Toxic culture of Western ‘Yoga Studios’

Hindu practitioner, Puravi Joshi, describes the superficial nature of this western appropriation of ‘Yoga’ that disrespects and mocks Hinduism.

Practising Hindus have long been aware of how the West has reduced Yoga, into a type of physical exercise, ignoring its wider remit on inner and outer purity, character building and spirituality. Writing in the Daily Mail, Puravi Joshi; a Yoga instructor from London, has revealed the extent to which the Western industry of ‘Yoga studios’ is removed from Yoga’s roots in Hindu dharma.

Puravi decided to teach Yoga full time after leaving a stressful career in the City of London. Wanting a change from the toxic work culture of the corporate world, Puravi found that life in Yoga studios was far from the ideals of ‘wellbeing’ that it promotes. In addition to being told that her ‘thighs were too chunky’ to become an ‘advanced yogi’, Puravi describes a studio where Yoga teachers are selected for how well they can pose rather than assess their knowledge or ability to teach. Puravi was further shocked at the industry’s disrespect for Hinduism. During her induction as a teacher, Puravi’s instructor explained “Hindu Gods were just cartoon characters and figments of the imagination”. Puravi was later denied an ‘audition’ for a role in a studio citing – “because my use of Sanskrit terminology would ‘scare modern City workers’”. Since lockdown, Puravi has managed to build a successful online career and therefore able to teach with the authenticity that was not permitted at London’s Yoga studios.
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