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THE WHITEWASHING OF YOGA IN WESTERN SOCIETY NEEDS A CLOSER LOOK.
by RAMNEET KANG
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ast year, in March of 2017, UBC Recreation organized a “Yoga Rave,” which consisted of a massive yoga class featuring DJs and glow-in-the-dark paint. It became a controversial event that raised concerns among students. While some suggested the event defeated the purpose of the practice as it contradicted its meditative nature, others were more concerned about cultural appropriation. The Ubyssey (The University of British Columbia’s student newspaper) published an article shortly after the event in which Dr. Adheesh Sathaye, a UBC professor in the Department of Asian Studies, asserted that although the commodification of yoga can be detrimental to its heritage, it also creates a space of inclusivity and pushes individuals to further explore and respect its origins. “Philosophically, it’s not grounded in any one religion. It allows you to practice whatever religion you want. It just shows you one way to do it, which is oriented towards the body,” said Sathaye. “I think the way to do it is to differentiate the philosophy from the practice. These are two different histories.” In a health-centric city like Vancouver, where Lululemon is all the rage and you can find a yoga studio every few blocks in Kitsilano, there’s no denying yoga’s popularity. In a way, it demonstrates our society’s longing for connection, stillness, and spiritual fulfillment. However, it’s critical that we understand that yoga is much more than a trendy exercise; we must be mindful of its historical roots and true meaning. What we think comes from India actually came from a place whose current geopolitical borders didn’t even exist
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MAY 2018
AFTER LOSING HER GRANDFATHER IN 2010, GILL TOOK A TRIP TO INDIA WHERE SHE FOUND AYURVEDA, AND EVERYTHING SHE’D BEEN FASCINATED WITH AS A CHILD CAME BACK FULL CIRCLE.
before British colonization and partition. More importantly, what a lot of people don’t know is that yoga and Ayurveda (the traditional system of medicine in India that uses diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing) was banned in South Asia under British rule and colonization. The practices millions of Westerners now turn to for alternative health therapies were intentionally eradicated to the point where lineages of practitioners were broken and thousand-year traditions were lost. I spoke to Navi Gill, a wellness entrepreneur specializing in holistic wellness education, Ayurvedic therapy, lifestyle consulting and yoga about what inspired her to pursue a career in health and wellness. After losing her grandfather in 2010, Gill took a trip to India where she found Ayurveda and everything she’d read and been fascinated with as a child (astrology, folktales, natural remedies and healing). “I never felt something resonate so strongly, so after years of trying to fit into a corporate box, I couldn’t deny that my path in life and in my career had to encompass the spiritual path, healing and Ayurveda,” she said. Gill prefers to teach slow-paced yoga classes with a strong focus on breathing, something the west would refer to as hatha, yin or restorative style. “I also like to understand the sequencing according to Ayurveda and how it will affect the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual body as a whole,” she says. Gill likes to help others find inner stability and clarity, given the busy and chaotic nature of our nine-to-five lives, and so she avoids distracting hot yoga and power classes. PHOTOS: COURTESY NAVI GILL
