White Women and Modern Yoga: A Brief Overview of Its Historical Timeline
Like many others, my yoga journey began in a corporate studio. It was a hot vinyasa class, set to a hip-hop soundtrack, and led by a white woman. At the time, I had no real understanding of what yoga was. To me, it seemed like nothing more than a glorified stretching routine, but for some reason this stretching routine was making it easier to live inside my own mind, and for that reason I was hooked. Although I lived in a diverse city, the class was overwhelmingly white—predominantly, if not entirely, made up of women. The poses we practiced felt like contortionist movements made easier by the heat, yet even in that space, I wasn’t sure I belonged.
As I continued practicing, I started learning bits and pieces about yoga philosophy. Most of what I encountered came from the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, though it was presented with little context or deeper explanation. Over time, I noticed a pattern: yoga spaces seemed to attract a very specific demographic. Even though I was committed to my practice, I rarely felt truly comfortable in those rooms. As a curvier woman, I was often the largest person there, and that didn’t go unnoticed. If I felt out of place: How would men feel walking into these spaces? Or people of color? Those with disabilities or neurodivergencies? The exclusivity I experienced wasn’t just about my body—it felt ingrained in the environment itself.
When I completed my 200-hour teacher training, those questions lingered. My training cohort consisted of 12 other young, white women. While I learned that yoga is part of a long tradition from India, our training didn’t include a single history lesson. I graduated wondering, What is yoga really? And how did it evolve into this narrow, exclusionary space? It felt surreal to be stepping into a $16 billion industry as both a practitioner and teacher while still having so many unanswered questions about the roots of the practice.
It wasn’t until I was asked to teach a History of Yoga class on a teacher training that I began to dig deeper into yoga’s history. The first course I took was “An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Yoga” through Yoga Studies, instructed by Seth Powell. That course opened a door for me, sparking a passion for research and inspiring me to teach my students about yoga’s lineage. But the deeper I went, the more urgent one question became: Why is yoga so white?
This year, I had the chance to see Mayuri Bhandari’s one-woman show, The Anti-Yogi, and her words struck a chord with me. She explored the painful irony of yoga being part of her Indian heritage, only to see it commodified and sold back to her in a watered-down, westernized form. Bhandari coined the term “woga”—white yoga—to describe the state of modern yoga in the U.S. Even after the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, when yoga brands and studios scrambled to appear more inclusive, the reality hasn’t changed much. Yoga spaces in the U.S. remain dominated by the same demographics—thin, white women. This raises important questions: What does that mean for those who have been historically excluded from these spaces? Why is yoga still so inaccessible for people of color, those with disabilities, or others who don’t fit the mold?
This paper is my attempt to open a dialogue surrounding those questions. By tracing the history of yoga’s journey from India to the U.S., and exploring how it became dominated by white women, I hope to better understand how yoga evolved into what it is today—and what that means for the practice, its roots, and its future.
It’s important to note that there is nothing inherently wrong with white women practicing yoga. Many of my most cherished yoga teachers, who have shaped and molded me into the practitioner I am today, are white women. They are deeply dedicated to their craft and teach with great skill and passion. The problem arises when we ignore or refuse to acknowledge the history of this ancient practice. The problem deepens when we fail to listen to South Asian teachers and knowledge-bearers out of fear of discomfort or change. And the problem becomes impossible to ignore when yoga spaces are only accessible or welcoming to a singular type of person.
Nothing about this is black and white. As we explore the history of modern yoga, let’s lean into the gray areas—where nuance, complexity, and meaningful dialogue can thrive.
Historical Background & Popularization in the United States
Yoga has no definitive starting point or universally agreed-upon date of origin. Some historians believe that yoga can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization (2500-1500 BCE), citing the Mohenjo-Daro clay seal number 420 which depicts a man with horns sitting in what appears to be Sukhāsana, surrounded by animals. This seal, named the “Pashupati seal”, resembles the figure of the Lord of the Beasts, Shiva. Other seals found in the Indus Valley depict people in yogic postures. However, many historians caution against definitively concluding that these seals depict yoga, as the interpretation relies on a modern lens and knowledge. The absence of contextual evidence of yoga in the Indus Valley Civilization beyond these clay seals leads many historians to explore South Asian literature for the roots of yoga.
The word “yoga” is first found in the Rig Veda (1700-1500 BCE), in its root form “-yuj”, meaning “to yoke or bind”, referring to binding an animal to its chariot. Since its mention in the Rig Veda, the word yoga has been used in Vedic hymns, epics, and texts with a “wide range of meanings specific to particular contexts' ' in South Asian literary works. The first systematic account of yoga can be found in the Katha Upaniṣad (circa third century BCE), which summarizes yoga as the stilling of the senses, the origin, and the end.
