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I gotta tell you...I work in I.T. so almost everywhere I go, at least half of my coworkers are Indians.
They're not offended by Americans co-opting yoga.
Nope.
The reactions I've heard from them include:
"That's strange." "That's funny."
"Why?"
"Do they know what yoga is for?"
"Good, yoga is good for you."
"They don't pronounce any of the words right."
The reactions I've heard from them have NEVER included:
"I'm offended by that."
Really. They roll their eyes, sigh, or simply shrug at WORST.
I'm Indian myself, and although I don't bash anyone who exercises, I find it funny myself. The thing I find funniest about typical American yoga practices is that most American yoga classes are not really yoga at all; more of a "Yoga Lite," rather like a Pre-Algebra variety of Indian Yoga. Traditional Indian yogic poses are far more difficult than watered down American yoga. The poses are held longer and are more extreme, there are many more poses, and breath control is a central teaching of Indian yoga, while breath control is not as much of a focus in the American variety.
I'm Indian myself, and although I don't bash anyone who exercises, I find it funny myself. The thing I find funniest about typical American yoga practices is that most American yoga classes are not really yoga at all; more of a "Yoga Lite," rather like a Pre-Algebra variety of Indian Yoga. Traditional Indian yogic poses are far more difficult than watered down American yoga. The poses are held longer and are more extreme, there are many more poses, and breath control is a central teaching of Indian yoga, while breath control is not as much of a focus in the American variety.
That's what I've heard from Indian colleagues as well.
When I do yoga (which isn't often), I don't think I'm engaging in a spiritual practice and I know it's nothing like what real Indian yoga is. It's just something to do for my body if I'm feeling a little under the weather or if I'm sore. I generally only do yoga on weekends if I'm tired or if I'm recovering from an illness.
And that's not me saying that yoga is for wussies. No. American yoga is kind of wussy, at least for someone like me who works out for over an hour 5x a week, lifting heavy weights and doing intense HIIT. Those Gaiam yoga videos are pretty tame compared to that.
That's a censored one on Youtube... for the real thing, google:
"An Idiot Abroad - Karl meets a real life elephant man" and you can see it in all it's glory on a Daily Motion video. (It's past the elephant man part)
That's a censored one on Youtube... for the real thing, google:
"An Idiot Abroad - Karl meets a real life elephant man" and you can see it in all it's glory on a Daily Motion video. (It's past the elephant man part)
Go to a yoga studio or watch a Gaiam video...that's the "yoga" most Americans do.
I'm sure there are people out there who can bend themselves into absurd shapes or people who can float to a crow pose from down dog. And I applaud them. But let's be honest...they're a pretty small minority. Most ladies in a yoga studio think they're badass if they can do warrior 3.
I gotta tell you...I work in I.T. so almost everywhere I go, at least half of my coworkers are Indians.
They're not offended by Americans co-opting yoga.
Nope.
The reactions I've heard from them include:
"That's strange."
"That's funny."
"Why?"
"Do they know what yoga is for?"
"Good, yoga is good for you."
"They don't pronounce any of the words right."
The reactions I've heard from them have NEVER included:
"I'm offended by that."
Really. They roll their eyes, sigh, or simply shrug at WORST.
I don't think Indians need student unions deciding FOR them what is offensive and what isn't. They're fully capable of deciding that for themselves. However, most Indians I've met have been so phlegmatic that the SJW probably think they're speechless from PTSD.
indians are rarely raised with the 'eternal victim' mindset.
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