In her book Liberating Yoga, author Harpinder Kaur Mann draws from her own experiences as a Sikh-Punjabi woman to explain the history and practice of yoga, and how it has deep ties to colonialism and oppression. She explains its roots in colonialism and how it is appropriated by capitalism and white fitness culture by becoming associated with trendy athleisure products, Lululemon, and thin, conventionally beautiful white women. Mann delves deeper into yoga from a physical, emotional, and spiritual angle; this book serves as a guide to practicing yoga for mindfulness, liberation, and introspection.
In addition to this, Mann also delves deeper into how yoga helped her explore her identity as a Sikh-Punjabi woman in the United States. She talks about how she felt out of place, growing up in the West; she did not know where she fit in. She talks about how she always felt different, being the only Indian girl in most rooms. She had been introduced to yoga previously, but it only truly resonated with her in 2015, when she found herself struggling with anxiety and imposter syndrome. It was a way for her to connect with her “higher self.” It was also a way for her to connect with her Sikh roots.
As a yoga instructor, she has made it a goal to teach yoga as a spiritual practice. She wishes to approach yoga with a spiritually inclusive lens, honoring the wisdom of diverse traditions. In her book, she specifically states that she wishes to decolonize wellness by creating a community; she wants us to acknowledge the history of colonialism in the wellness industry and provide real accessibility to the BIPOC community. She wants to help people mindfully connect to their bodies, to bring a sense of peace and stillness, and create more meaning in their lives.
We’ve been socialized to live more in our minds than our bodies, to give more importance to intellect and logic. Many of us are taught to discount our feelings as silly, to see our intuition as “woo-woo,” and to ignore our bodies even when they are begging for us to slow down, to check in and listen.
She talks about how for so many people, yoga has been commodified; companies with a lot of money are able to create a false picture of what an “ideal” yoga practitioner looks like. This ideal is often presented as a thin, young, affluent, able-bodied, white cisgender woman, and the author wishes to change this perception. She aims to make yoga more inclusive by acknowledging its roots in South Asian philosophy and history.
While yoga has significant ties to the author’s spiritual beliefs and values, and I do think that yoga is tied to spirituality in many ways, associating yoga exclusively with spirituality can create a few complex issues. Some people practice yoga simply for the physical and mental benefits. Many religious leaders make yoga exclusively about spiritual exploration, which can alienate nonreligious people or people who simply seek wellness or rehab. Sometimes, the practice of spirituality can also lead people to avoid personal accountability or promote toxic positivity. It is better to have a more nuanced perspective when it comes to spirituality.
Therefore, I do believe yoga and spirituality may not need to be fused or separated; they can coexist, depending on who is practicing it. To me, some days, yoga is about a deep and personal journey, and sometimes, it’s simply about concentrating on your breathing during a stressful time.
Nonetheless, this book is extremely well-researched and is perfect for people who wish to explore aspects of their spirituality. It is a deeply personal and thought-provoking exploration of yoga as a way of self-acceptance and healing. While there are many books about yoga as a spiritual practice, Mann ensures that the narratives of people from underrepresented and marginalized communities are included as well. The book invites readers to reimagine yoga beyond exercise; Mann imagines yoga to be a tool for “individual and collective liberation.”
