CHITHEADS (#71) // Andrea R. Jain on Cultural Appropriation and Essentializing Yoga

In this practice

Key teachings

• Understanding cultural appropriation in yoga
• Critical examination of yoga's essentialization
• Historical and socio-cultural context of modern yoga

Ideal for

• Yoga teachers and practitioners interested in history and philosophy
• Academics and students of religious studies
• Anyone interested in cultural studies and ethical consumption

Lesson

Instructions

Andrea R. Jain, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, editor of the Journal of American Academy of Religion, and author of Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture (Oxford University Press, 2014). She received her doctorate degree in religious studies from Rice University in 2010. Her areas of research include religion in late capitalist society; South Asian religions; the history of modern yoga; the intersections of gender, sexuality, and religion; and methods and theories in the study of religion. She is a regular contributor to Religion Dispatches on topics related to yoga in contemporary culture and co-chair of the Yoga in Theory and Practice Group of the American Academy of Religion.

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Steps

• Critical discourse analysis
• Academic inquiry into religious studies
• Deconstructing popular yoga narratives

Benefits

• Enhanced critical thinking about yoga's place in society
• Deeper understanding of yoga's diverse interpretations
• Increased awareness of cultural sensitivity in yoga practice