Americans who practice yoga contribute to white supremacy (snip)

NOTE: Thread title was snipped to fit into the guidelines. The full title is in the link below.

White people who do a downward-facing dog are contributing to a “system of power, privilege, and oppression,” according to a Michigan State University professor.

Shreena Gandhi, a religious studies professor at Michigan State, claims in an article she recently co-authored that Americans who practice yoga are contributing to white supremacy and promote the “yoga industrial complex.”

White Americans should learn yoga’s history, acknowledge the cultural appropriation they engage in and possibly reduce the cost of yoga classes for poor people, a group that often includes people of color and “recent immigrants, such as Indian women to whom this practice rightfully belongs,” Gandhi argued.

Am ericans who practice yoga contribute to white supremacy, Michigan State University professor claims

Putting aside the obvious stupidity of this idea, I wonder why American's are singled out here by her?
So, I guess white Canadians, English, Irish, Swedish, etc... aren't included in this opinion from the "esteemed professor"? Only Americans'.....hmmm....no agenda there huh?

Just white America is to blame for the total cultural appropriation of teaching/performing yoga. Yup, it's all the fault of the deplorables and non-liberal thinkers. Wait, don't a LOT of white liberals practice yoga too? But, they are not the ones responsible I guess.

SMH....

Gotta laugh at these people they call professors in academia today.

a reply to: Krakatoa

Lemme guess ... they're going to be equally hacked off at kids like mine who are practicing martial arts and taught by non-culturally approved instructors?

Or they would be if it were enough of a "thing" that you saw it everywhere.

Good lord, this world is just asinine anymore.

Yoga and farting it doesn't get much better.

This "professor" is breaking out all the cliches for her cause,

“Especially during this time when the underbelly of capitalism — white supremacy, cisheteropatriarchy, and xenophobia – is being exposed, it is imperative that everyone, especially those who have access to spiritual practices like yoga, ask difficult questions of ourselves and one another,” the two concluded. “We must ask, in what ways are we complicit in a system that harms people of color, queer and trans people, poor people, people with disabilities, and immigrants?”

So, according to her, if a white American learns and performs yoga they are directly responsible for the repression of "people of color, queer and trans people, poor people, people with disabilities, and immigrants".

But, what about the children? She forgot to mention them too.

a reply to: Krakatoa

I always thought you fear what you don't understand, so by learning yoga, you start to understand those beautiful things about another culture ... like yoga pants *snicker* and no longer fear them.

You guys give this persons words more weight than they are worth. The words by themselves mean absolutely nothing, but when we sensationalize them, that's when they are given weight. Good job giving this idiot the attention they were hoping for.

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
You guys give this persons words more weight than they are worth. The words by themselves mean absolutely nothing, but when we sensationalize them, that's when they are given weight. Good job giving this idiot the attention they were hoping for.

Don't you think it's troubling that someone in modern academia ... you know the people who are supposed to the best and brightest of us ... spent time coming up with this?

Yoga is bad because only Indians are supposed to do it, but it would be OK if so-called oppressed peoples of all kinds did it, not just Indians, and not white people. It's because it has become the "in" thing with bored, middle-aged housewives that this woman has decided it has suddenly become a "tool of white oppression" and for no other reason.

She was likely free-bleeding when she came up with it.

Why can't they just come out and say it?


We get it, you hate white people.

Guess I better sign up for yoga classes.
I'm a white male and id hate to miss a chance to oppress someone.

a reply to: ketsuko

And who is it that is blasting this person's idiotic opinion over the airwaves to give it even more exposure than it's worth? If a student is prone to this kind of idiotic opinion influencing them then they were beyond help to begin with.

Lots of people have dumb opinions, does that mean we should sensationalize every one of them? I don't think so personally, but people love their outrage porn.

She's not entirely wrong. Yoga as we know it in the West was pretty much introduced by Aleister Crowley. From there it was propagated through a lot of those Golden Dawn-esque/New Age groups. Many of which did have a racist philosophy (ie Thule Society and the followers of Madame Blavatsky.)

So even if we disregard the cultural appropriation aspect what we call yoga in the West is very much rooted in white supremacy.

Every society takes bits and pieces of other cultures and merges them into their own. People need to see it as a homage to their culture instead of some sort of theft. It is like saying one tribe has learned to make fire and now I am disrespecting them by wanting to start my own fire.

There are free Yoga DVD's in every public library to which I've gone.

Guess libraries are contributing to white supremacy also.

You simply cannot win with these loonies. If you ignore them or act indifferent in any way, you're a racist, xenophobe, and a white supremacist. If you show interest in them, you're guilty of "appropriating their culture."

originally posted by: Xcalibur254
She's not entirely wrong. Yoga as we know it in the West was pretty much introduced by Aleister Crowley. From there it was propagated through a lot of those Golden Dawn-esque/New Age groups. Many of which did have a racist philosophy (ie Thule Society and the followers of Madame Blavatsky.)

So even if we disregard the cultural appropriation aspect what we call yoga in the West is very much rooted in white supremacy.

What kind of defect even makes someone think like that...seriously? No one is doing yoga to be a white supremacist. It is just idiotic to have a brain that is so messed up that it even comes up. I don't karate because I am white I do it because I love the sport. Just wow.

a reply to: ketsuko

And it's that kind of sentiment as to why this woman isn't entirely wrong. Yoga in the West is nothing like the actual Hindi spiritual practice. And yet people have no problem turning it into a joke about yoga pants.

This has to be someone pretending, this is so over the top. Reduce the cost for poor people ? I thought she wants Americans to stop the cultural misappropiations ? I do believe if one looks that in every community one can find a free yoga class to attend if you want. This is crazy.

It is actually yoga that very connected to exercise and stress relief. The US Army practices yoga techniques for PT purposes and for helping people relax...which is what most Americans do...nobody cares about Crowley...that is as bad as her assertions.

a reply to: Metallicus

No one is doing it to be a white supremacist (I hope) but it does have that history. And even if you disregard that aspect it's still pretty much making light of a serious religious practice.

I feel like if people in India were using Eucharist wafers to dip in nacho cheese people on this site would be crying about the persecution of Christians. How is the practice of yoga in the West any different?

originally posted by: Xcalibur254
a reply to: Metallicus

No one is doing it to be a white supremacist (I hope) but it does have that history. And even if you disregard that aspect it's still pretty much making light of a serious religious practice.

I feel like if people in India were using Eucharist wafers to dip in nacho cheese people on this site would be crying about the persecution of Christians. How is the practice of yoga in the West any different?

Their most sacred river is essentially a flowing course of raw sewage, corpses, and disease... think for a moment, do you really think most of us in America give a rat's ass what India thinks, does, or believes? Exactly... they're free to eat communion wafers like they're Ritz for all I care, hell, it's probably a more nutritious meal than 90% of them eat daily anyhow. Similarly, America is a capitalist society and history is essentially one long string of "cultural appropriation." It's what victors do, they claim the desirable portions of the cultures whose asses they kicked, then they make them even better than they were when held by the originators. In short, this professor can flap their little lips all they want, I'll continue to do as I wish, as will the members of my family who attend yoga classes, and if they don't like it, I have some religious sign language for them.

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
You guys give this persons words more weight than they are worth. The words by themselves mean absolutely nothing, but when we sensationalize them, that's when they are given weight. Good job giving this idiot the attention they were hoping for.

Ummm...I agree...with the following caveat...

This individual is also teaching those absurdities to rooms of..."skulls full of mush"...and the mush filled skulls lap it up and then parrot inanity while believing this nonsense...giving it life...

Come to think of it...you and I just added to the mass...




YouSir