Outside of textual sources, evidence of physical practices related to yoga can be found in the Śramana culture, which included Buddhist, Jain, and Ajivika ascetics. These traditions used physical movement and breathwork to attain higher states of consciousness and ultimately achieve liberation from the cycle of rebirth. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad (circa third century BCE) further illustrates these practices, emphasizing breath control and mental discipline as key elements of yoga.
The evolution of yoga continued through the premodern era, adapting to various socio-cultural contexts and incorporating diverse practices such as meditation, ethical principles, physical postures (āsana), and breath control (praṇayāma). Unlike the modern practice of Yoga, often referred to as Modern Postural Yoga (MPY), premodern yoga emphasized āsana primarily as a stable seat for meditation rather than the wide array of postures practiced today. In addition, praṇayāma in premodern contexts referred more to breath cessation, contrasting with the breath synchronization seen in modern yoga. Furthermore, MPY’s focus on physical fitness and performance is distinct from the premodern yoga tradition, which emphasized ethical principles, forming a moral framework for spiritual growth and harmonious living. These practices were deeply embedded in the pursuit of liberation, wellness, and personal development.
Americans first began interacting with yoga in the 19th century, as evidenced by the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, who were influenced by Indian philosophy and spiritual practices. However, a pivotal moment in the history of MPY in the United States occurred during the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. The charismatic Swami Vivekananda, despite several challenges in getting to the event, arrived and addressed the audience with the now-famous words, "Sisters and brothers of America." His powerful speech resonated with the crowd, and he quickly captured the country’s attention. Vivekananda's focus on the philosophical and spiritual aspects of yoga led to increased interest among Americans in Indian philosophy and meditation practices, laying the foundation for the future spread of yoga in the U.S.
In the early 20th century, figures like Paramahansa Yogananda also contributed to the introduction of yoga to the American public. Yogananda’s book, Autobiography of a Yogi (1946), became a spiritual classic and further bridged the gap between Eastern spiritual traditions and Western seekers. These early pioneers focused primarily on the spiritual and philosophical aspects of yoga, and although there was some interest in the physical postures (āsana), it was not yet the focal point of yoga practice in the U.S.
The real turning point for Modern Postural Yoga in America came in the 1960s, with the rise of the counterculture and the influence of figures like the Beatles. The Beatles' 1968 trip to India, where they studied under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, helped to popularize yoga and meditation among Westerners. The connection between yoga, spirituality, and personal liberation resonated deeply with the hippie movement, which sought alternative paths to self-discovery and enlightenment. As yoga became associated with peace, love, and countercultural ideals, it began to move beyond the realm of Indian spiritual traditions and into the mainstream American consciousness. Yoga became more accessible, though still mostly limited to white, middle-class Americans, many of whom were seeking an escape from the pressures of mainstream society.
During this period, yoga in the U.S. began to shift towards physical practice, as postures were emphasized in the teachings of key figures like B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois. By the 1970s and 1980s, yoga began to be seen more as a form of fitness and physical wellness, with fewer people focusing on its spiritual and philosophical roots. As yoga continued to grow in popularity, it became increasingly commercialized, and its primary audience shifted to a demographic that had both the time and resources to engage with it—predominantly white, middle-class women who were often financially stable and able to commit to yoga teacher training programs.
The Role of White Women in Modern Yoga
As yoga began to make its way to the United States, it encountered a unique set of circumstances that would shape its evolution in the West. One of the most significant developments in the history of MPY in the U.S. was the rise of white women as its primary practitioners and teachers. This phenomenon is closely tied to the actions of Indian yogis who, during the mid-20th century, came to the U.S. to share the teachings of yoga. These early teachers, such as Swami Sivananda, T.K.V. Desikachar, and K. Pattabhi Jois, often sought to popularize yoga, but in doing so, they disproportionately chose white, middle-class women as their students and, eventually, as teachers.
The decision to train white women can be understood in the context of the time. White women, particularly those from middle to upper-class backgrounds, were the demographic most likely to have the time, resources, and financial stability to commit to yoga. They often had flexible schedules due to financial freedom, and many were also drawn to yoga for its perceived benefits to mental health, beauty, and personal empowerment—factors that resonated with the cultural trends of the 1960s and 1970s.
In contrast, men, people of color, and those from working-class backgrounds often faced more structural barriers to engaging with yoga, and still often do. For men, yoga was sometimes perceived as a feminine pursuit, and people of color, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds, may not have had access to yoga studios or teacher training due to economic or social constraints. Given these factors, yoga’s early teachers in the U.S. were more likely to focus on training white women, seeing them as the most enthusiastic and financially capable group to help spread yoga across the country.
