It’s curious to see so many people arguing about whether the Western practice of yoga is cultural appropriation or not, when most of the authors writing pieces about the topic do not belong to the cultural, spiritual, or religious tradition that is responsible for yoga.

While I don’t think all yoga is cultural appropriation — it really depends on the setting and intention of its teaching — I do believe that it has been altered, sometimes negatively, as a practice by many people and companies, who seek to use it as a means to increase their profit potential when in reality, yoga should be free and is actually concerned with removing ones attachments to such things (money, status, property) as they are transient in life.

While Indian spiritual leaders like BKS Iyengar, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Vishnudevananda brought Yoga to the West, I am quite sure they did not imagine that it would turn into a practice that would become bought and sold, its identity completely dissociated from the BROWN people who first imagined and practiced it. Nor did they imagine it would turn into a highly sexualized practice used to market “yoga pants” or flaunt the shape of ones physical body.

A screen capture from the popular video produced by CollegeHumor, “If Gandhi Ever Took a Yoga Class,” which pointed out some issues with Western Yoga.

Swami Vishnudevananda teaching yoga to people of different cultures.

As an American Indian, I am constantly subjected to images such as the one below, which are somehow wholly representative of the only yoga-practicing population:

Peculiarly, I find it very difficult to find images of Indian people doing yoga…

Screenshot from Janelle Monae’s Music Video for “Yoga.” Main lyric: “Baby Bend Over/Let your booty do that Yoga.”

Here’s what yoga might have looked like in the beginning — a circle of loinclothed “heathens” or “idolworshipping Hindoos” practicing together:

Loinclothed Indians doing yoga taught by Swami Sivananda

A rare image of Geetha Iyengar, daughter of BKS Iyengar, and another Indian woman IN A SARI practicing yoga.

Ask yourself this…when was the last time you saw or heard from an Indian yoga teacher? Or really saw people of multiple different races being used to “market” yoga or meditation classes?

When people from a given cultural background no longer have a part to play in the celebration, teaching and understanding of their own culture, something is probably off. But more importantly, when I see people who aren’t even Indian or Hindu arguing over whether or not yoga is cultural appropriation, then I definitely know something is wrong — because we are so removed from the discussion of yoga that we are no longer even sought out to give our opinion on the matter.

For what it’s worth, here’s mine.

I think everyone should have the right to benefit from practicing yoga because it’s quite honestly saved my life, and I know it’s helped millions of other people. Spreading such a practice across the world has been a gift to many. Restricting people from practicing yoga due to their skin color or heritage is certainly something that would be condemned by Hinduism, the religion from which yoga is a part of, and would certainly be condemned by the gurus who traveled to America to teach yoga.

The real issue lies with the fact that so many people practicing yoga today are completely ignorant about the roots of yoga, and often misuse it as a result. If I could have a penny for every time someone suggestively asked me whether I was -wink- more flexible because of my yoga training, I would become a millionaire. If I could also have a penny for every time I’ve seen a couple practicing “couples yoga” in the park together that then devolved into a make-out session or a public display of their physical abilities, I would be a billionaire.

The purpose of yoga isn’t ever to flaunt our powers or our abilities. It is a deeply spiritual, personal practice that involves far more than just asana, as well. It is about conquering the ego, being humble, and connecting to the inner happiness that wells in all of us. It is something that, for years, I struggled with, because of the way many of my cultural and religious practices were treated in America. But it is also something I have come to embrace and fiercely identify with. However, as a Hindu and an Indian living in America, I also realize that I should claim no ownership of this practice.

Yoga is not a gift to only Indians or Hindus — I have hundreds of friends who learned yoga alongside me of all nationalities, religious beliefs, ethnicities, physical abilities, and even sexual orientations. Many of my yoga teachers — starting from the very first, have been white. I respect and value them as gurus, passing down the message and the beautiful teaching of yoga. The distinctions of race and creed mean nothing because yoga is about the oneness of all of humankind.

Yoga is a gift to humanity. It is a gift we use so to create peace inside of our own minds and bodies, so that when it comes to interacting with others, yes, even people of different races, religious creeds, nationalities, etc., that we will be able to make peace there as well. I have no doubt that the more people practice and internalize the teachings of yoga, the less conflict we might experience as a planet.

But I will say this: there is potential for people’s practice of yoga and the manner of its distribution and consumption (as it has become a commodity) to offend those who hold spiritual and religious ties to the practice. There have been multiple occasions where I’ve seen individuals wear T-shirts with “OM” written on them, when I knew that they didn’t fully understand the use of that word, and were only doing it to be edgy, exotic and unique. I also know there are multiple examples of other religious groups re-branding yoga into their own faiths, which to me, is hurtful.

Yoga is dedicated to a heathen lord, apparently.

I just can’t.

There is also potential for Indians and Hindus around the world to feel honored that the practices of their ancestors are so renowned, and so helpful to people around the world.

What there isn’t room for is the ability for people who are not being potentially appropriated from, to say whether yoga is or isn’t cultural appropriation — nor is it okay for people that associate with yoga on a deeper and religious or cultural level to be cut out of the conversation completely.

So, today, I’m asking you — Indians, Hindus, Buddhists, practitioners of yoga with cultural or spiritual ties — do you think Western yoga is cultural appropriation? How do you feel? Have you ever had a negative experience with Western practice of yoga? What about a time when you felt happy and empowered to witness the dissemination of your ancient culture? Make your voices known, because if you don’t, the opportunity may be lost.