#135: Cultural Appreciation Versus Cultural Appropriation of Yoga with Pranidhi Varshney

Yoga Inspiration

Pranidhi Varshney is the founder of Yoga Shala West which is based in Los Angele and has been practising yoga for 15 years. She believes that learning is cyclical where the student learns from the teacher and the teacher learns from the student unlike a top-down relationship.

Previously, within the yoga community, there was a tendency to overlook the origins and lineage of yoga. Pranidhi feels it’s important for this conversation and voices around yoga to include people of South Asian descent. Nevertheless, she is quick to admit that Western practitioners have played a key role in promoting Ashtanga yoga.

The Ashtanga community is in a transition and accessibility is a big part of that transition. People are moving away from strict regimens and harmful hierarchies that had made yoga feel restrictive and acted as a barrier for newcomers.

We can learn culturally from India where people who practice yoga incorporate it into their everyday life just like eating or combing your hair. Your life shouldn’t come to a halt when you practice yoga.

Hopefully, during this transition, as teachers and practitioners, we can create a safe space where everyone can express their point of view without being shamed or ostracised.

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Important links:

• Pranidhi's Essay that was Published on Yoga Journal: https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/cultural-appropriation-yoga/
• Links to the site and Youtube: http://yogashalawest.com/
• https://www.youtube.com/user/PranidhiV