On Yoga, And Teaching What Wasn’t Ours
So why did I change my philosophical presentation of yoga, but still continue teaching the poses? The answer is complex. I have a deep, embodied relationship with the physical poses, one which I developed from my own personal investigation. I believe that movement practices are vital for our well-being, and I have seen many students derive great physical and emotional benefit from practicing yoga. It made sense to me to continue to offer my own embodied understanding of the physical practice of yoga to people, but share themes and metaphors that were from my own cultural background. However, I am also aware that this could be considered another, subtler form of cultural appropriation, one where the origins of a cultural practice are changed and/or erased.
