Decolonization Seminar

As yoga continues to expand globally, its ancient roots and cultural integrity are often misunderstood or diluted. This panel—featuring Dr. Shyam Ranganathan, Susanna Barkataki, Marcos Silva, Kaz Castillo, and Kino MacGregor—invites an honest and compassionate dialogue on decolonization in the yoga world today. We’ll explore how colonization and cultural appropriation have shaped modern yoga, from its reframing under British rule to its global commercialization, and how these forces continue to influence how yoga is practiced, branded, and taught. Decolonization calls us to remember and restore—to move from appropriation toward accountability, respect, and right relationship with yoga’s South Asian origins. For teachers and practitioners, engaging in this work is both a responsibility and a spiritual practice. It asks us to unlearn inherited biases, honor the tradition’s philosophical and ethical foundations, and approach yoga not as a commodity but as a living path toward liberation (mokṣa). Through reflection and dialogue, we’ll ask: How can yoga communities acknowledge historical harm, practice with cultural humility, and embody principles like ahiṃsā (non-harm) and svādhyāya (self-study) in our collective unlearning? When yoga is re-rooted in its sacred soil, it becomes more than personal transformation—it becomes cultural healing and collective awakening. A portion of proceeds will support women in Palestine through Pal Humanity.