Cultural Appropriation?

[Burgoo]

I've just stumbled across a few articles that make reference to mindfulness/medication and yoga.

Both articles argue that the Westernisation of both activities is "cultural appropriation" and that white folk in the West should think about how they are using these activities in every-day life. The key themes seem to be:

1. We need to acknowledge the concepts and where they originated
2. We must bring attention to the oppression that has been meted out onto minorities and other cultures if we are to use "their" concepts/activities
3. We should never benefit financially from activities that are stolen from other cultures (e.g. white-middle-class women shouldn't teach yoga if they are getting money from it because it is stolen from another culture)
4. We shouldn't just take the bits that are "relevant" to our culture - for example, using yoga for physical exercise and ignore the spiritual aspects of yoga.

So... what are people's thoughts on this?

TABU (they are being unreasonable, people who argue this)
TANBU (they aren't being unreasonable, we need to stop taking aspects of other people's cultures and respect all aspects of them)

I say they because I am undecided and wonder if I am missing something!

Here’s some background
yogapractice.com/yoga/history-of-yoga/

Mathematics, it's 'appropriated' being historically from eastern countries
😆 No it’s not ‘appropriated’. It took mathematics to build Stonehenge. Every civilisation figured out maths all on their own.

Blimey, you'll be asking us to learn Sanskrit next.

seriously....why though? Do you expect everyone learning ballet or music to learn about all the background before just cracking on with doing and enjoying the activity?

A devout Christian friend refuses to go to yoga classes because of the religious aspects she associates with it. She particularly struggles with saying ‘Namaste’. Considers it to be both at odds with her personal beliefs and disrespectful to those for whom it does form part of their religious beliefs for her to attend because it’s not part of her culture. She does Pilates instead.

But in ballet, or at least certainly when I learnt it, you were expected to learn the names of the ballet poses in French

So it's not that different to expect people to call it Adho Mukha Shvanasana instead of downward facing dog?

You aren't necessarily expected to learn French or sanskrit, but little children can manage French names for ballet poses so I'm not sure why the average yoga goer needs an English name for poses

We need to acknowledge the concepts and where they originated

• of course, why wouldn’t you? Same as you acknowledge some foods, or literature or dance or clothes come from where ever. Not to say it needs to be a daily conversation.

We must bring attention to the oppression that has been meted out onto minorities and other cultures if we are to use "their" concepts/activities

• We should obviously be aware of it and acknowledge it when relevant. But no, it isn’t everyone’s job to be a teacher of history, clearly. A lot of vital jobs wouldn’t get done if it were.

We should never benefit financially from activities that are stolen from other cultures (e.g. white-middle-class women shouldn't teach yoga if they are getting money from it because it is stolen from another culture)

• Clearly nonsense on multiple levels. Not least that yoga as done in the West is a mix of concepts. Ideas naturally travel and change between cultures and generations, as they should.

We shouldn't just take the bits that are "relevant" to our culture - for example, using yoga for physical exercise and ignore the spiritual aspects of yoga.

• Clearly nonsense. Yoga can be enjoyed on multiple levels, as can any activity. Not to mention that’s a very false Western separation of mind and body concept right there. It would be a rare form of exercise that didn’t have an impact on mental health.

There are just a lot of people with time to fill, and not much critical filter. It’s also noticeable that a heavy dollop of misogyny has been ladled into the last two.

I expect it to be taught as part of the class.

Some yoga teachers will tell you a bit about tve moves and breathing but I've yet to find one that relates them back to its original teaching.

When they teach sun salutations they should explain as they go the purpose of each position and breath.

Pp below puts it well, too.

@Boomboom22 actually I think Christians are by and large quite accepting about the Christmas and Easter thing. A few get annoyed that they are religious holidays that have become very commercialised but they are pretty universal now and I don't know a Christian who doesn't celebrate it with all the bells and whistles too.
Yoga is as old as time pretty much. I think the earliest practitioners would be thrilled at how widespread it has become. And any yoga class I've ever been to does acknowledge the origins, use proper names for the poses and the connection between the mind and body.

Uhh bit of a loaded question, but I'm not native-speaker fluent. Yes, it probably is mangled by that reckoning.

No I wouldn’t expect you to learn Sanskrit - the blog is in English and doesn’t really take that long to read if you’re really interested in the history behind yoga.

Aren’t we allowed to share things? If there’s a part of my culture I like and I want other people to enjoy it, how is that bad?
Surely that’s globalisation? If we don’t all share it becomes polarised.

my uncle taught me it and I've forgotten it

I've got some of his old books though.

Mum has a white English friend who teaches yoga, shock horror.

I can never get on board with all this "cultural appropriation". For me, it's part of a way of thinking that has caused a lot of problems. But as I say, luckily, I don't come across it much IRL.

I'm counting down to when people clock the origins of surfing....

Cultural appropriation is simply white saviour complex.
there, I said it.

Have you noticed how it’s always those who have nothing to do with the culture in question that complain about cultural appropriation?

usually people from those cultures see it as cultural APPRECIATION and feel proud that others adopt their customs.

For example an Indian or Bengali would feel extremely proud of anyone wearing a Salwar Kameez or a Saree.
Any Indian I know feels overjoyed of others practicing yoga.
idk 🤷🏼‍♀️

Cultural misappropriation is saying "namaste" at the end of a class.

I like saying it back to the teacher. I'm in the privacy of my own home after a youtube class but maybe a fairy dies or something.

@321user123 totally agree. My first, awesome yoga teacher was a Mancunian woman of Indian heritage who was absolutely passionate about the practice.
And yes she said 'Namaste' and had us say it back to her despite that being cultural appropriation according to a previous poster.

Football is cultural appropriation unless played by British people in England. Rugby and cricket exactly the same.

Yes let them buy unicorn tears for all I care but don’t casually imply that it’s not unusual for a white person to have type 4C hair because you just sound ridiculous…

Even if it is unusual (although you implied that white skin and Afro hair don't ever exist on the one person), it's not non existent and I still don't understand your point. Are you saying that only people with black skin can buy products for Afro hair? That people with white skin and Afro hair shouldn't? Because it's cultural appropriation ... or something? Sometimes even I stray into the Afro products for my coarse, frizzy, wavy Celtic hair. Seriously, have a word with yourself.

It doesn’t really bother me IRL to be fair.

What irks me more is how it’s been monetised and that’s completely against its origins. Yogis are meant to be for plain simple living who for go the meaningless trappings of life like designer yoga mats

I thought the whole point of mixing with different cultures and welcoming diversity was to learn and grow from each other? To evolve society. If we are banned from sharing medicine, development even cooking for example, Then isn't that causing more segregation from each other?

Wouldn't that end up causing more racism if we are purposefully causing more divide and gatekeeping?

Still maintaining I’m yet to see a 4C Afro hair on a white person and you claiming to have seen it proves nothing

Even if you were right and 4c hair never occurred on white people... again, what is your point?

But in 2023, isn't that like saying Shakespeare can only be performed as he directed in the 16th century?

or that no one can make money from selling items connected to religion?

Sadly, I think that's exactly what's happened.

Oh, and what do people who are concerned re CA think of Valentines' Day?