Namaste, Reader.
This week, I’ve been reflecting on how we practice yoga—not just the postures, but the whole path. What does it mean to move, breathe, and meditate in a way that honors yoga’s roots and serves justice in our world?
Yoga is often marketed in the West as a tool for self-care or fitness. But its deeper roots reach far beyond the mat. Yoga is a spiritual tradition developed in South Asia thousands of years ago, with philosophy that speaks directly to liberation—from suffering, from delusion, and from systemic oppression.
Yet for many, the history of yoga is also tangled with pain. Colonialism violently suppressed Indian traditions—including yoga—and then repackaged them for Western consumption. In more recent years, some modern yoga spaces have been shaped by abuse of power, cultural appropriation, and erasure of the practice’s true lineage.
So how do we reclaim yoga—not only as a personal healing practice, but as a collective one grounded in civil rights and spiritual truth?
🔥 Yoga as Resistance, Not Escape
In the Bhagavad Gita, a core yogic text, we meet Arjuna—a warrior who is paralyzed by despair at the injustice he sees around him. He does not want to fight. He turns to Krishna (manifested as Arjuna's charioteer), who tells him: This is not the time to turn away. Act. But act with wisdom, compassion, and non-attachment.
This moment isn’t about violence—it’s a metaphor for righteous action. It asks us to step into our roles in life with clarity, alignment, and devotion to a higher good. Yoga is not about bypassing suffering—it’s about seeing it clearly and choosing to act in a way that supports liberation for all.
📿 What Gandhi and MLK Saw in the Gita
Both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. studied the Bhagavad Gita closely. Gandhi called it his “spiritual dictionary,” and drew from it the principle of ahimsa—nonviolence—as the foundation for India’s resistance to British colonial rule.
Dr. King, in turn, was deeply inspired by Gandhi’s application of yoga philosophy to real-world justice. When Dr. King visited India in 1959, he said:
"It was wonderful to see the amazing results of a nonviolent struggle. We felt as if we were at home with people who understood our struggle."
Both of these leaders modeled how ancient wisdom could shape revolutionary movements—not by escaping conflict, but by approaching it from the stillness, clarity, and courage that yoga cultivates.
💭 What This Means for Us
As modern practitioners, especially those of us in the U.S. or other Western countries, we can’t separate yoga from justice. Honoring the practice means:
- Learning its history: Including the impacts of colonization, capitalism, and whitewashing.
- Uplifting South Asian voices: Following teachers and scholars from the cultures that birthed yoga.
- Teaching and practicing ethically: With attention to accessibility, consent, lineage, and respect.
- Taking yoga off the mat: Using it to build capacity for hard conversations, anti-racism, and collective healing.
🔥 Practice with Purpose: 15% Off the FIRE Series
If you’re ready to move with strength and alignment—in your body and in your values—consider joining me for the FIRE Private Yoga Series.
This is my trauma-informed, 1:1 strength-building program rooted in yogic philosophy and empowerment.
In honor of this week’s reflection on justice and action, I’m offering 15% off when you use the code KARMA.
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Let your movement be a prayer. Let your practice be a protest. Let your strength serve something bigger.
📚 Learn & Reflect: Yoga + Social Justice Resources
If you want to dive deeper into this work and bring a more justice-centered lens to your practice, here are a few resources I highly recommend:
Books & Essays
- Embrace Yoga’s Roots by Susanna Barkataki
- Skill in Action by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
- Radical Dharma by Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens & Jasmine Syedullah
Podcasts
- Yoga is Dead by Tejal & Jesal
- Michelle Cassandra Johnson on CTZN or Live Awake
Instagram Voices
- @susannabarkataki
- @michellecjohnson
- @yogaisdeadpodcast
- @theunderbellyyoga
- @shut.up.and.yoga
💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
This work takes community. If something in this email stirred your heart, I invite you to:
- Reply to this email — I welcome your thoughts and reflections.
- Practice with me in person — My classes are always spaces for movement, learning, and liberation.
Together, we can co-create a yoga culture rooted in truth, justice, and love.
From My Heart 2 Yours,
Taylor Lee Hitaffer, RYT-500, CYMC
Heart2Brain Yoga
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