Inside Yoga 151 (30/11/15)
In September a yoga teacher in Canada was told she could not teach her class anymore at the University of Ottawa because of her classes represented “cultural appropriation”.
Jennifer Scharf had been teaching her yoga class at the University of Ottawa since 2008 at the Centre for Students with Disabilities, part of the university’s Student Federation, when she was told that her class was now cancelled. She naturally asked why?
The Washington Post reported that the student federation explained: “That while yoga is a really great idea, accessible and great for students, that there are cultural issues of implication involved in the practice. I have heard from a couple students and volunteers that feel uncomfortable with how we are doing yoga while we claim to be inclusive at the same time.”
It continued, “Yoga has been under a lot of controversy lately due to how it is being practiced and what practices from what cultures (which are often sacred spiritual practices) they are being taken from. Many of these cultures are cultures that have experienced oppression, cultural genocide and diasporas due to colonialism and Western supremacy, and we need to be mindful of this and how we express ourselves and while practicing yoga.”
And then strangely, as if they had forgotten why the class had been cancelled, staff shortages were cited: “For the moment we would just like to pause the programming also because we are very short on staff and do not have the capacity to do this as programming,” the representative wrote. “But in the future (after we have reflected on which kinds of exercise are more inclusive for our centre).”
Scharf has a point when she told the Ottawa Sun that “people are just looking for a reason to be offended by anything they can find.” But I think she was wrong when she said she understood, but tried to emphasize that her class was “just stretching.” I have read other comments made by Scharf which show she does understand that yoga is more than stretching so why dumb it down?
This is where this story shows misunderstanding and wrong judgements on both sides.
Yoga is not just stretching, it is more than this, as it is about the mind. As the yoga sutra says “Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness” (Light on the Yoga Sutras by Iyengar). It is true that there are a lot of exercises along the way, but as the word yoga – which is union – implies it is about establishing a sense of connection with our self and with the world around us, and that does include the spiritual aspect of our existence. How spiritual or religious one feels is our choice, but yoga can still be a part of our life.
For me “spiritual” can be personal, with a so-called small “s” or it can be more aligned to a religion – which historically, and culturally, yoga does have its roots in the Hindu faith, but is arguably separate from Hinduism. That is why yoga proved so popular with Westerners. There are many who argue that yoga is a science of the mind, while there are others who take a devotional path with yoga, with their focus being the Hindu gods. Yoga accommodates all of these beliefs or non-beliefs.
Hinduism is not the same as Christianity and Islam which are doctrinal religions with one creator god at the heart of the faith, because Hinduism has numerous gods and many traditions across the Indian subcontinent, with so much variety it is possible to see why tolerance and understanding is at the heart of Hinduism. The way yoga is taught varies across India as well as across the world, and I certainly don’t like the way it has become “just physical” and very commercial in the west, as I believe in maintaining its traditions.
This is why I find the decision of the American Hindu Students’ Association to oppose the classes wrong. Banning does not work and in the short term it has deprived people of something which was bringing them some benefit – many of those who attended have disabilities. Let them explore themselves and make their own minds up.
I do, however, agree with the Hindu organisation that yoga teachers must respect the roots and origins of yoga, and teach it as it was meant to be taught.
Yoga is not purely a physical practice as many who practice it realise and know, but the yoga exercises are a very good way of opening the door to the practice of yoga. There are many who start with a “good stretch” and after a while find the meditation and the breathing so beneficial, and they start to see how the practice has reached deeper into their life, improving it in many ways.
To mix up my metaphors and expressions for a moment: yoga is a case of horses for courses; and all paths lead to Rome. Yoga, as far as I am concerned, is there for everyone, whatever their beliefs and feelings about spiritual and religion, whether they are an atheist (yes they can be spiritual) or devotional in nature, when yoga is practised according to the teachings of Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras and guidance of Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the paths might be different but the goal is the same.
This story opens up a veritable Pandora’s box of opinion. What is yoga and how should it be taught and practised? It leaves possible more questions than answers, for example, explaining the Hindu pantheon and how it relates to yoga is another whole story.
To read more below are links to media what reported the story. If you want to send me a message please use the response panel below.
Washington Post, Nov 23: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/23/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/
Huffington Post, Nov 23: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11/23/university-yoga-class-cancelled-cultural-appropriation_n_8627562.html?ncid=fcbklnkukhpmg00000001
