Liberating Yoga Re-Centering Yoga’s Philosophy | Dr. Shyam Ranganathan
May 26, 2025
Dr. Shyam Ranganathan, a scholar and historian specializing in yoga's philosophical roots, dives into the transformation of yoga under Western colonization. He critiques how modern practices often reduce yoga to mere fitness, losing its ethical and spiritual essence. The discussion tackles the connections between race and identity within yoga communities, urging a reclamation of its original principles to combat racism. Highlighting the need for diversity that fosters genuine change, Ranganathan advocates for yoga as a tool for political action and healing colonial trauma.
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Yoga's Original Ethical Philosophy
- Yoga originally is an ethical theory about coordinating mind, body, senses, and intellect into a unified self.
- Modern practice misuses the term, focusing on physical postures and losing the original philosophical commitment.
Colonialism Alters Yoga's Identity
- Western colonialism framed South Asian traditions as religions, altering their original philosophical nature.
- This imposed framework caused people to internalize colonial ideas, obscuring authentic connections to their heritage.
Yoga Heals Colonial Trauma
- Colonialism is a form of egotism, internalizing oppressive power structures as one's self-identity.
- Practicing yoga fosters autonomy and healing by helping us separate from these false identities.
