Yoga & Cultural Appropriation Workshop

In recent years, conversations on cultural appropriation, whitewashing, and diversity and inclusion in yoga spaces have garnered attention, notably amongst practitioners who understand the interconnected nature of healing & social justice. These dialogues invite the public to consider how colonialism, racism, and capitalism shape how yoga is taught, shared, and marketed as a popular cultural phenomenon that is either stripped from - or stereotyped within - its South Asian lineage. While some yogis think the solutions to cultural appropriation are found in honoring and appreciating yoga’s ancient roots, others suggest that the appropriation of yoga is less about racial identity and more about the ethics of how yoga is appropriated. In this 2-hour lecture & workshop, Sheena offers us a framework to: *Help analyze conversations on race, cultural appropriation, and yoga *Learn simple tools to begin the work of decolonizing yoga *Discover practices to see yoga as ancestral for all of us Preventing accidentally insulting others - opportunity to curate a unique approach to teaching yoga / tailor your offerings around to yoga in your community that are authentic to your personal lineage and honoring the roots of yoga Recognize what weaponized yoga looks and feels like in the world Find an authentic yoga practice from within - not from external validation or cultural norms, or physical standards How you can use the tangible tools yoga in your own life off the mat for collective liberation for the issues that are important to you. What lies beyond is the potential for yoga to be used as a tool for collective liberation and justice.