Yoga's early popularity among this demographic was also tied to the Westernized version of the practice being introduced. Indian teachers, often unaware of how yoga would be commercialized in the West, were training their Western students in the traditional methods of āsana and praṇayāma but did not anticipate how the practice would be stripped of its spiritual context and cultural significance. In choosing white women to teach, Indian teachers reinforced a model of yoga that aligned with Western values: individualism, consumerism, and a focus on the physical body. These white women, in turn, became the primary teachers of yoga, passing on a version of the practice that, while rooted in Indian philosophy, was often disconnected from its cultural origins.
As a result, "whites thereby began to enjoy greater access to commercial yoga and came to possess more of that yoga’s material culture, with white women laying claim to the largest portion of yoga’s rights and practices." This commercialized yoga, centered on physical postures and personal transformation, became increasingly disconnected from its spiritual and cultural roots, reinforcing the dominance of white women in the yoga space. The early yoga teacher training programs were typically structured around the needs and interests of these white women, who had the time and financial means to devote themselves to becoming yoga instructors. As these women completed their teacher training, many went on to open their own studios and start training new generations of students, perpetuating the cycle of white, Western domination in the yoga world.
While these early teachers were pivotal in bringing yoga to the United States and making it accessible to many, their choices also shaped the ways in which yoga was practiced and understood in the West. Yoga became a practice dominated by middle and upper-class white women, creating a cultural landscape that excluded many other potential practitioners. This legacy persists today, with yoga studios and teacher trainings still primarily serving white, middle-class clientele. As a result, yoga’s roots in India and its deeply spiritual and philosophical dimensions have often been overshadowed by a Westernized version of the practice that emphasizes physical fitness and personal transformation.
In retrospect, the decision to prioritize training white women in the early years of yoga’s popularization in the U.S. was both a product of social and economic dynamics and a crucial moment in the history of modern yoga. It reflects broader patterns of exclusion and privilege in the West, which have made yoga less accessible to communities of color and other marginalized groups. The question remains: How can the yoga community move beyond its historical roots in exclusivity and work toward a more inclusive and authentic practice that honors the traditions of yoga and opens its doors to all?
Critique and Contemporary Reflections
Like most things in human history, the rise of MPY is messy, and we must exist in the grey area when discussing its dynamics. It’s understandable why white women have become the dominant force in MPY. Indian gurus came to the West with a trade: they would receive funding to further their missions in India, while Westerners would gain access to the ancient teachings of yoga. However, the context of Western racism and classism inevitably shaped how this exchange occurred. Due to these systemic barriers, white women, who had the time, education, and financial freedom, were the ones able to dedicate themselves to studying yoga and transmitting its teachings.
Living in this grey space reveals a complicated reality. On one hand, the wisdom of these teachings has had a profound impact, influencing self-care and mental health movements in positive ways. On the other hand, white women in yoga have also perpetuated harm. We have commodified and repackaged yoga as a marketable form of self-care, often ignoring the voices of South Asian practitioners who have long sought to educate us. This commodification stems from a capitalist drive that strips yoga of its cultural and spiritual roots. At times, white practitioners have defended their role in this process, fearing that acknowledging the traditional sources of yoga would undermine their perceived ownership of the practice.
Moving forward, we must stop blaming white women for their presence in yoga’s Western journey. HOWEVER, it is equally important for white women to take responsibility for their privilege within this space and approach yoga with humility and respect. The practice does not belong to us to mold; it belongs to the tradition it originated from. It’s time for us to elevate the voices of South Asian teachers and to respect and honor the culture from which yoga emerged. Instead of perpetuating the dominant narratives, we must use our privilege to create spaces of kinship, sharing, and mutual respect. Yoga, at its core, is about yoking—how can we use this practice to bridge divides, honor our ancestors, and unite body, mind, and spirit in the ongoing?
Conclusion
The history of modern postural yoga (MPY) in the United States is deeply intertwined with race, class, and gender dynamics. From the early encounters with yoga by American intellectuals to its commercial rise in the mid-20th century, yoga’s journey to the West was shaped by a complex interplay of cultural exchange and exploitation. White women, positioned within societal structures that granted them access to time, resources, and education, became key figures in the propagation of yoga in the U.S. However, the commodification of yoga, largely through the efforts of these women, has marginalized the very culture from which it originated. While it is crucial to recognize the positive impacts yoga has had on personal well-being and society, we must also confront the historical and ongoing harm caused by the appropriation of South Asian traditions. Moving forward, we must navigate this grey area—acknowledging the contributions of white women in yoga while holding them accountable and fostering an inclusive and respectful practice that honors yoga’s true origins.
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