Take Back Yoga Campaign Analysis
Cultural appropriation has been a controversial topic on social media. Many people consider it as problematic when it typically involves people of a dominant culture exploiting the cultural elements of another without permission (Nittle, 2017). Examples of cultural appropriation include using other cultures ' language, food, music, folklore, medicine or symbols. Yoga is another typical example which is practiced by people without acknowledging its religious root. It has been widely adopted as physical exercise to get fit in the west. As Gregoire (2014) indicates, yoga has become a $27 billion industry with over 20 million practitioners. By treating yoga as a commodity and physical activity, the original meaning of it is diluted and an exclusive …show more content…
HAF is a Hindu advocacy organization located in the US and speaks for Hindu American community. In 2008, it launched a “Take Back Yoga” campaign to educate people about traditions and origins of yoga (Gregoire, 2014). The campaign started with posting a scholarly essay online. The essay said that the yoga industry neglected the practice “from the Hinduism that gave forth this immense contribution to humanity” (Vitello, 2010). According to Vitello (2010), the campaign has raised people’s awareness of yoga’s adaptation but sparked a debate of who owns yoga. Members from HAF claimed that the philosophy behind yoga was based in Hinduism while there were people who disagreed (Vitello, 2010). People were arguing about the origin of yoga rather than dealing with the problems caused by appropriating yoga. Hence, this solution has not effectively diminished the negative impact on the Hindu communities. This is because the purpose of this campaign is to claim the originality of yoga, not to make people aware of the problem caused by yoga’s …show more content…
The reason why appropriating yoga becomes a problem is that westerners treat yoga as solely trendy fitness and business. Solutions have been implemented by Hindu America Foundation. HAF has conducted a “Take Back Yoga” campaign through social media. However, this measure is not effective in addressing the problem. An improved solution which changes the ways of educating yoga teachers and conducting classes is proposed. Nevertheless, yoga has become such a big industry that it is impossible to stop people from adopting it. What can be done is to reduce the harm brought to the communities and this would require effort from each of member who is practicing yoga or planning to practice
What I Pledge Allegiance To By Kiese Laymon
607 Words | 3 PagesCultural Appropriation is a problem because we do not choose to accept other people livelihoods. “ cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups.” (Little, Cultural). That is the society we live in today, we do not want to understand other cultures, race, and ideas. It is like when our mothers say don’t judge a book by its cover, it is the most important lesson we can all learn in this lifetime.
Horace Miner's Body Ritual Among The Nacirema
964 Words | 4 PagesA few examples of this include: a daily mouth ritual that “consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth,” a daily body ritual men perform by “scraping and lacerating the surface of the face with a sharp instrument,” and special women’s ceremonies where they “bake their heads in small ovens for about an hour.” By the end of his article, you realize that “Nacirema” spelled backwards is “American” and he is speaking of our culture. The hog hairs are toothbrushes, the men’s ritual is shaving, and the women’s ceremony is getting their hair done at the salon. When initially reading the piece, you are disgusted by the rituals and practices of these people, but when it turns out to be our culture, the only reaction you can have is shock for the new realization. This shows our lack of understanding towards other cultures.
Summary Of Three Cheers For Cultural Appropriation
705 Words | 3 PagesIt's especially terrible when those doing the stealing are "rich" […] and those they are stealing from are "poor." to define cultural appropriation. Not only does this definition not cover the complexity of this term, it gives no room to qualify the examples given by this author. Weiss' simplification of this term makes cultural appropriation seem blown out of proportion which in turn compliments his argument that cultural appropriation accusations are over dramatically labeling the simple blending of cultures that are directly related to the success of America. Aside from this, Weiss' examples of the MTV music awards, including references to Kendrick Lamar, accused of "borrowing Asian dress", Katy Perry, accused of "caricaturing African-American women", and Beyoncé, accused of "exploiting Persian culture", and their respective acts of cultural appropriation. Weiss effectively includes these examples of "cultural appropriation" to show his audience how the term "cultural appropriation" is excessively applied to "every corner of American life".
Multiculturalism In African American Culture
847 Words | 4 PagesCulture is easily influenced and is constantly shifting as it passes through various racial and ethnic interactions and exchanges. “With your liberal minds, you patronize our culture, scanning the surface like vultures, with your tourist mentality, we’re still the natives. You’re multicultural, but we’re anti-racist. We ain’t ethnic, exotic or eclectic” (Prashad, 56). This refers to when cultures are commodified and picked apart without taking both the negatives with the perceived positives.
Ignorance Of American Indian Culture
429 Words | 2 PagesI came to a higher understanding of the importance of respecting someone’s culture and heritage after reading this week’s assignments. Unfortunately, the ignorance around us does not allow us to visualize the harm cause on Native Americans. For instance, I am no sports fan but have seen the logos and mascots of many teams in which American Indian’s figures and languages are used. It was not until today that I sympathize with many American Indians who are offended with those images and slangs. My ignorance was not as a participant in this behavior but of an individual unaware of the situation.
