""It's Not Religious, But It's Spiritual:" Appropriation and the Universal Spirituality of Yoga" by Mary Grace Antony

Selected Works of Mary Grace Antony

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"It's Not Religious, But It's Spiritual:" Appropriation and the Universal Spirituality of Yoga

Journal of Communication & Religion (2014)

Mary Grace Antony, Western Washington University

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Abstract

Yoga's popularity prompts concern about the extent to which cultural appropriation compromises its original philosophy. This interpretive analysis explores how non- Indian yoga instructors negotiate religion and spirituality in their classrooms and daily lives. In doing so, I consider yoga as a commodity articulated within the frameworks of transculturation, cultural appropriation (Rogers, 2006), and symbolic displacement (Wilson, 2012). Findings indicate that yoga is discursively detached from its religious origins and linked to an abstract and expansive spiritualism. Instructors also hope to initiate spiritual engagement among students through physical practice. These findings are contextualized with regard to cultural appropriation, ownership, and hybridity.

Keywords

Cultural appropriation,
Hinduism,
Indigeonous,
Spirituality

Disciplines

Communication

Publication Date

Winter 2014

Publisher Statement

Citation Information

Mary Grace Antony. ""It's Not Religious, But It's Spiritual:" Appropriation and the Universal Spirituality of Yoga" Journal of Communication & Religion Vol. 37 Iss. 4 (2014) p. 63 - 81
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/marygrace-antony/9/