:
Action is better than non-action; but only when it is informed by knowledge.
Seeking knowledge is superior to action for the sake of action itself.
Actions are of the highest good when motivated by devotion (love).
I often say that while Yoga is a self practice, it should not be a selfish one; the fruits of this practice are intended to be shared. So once we have done the work of gathering knowledge; understanding ourselves and becoming informed about what’s going on around us (war, poverty, genocide, cultural erasure, famine, oppression of women, institutionalised racism, you name it), we are then called to take action, in devotion to the liberation of all, from a place of love.
Why Yoga is political
What is a guiding philosophy there for if it doesn’t come to inform your politics, the choices you make when interacting with the world? When I say politics I don't mean your choice of political leader or where you align yourself on the increasingly arbitrary left-right spectrum, I mean your opinions, the things you care about.
When people tell me they aren't political I ask them if they have thoughts about climate change, social justice, healthcare systems, economics, etc. Generally speaking, most of us do have opinions on these political concerns. And it would be challenging for your spirituality, if it is a lived and integrated practice, not to inform those opinions. What it means to be living Yoga rather than just practicing it is to be an active participant in dismantling the injustice you see around you.
This work can take on an infinite number of forms; just as there is no one path of Yoga, there are also no two paths alike, for we are all guided by our Dharma - our unique purpose in the unfolding of all things. Your Dharma is like your calling, changes with time to according to your gifts, your curiosities, to meet the needs of your changing environment. When act in alignment with that purpose, devoted to the highest form of love for all our relatives (fellow humans and non-human animals alike) and our collective home on this planet, you are then embodying your practice.
The word Yoga comes from the sanskrit root ‘yuj’ meaning to yoke or unite. In it’s essence Yoga philosophy is encouraging us to see the oneness, the unity in the world (though this is a more nuanced concept I could take a lot more time to explore). Part of the paradox here is that we must be able to reconcile opposing beliefs - that where there is unity there is also separation; where we are all connected, we are all also inherently unique and our experiences fundamentally differ from one another. That is why your own purpose, your Dharmic path will be unlike anyone else’s. It is uniquely yours but part of a greater whole. A stitch in the tapestry. That is also why we must recognise that while there is something deep within all of us that is the same, the world we live in does not treat all souls as equal. The phrase we are not free until all of us are free comes to mind. True spiritual liberation, freedom from suffering, requires the political, social and economic liberation of all beings.
In Conclusion:
To return to my initial dilemma, those opposite sides, the spiritual being and the person with a lot of opinions are not opposites at all, like yin and yang they are part of a whole. The spiritual parts of me, and my dedication to live my Yoga practice, informs my opinions and values, my ability to slow down and listen to whats going on around me informs my ability to act on what I hear. I want to live my life in devotion to the liberation of those who are marginalised by systemic power structures. I want to devote my life to the wellbeing of the earth. I believe it is part of my Dharmic path to use words to help me do that; so you can expect this blog to evolve to cover such topics in future. Now i turn to you, reading this. What are your reflections? Does your spiritual practice inform your worldview, your political opinions? How are you putting this into action? What is your unique contribution? Your Dharmic activism?
*Karma as a concept has been harmfully misconstrued in western society by phrases like ‘karma’s a bitch’ - in the Vedic system, working through Karma is about taking action to heal the wounds and misdeeds of this life, and those that our souls have carried over from previous lifetimes so that we may be liberated from our own suffering.
Further Reading
The Bhagavad Gita: 3 Paths of Yoga https://khushyoga.com/2010/12/30/the-bhagavad-gita-3-paths-of-yoga/
The Westernisation of Yoga https://thewholeu.uw.edu/2021/10/07/the-westernization-of-yoga/#:~:text=The%20introduction%20of%20yoga%20to,texts%20from%20Sanskrit%20into%20English.
From Ancestral Yoga to the Modern Discipline https://www.superprof.co.in/blog/westernisation-of-yoga-classes/
Why We Practice: A Short History of Yoga in the West https://yogainternational.com/article/view/why-we-practice-a-short-history-of-yoga-in-the-west
The 4 paths of Yoga https://chopra.com/articles/the-4-paths-of-yoga
Bhagavad Gita — Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga https://www.thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2018/01/13/bhakti-culmination-yogic-processes/