To be precise: Modern Yoga is cultural appropriation. Yoga is part of Hindu culture, for many people it is a religion, part of their deep beliefs. The truth is that we as yogis, as teachers in the West, are part of cultural appropriation as we support people in doing yoga and practicing it ourselves. Cultural appropriation means taking or using things from a culture that is not your own. Whenever we discussed this with Aka, my philosophy teacher at Yoga Union in Bali, she told us that we can practice yoga and bring it to the world, but we should never forget its roots, its origin. Please be aware of this when you step on your mat. Please be aware of this when you start chanting or decorating your room or your shala with Shiva, Ganesha and all the other gods and goddesses. It is not decoration, it is religion, it is culture. Unless you believe in it, you shouldn't use it just to make it look more "yogic". It's okay if you don't believe in it, but then you just shouldn't use it.

Don't get me wrong: I support yoga and all of you who practice it. With all my heart. I know - not only through my own practice, but also through studying yoga in my teacher trainings and through the current research for my master's thesis: yoga has many benefits for body and mind, scientifically proven. So why should I advise you to stop practicing?

I don't. But my feeling is ambivalent. Practicing something that I love so much, that is so beneficial, but that has been taken from another culture and is being capitalized on in the West. It breaks my heart when I read texts that point out that the West is responsible for turning yoga into a non-inclusive practice that only focuses on physical exercise. It is only accessible to privileged, healthy and mostly young bodies. That is not the purpose of yoga. I compassionate with all those who feel violated because their culture is being abused. And then, on the other hand, there are all the positive experiences I have and am having with yoga. The personal development of my students, the effects of the physical and mental practice. Ambivalence! I think practicing yoga also means tolerating this ambiguity to a certain extent. But I also believe that it is our responsibility as yoga practitioners here in the West to talk about the issue, to educate and expose the aspects of cultural appropriation. It is important to address the issue of treating and using cultural goods with respect. That is why I will continue to address this topic here and in my classes.