#120: Exploring Yoga Roots and Traditions

As a yoga teacher, I’ve come across a few practitioners who don’t always realize yoga is from India. Many of these students are from the United States, and they inspired me to investigate and uncover why there is a disconnect between western yogis and the culture of their practice. Sri, a yoga student who has been practicing with us on OmStars, joins me to discuss the Hinduphobia he’s witnessed in the United States and how it impacts our yoga practice.  Sri graduated with a Master’s degree in information systems but still experienced prejudice on campus. Mistranslations, colonialism, and cultural differences between how eastern and western students interpret yoga feed into the Hinduphobia. We take a deep dive into how Westerners look at the caste system. The individualism we have here in America makes us believe that we do not have castes, but we still operate under a social system that organizes us by job, skill set, experience, and even wealth. And this idea influences how we look at the culture and history of our yoga practice.  It’s very important for yoga teachers and students in the west to learn more about the culture and history of our practice. It is a complex system that goes beyond the poses we practice on the mat. The yoga journey is one of spiritual and personal growth -- one of the best ways to grow is by empowering yourself to learn. Sri recommends finding a guru or yoga teacher who is culturally rooted in the yoga practice. You want to go beyond just reading and studying. You want to feel the practice, and a yoga teacher who is a master of the philosophy will help you on this journey. Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.  Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.  Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.