An Indian Father's Plea '
628 Words | 3 PagesEvery day we use our culture. Whether it be to argue claims, express opinions, or make decisions, culture plays a part in each area. Culture is who we are, one’s identity, its extent is enormous over our views and actions. A person grows up surrounded with culture at a young age. This can affect how they learn and what they learn.
The Noble Or Ignoble Savage: A Cultural Appropriation Of American Culture
1494 Words | 6 PagesEven though America has become quite the diverse place with diverse cultures, the cultural appropriation found within the American society contributes to the loss of multiple minority culture’s identity. Native Americans are one of the minority groups most heavily impacted by cultural appropriation. From offensive sports, many American Indians feel as though their cultural identities are lost in the mass of stereotypes and false representations of them in popular culture. In literature and film, Indians are too often portrayed as some variation of “the Noble or Ignoble Savage” (Gordon, 30), violent and uneducated, and it is easy to imagine how this negative representation inspires resentment in the Native American community, who have no interest in having their cultures and peoples being reduced to mere savages,
Character Analysis: Inside Out & Back Again
458 Words | 2 PagesThanhha Lai wrote a heart-wrenching novel, Inside Out & Back Again, that conveys the difficulties of refugees escaping the Vietnam War. Ha is a ten-year old refugee girl fleeing from the Vietnam War and Communist rule. Consequently, Ha’s life twists inside out in the areas of intelligence and religion, but she manages to find her way back again. Intelligence is one challenge that Ha faces as she assimilates into American culture. While in Vietnam, Ha boasts, “Now I am ten, learning to embroider circular stitches, to calculate fractions into percentages” (2), which reveals Ha is confident in her knowledge; ergo she is confident in herself.
Lululemon Customer Analysis
513 Words | 3 PagesJennifer Macmaster who has a master degree is a 26 years old female. She is a secondary school teacher. She spends most of the time at school, so sometimes she feels tired. Thus, she starts to do exercise. Especially, she likes to do yoga because it can make her feel relax.
The Human Condition In Literature
1519 Words | 7 PagesThe Human condition is the root of what it means to be human, how we are all human, and in the same way, how we are individuals. Throughout this essay, you will perceive a better understanding of the human condition, and how it is reflected in select pieces of literature. The Human condition is an extremely paramount part of understanding literature. Who are we if we are not human?
Annotated Bibliography: 'Hinduism And Ecology'
703 Words | 3 PagesHindu ecology makes us catch our breath and enter into a special movement with a state of mind of only gratitude and perfection. I believed this article was very useful for my
The Idolatry In Martin Luther's Catechism
1101 Words | 5 PagesFundamentally, idolatry is the worship of an image or object or the excessive devotion towards a person or item. From a religious perspective, idolatry is the worship of images and representations other than the true God. Idolatry is a practice whose scope is often misunderstood, prompting the efforts by different people to demystify the practice both in the past and in the world today. Martin Luther, for instance, explores his understanding of the practice in his Large Catechism, a text meant to guide Lutheran clergymen in their service. This essay discusses idolatry, with specific emphasis on Luther’s ideas and presentation of the same and its prevalence in the modern world.
A Brief Description Of The Sunshine Yoga Website
902 Words | 4 PagesA. Business Profile Business Background: The selected business is the Sunshine Yoga Centre. As the name suggests the Sunshine Yoga Centre offers yoga classes as well as one-on-one sessions. The centre offers 20 classes per week, for beginners all the way to the advanced. The centre offers a wide range of physical and therapeutic practices such as: mum and baby yoga, hot yoga, pre-natal Pilates/yoga, and mindfulness yoga.
Informative Speech On Exercise
818 Words | 4 PagesAnother study at the U.S. National Institute of Health had participants do yoga every day for eight weeks, and take brain scans before and after. These scans showed that a part of the brain called the amygdala, which controls fear, anxiety and stress, had shrunk after the 8 weeks of yoga practice. Physical activity/exercise helps increase the chemical norepinephine which helps relieve stress. Exercise also helps increase endorphins in the brain which makes people feel happier and less
Bij Mantras
1778 Words | 8 Pages15, lines 5-5). From a personal outlook, the Oath means that the teacher should forget themself when it comes to teaching Kundalini Yoga so as to allow them to become an effective instrument of sharing and transmitting this life-changing technology in a style that inspires the learners, along with making them hopeful. The Oath also means serves as a reminder for the Kundalini Yoga teacher to replace their conscience with what consistently yields the utmost advantage in delivering Kundalini Yoga instructions. Besides reminding me that I am an instructor, the Oath elevates my spirit, thereby making me feel delightful. Key Ethical
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