I’ve been ruminating on the Hindu American Foundation’s (HAF) “Take Back Yoga” campaign ever since the New York Times shot it to media stardom last weekend. Given my rather weird background as a political-science-professor-turned-yoga-teacher, this story’s combination of yoga and identity politics (the HAF being a self-proclaimed Hindu-American advocacy group) really got me going.
The question at stake is whether the American yoga community is (in the words of the HAF) “disassociating Yoga from its Hindu roots” – and, if so, whether this is problematic.
While I suspect that it runs counter to the views of many if not most of my fellow practitioners, after much reflection my conclusion is that:
- It’s quite true that there’s an odd silence surrounding Hinduism in the American yoga community. In 15 years of involvement, I’ve heard a lot about Tantra (not to get that started again!), as well as much less well-known (in the U.S. context) traditions such as Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Shavism. Yet, what’s by far the most familiar term to most Americans – “Hinduism” – is rarely uttered, either in print or conversation.
- And yes, I do think that this is problematic. In fact, the more I reflect on it, the more I find that I feel this way.
The reason that I think this, however, is not because I believe that “yoga” sprang directly from some mythical set of ancient “Hindu roots.” Both conceptually and historically, this seems hugely over-simplistic to me. Both “yoga” and “Hinduism” are words that refer to vast, diverse, and complex traditions. And as such, the reality is that both have always been understood and practiced in a huge variety of ways.
To make much sense of the “yoga and Hinduism” debate, I think, it’s crucial to define your terms. What type of yoga are you talking about? When and where? As practiced by whom? And precisely what do you mean by “Hinduism”? This is such vast terrain that it’s impossible to navigate it in non-specific terms for very long without getting hopelessly confused and lost.
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| The Cosmic Ocean Reveals Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, 1835 |
Talking ‘Bout America, Yo
So let me be clear: What I’m thinking about in terms of this debate is the state of contemporary American culture.
I’m thinking about the 15 million or so mostly white Americans who go to (or teach) yoga classes at gyms or studios, who read (or reject) Yoga Journal (but in any case are familiar with it), who buy yoga books and DVDs, and who perhaps shell out for trainings and conferences when inspired (and solvent).
I’m also thinking about the 2.29 million Hindus of Indian origin living in the U.S. today, and the larger Hindu diaspora they’re a part of.
Just to be clear, I myself have no personal ties to either India or Hinduism. No, I’m pretty much your run-of-the-mill left-liberal WASP (although I did have one Grandmother who was an observant Jew and one who was a devout Southern Baptist, which helps explain why I’m drawn to religious and spiritual syncretism). I’ve had a few close Hindu friends (interestingly including one Latina convert Hindu from Detroit), but our discussions of yoga and/or Hinduism have been cursory, if they occurred at all. We have a big Indian community here in Chicago, but when I go to Devon Avenue to shop or eat out, I’m really just a local tourist.
I do, however, have a professional background writing and teaching about racial and ethnic politics in the U.S. So for better or worse, that’s the lens through which I view this debate.
Many of my interested, involved, and knowledgeable practitioner friends, in contrast, enter into it thinking about ancient Indian history. Some have explained that yoga and Hinduism really have little to do with each other at all. And I’m very interested in . But I also think that it’s obvious that this issue is too big to be treated as a simple, open-and-shut case.
Meanwhile, however, I’m thinking about the Civil Rights and Black Power movements and how revolutionary it was for African American culture to get any respect in this country. I’m thinking about how certain Native American advocacy groups have protested against what they see as the exploitative appropriation of their sacred symbols and traditions, and how important it is to at least listen respectfully to their POV.
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| Mexico City Olympics, 1968: Black Power salute |
When I read over the HAF website, I’m thinking about the NAACP and MALDEF. I know the history; I know how important racial/ethnic advocacy groups with some legal/political savvy have been in moving this country closer to ideals of civic equality and individual opportunity that I very much support.
Which is not to say that I think that we non-Hindu practitioners should scramble to follow some arbitrary “politically correct” line about yoga and Hinduism just because the HAF is promoting it. They are only one organization. And while they are apparently the first professionally run Hindu-American advocacy group, it’s always true that no single group ever speaks for all of its purported members.
And even if they did, it’s also true there are now millions of non-Hindu yoga practitioners who have their own experience of yoga and lots of interesting and worthwhile things to say about it. All voices are valuable. No one should be silenced.
What’s at Stake?
What’s at Stake?
It’s important to remember no one is suggesting that you need to be Hindu to practice yoga. On the contrary, everyone agrees that Hindu gurus have been telling us Westerners that yoga is a universal practice since it was first taught to us by Swami Vivekanada back in the late 19th century.
Nor is the question at stake “who owns yoga.” Framed in these terms (as done by both the Times and Deepak Chopra), it’s far too easy to dismissively respond that no one “owns” yoga. Again, most Hindu yoga teachers have been telling us that for over a century now.
What’s at stake, I think, is whether it’s valuable to start a new conversation that acknowledges – and respects – the historical and contemporary connections between yoga and Hinduism.
Personally, I think this sounds wonderful. I know that I don’t have a good understanding of Hinduism, and that it’s a huge and complex subject. I also know that I love yoga and want to deepen my knowledge of it – which certainly includes its relationship with Hinduism! This all sounds completely fascinating and enriching to me . . .
So I’ve been surprised that there seems to be so much resistance to opening up this dialog among my compatriots in the yoga community. Most everyone seems to agree that Hinduism is generally neither acknowledged nor discussed in the mainstream American yoga scene. Yet the dominant response seems to be: Yes, and that’s entirely appropriate.
Why? Some of the responses include: Because no one “owns” yoga. (But again, that’s not the issue.) Or because yoga predates Hinduism. (Fine, but what about the next few thousand years?) Or because “Hinduism” is essentially a modern term pushed by colonial Britain. (True, but contemporary asana practice is modern too. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know more about how both developed in tandem?)
Now, I recognize that by naming their campaign “Take Back Yoga,” the HAF took an aggressive, proprietary tone that some may find off-putting, or even offensive. But let’s remember that they are an advocacy group – their job is to get attention for their cause.
Controversial bumper sticker slogans attract attention in ways that nuanced, considerate discussions do not. Such is the nature of cultural and identity politics, not to mention politics in general – that’s just the way that it goes.
But the slogan “Take Back Yoga” accomplished its essential purpose: that is, calling attention to the almost eerie silence surrounding the subject of Hinduism in the American yoga community. Now that this is on the table, I think that it’s up to others interested in seeing a new discussion develop to step up and get started.
I, for one, would love to see it happen. Anyone else out there willing to join me?
Note: "Cosmic Ocean" image from http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1800_1899/hinduism/greatgods./greatgods.html
Note: "Cosmic Ocean" image from http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1800_1899/hinduism/greatgods./greatgods.html
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