Cultural Appropriation

 VS.

Do You Even Realize What You Are Doing?

     Nowadays, people like to intergrade themselves with different styles and cultures. That is okay to a certain point. The reason for mixing something into your lifestyle should be because you know about that and have learned the background of that culture. However, many people now tend to do things for the trend or because it is ‘cool’. People do not realize that the things they are doing or the things they are wearing have meanings and symbols yet the reason why people are doing it is because it is what everyone else is doing or reasons along those lines. Yoga is one of those things where people are doing because it is a trend, yet most of the people have no idea about the reasoning behind it.

     Yoga has become a mainstream form of exercise that people do nowadays, but what is being left behind is the reason yoga was created in the first place. I am pretty sure if you walk into a room full of people doing yoga and ask them why they are doing yoga the answer would probably be, “It is a great form of exercise” but no one will say, “I am toning for my meditation.” If you are going to do something find out why or what you are actually doing, so you are not doing something so shallow without you even realizing. 

http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archive/2012/01/yoga-debate-existentially-challenged-desi-chimes

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/10/my-practice-yoga-cultural-appropriation-andrea-macdonald/

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