How US Yoga Studios Are Reckoning with Cultural Appropriation in 2026

Key Takeaways

• Cultural appropriation in US yoga studios now functions as an operational hiring filter in 2026, with studios evaluating whether teachers honor yoga's South Asian origins, use Sanskrit thoughtfully, and understand the difference between appreciation and aesthetic borrowing.
• Market dynamics reveal stark inequities: yoga's $115 billion global industry flows primarily to Western corporations, while teachers of Indian origin remain marginally represented in US and European studios.
• Two damaging patterns dominate: sterilization that strips yoga of its Eastern roots to avoid "offending" Western practitioners, and commercialization through Beer Yoga, deity decorations placed disrespectfully, and Sanskrit used as aesthetic without meaning.
• Traditional eight-limb yoga philosophy has been flattened in most Western studios to focus almost exclusively on asana (physical poses), ignoring that poses were originally designed to prepare the body for meditation and deeper spiritual practice.
• Colonial history matters operationally: British colonizers ridiculed and banned yoga in India from the 1700s through mid-1900s, and scholars now frame the appropriation debate as a continuation of European imperialism and racism, not merely cultural insensitivity.
• Respectful teaching practices in 2026 include acknowledging yoga's 5,000-year South Asian origins in every class, studying Sanskrit deeply before using it, placing religious imagery at eye level or higher, and explicitly stating when you are not an expert on yogic philosophy.

Why Cultural Appropriation Became an Operational Concern in 2026

US yoga studio operators now confront cultural respect and inclusion as non-negotiable professional standards, not aspirational values. As of mid-2026, strong sequencing ability no longer outweighs carelessness with yoga's origins or teaching patterns that quietly exclude South Asian practitioners and perspectives. Studios increasingly ask during hiring: Does this teacher honor origins? Use Sanskrit thoughtfully or choose not to, with clear reasoning? Understand the difference between appreciation and aesthetic borrowing?

The shift reflects input from teachers and scholars in Indian and South Asian communities who have long identified how appropriation manifests in studio spaces. According to postcolonial scholar Rumya S. Putcha, "the terminology 'cultural appropriation,' in and of itself, is a way of diluting the fact that we're talking about racism and European colonialism." The conversation is no longer optional. It is operational, affecting teacher training investments, community building, and day-to-day class delivery.

The $115 Billion Paradox: Wealth Flows West While Origins Go Unacknowledged

Yoga's global market is valued at $115 billion, with the vast majority of revenue flowing to Western corporations. Yet it remains far less common than expected to walk into a US or European yoga studio and find a teacher of Indian origin. Many scholars and practitioners argue this represents a second colonization, where a practice offered freely for thousands of years is now commodified and its originators systematically excluded.

As scholars Shreena Gandhi and Lillie Wolff emphasize in their widely cited work, the goal is not for white practitioners to stop practicing yoga, but rather to understand how yoga's US history links to colonization, oppression, and the commercialization of a devotional tradition. Some Indian yoga teachers report being prohibited from using Sanskrit or chanting 'Om' in their own classes at Western studios. One teacher stated, "If you are a studio owner and you feel like this about yoga, you should just call it an exercise class and run a fitness studio instead."

Two Damaging Extremes: Sterilization and Glamorization

The appropriation problem manifests in two distinct patterns. The first is sterilization: removing evidence of yoga's Eastern roots to avoid "offending" Western practitioners. The second is glamorization through commercialism, including Om tattoos, T-shirts featuring Hindu deities, Beer Yoga, Goat Yoga, and turmeric lattes marketed as yogic lifestyle accessories.

British Pakistani yoga teacher Nadia Gilani writes in her 2022 book The Yoga Manifesto, "Appropriation in yoga is the word Namaste on your T-shirt, it's wearing endless Mala beads. It's tattoos of Sanskrit and Hindu gods and pictures of handstands on beaches by bendy almost-always able-bodied people." Specific disrespectful practices include using Sanskrit words without knowing their meaning, misrepresenting yogic practices for commercial gain, and placing statues of deities on studio floors next to shoes rather than at eye level or higher as a sign of respect.

The Eight-Limb Tradition Flattened to One: How Studios Lost Yoga Philosophy

Traditional yoga follows the eight limbs outlined in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, but most Western studios emphasize only one or two limbs. The typical modern US studio focuses almost exclusively on asana, the physical poses, with minimal attention to pranayama (breath), pratyahara (sensory withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), or the ethical foundations of yama and niyama.

Originally, yoga poses were intended to prepare the body for profound meditation practices, serving merely as the vehicle for understanding and practicing yoga philosophy. Yoga was never a physical practice aimed at weight loss or stress relief. This philosophical flattening represents one of the most consequential forms of appropriation: taking the form while discarding the substance.

Colonial History as Current Operational Context

Yoga was perceived as threatening, ridiculed, and banned among its own people in its own land under British colonization, beginning in the 1700s and lasting until the mid-1900s. This history directly shapes today's appropriation dynamics. What Western studios market as ancient wellness wisdom was, within living memory, suppressed by colonial powers as primitive and dangerous.

Understanding this timeline reframes the debate. As Putcha notes, discussing "cultural appropriation" without naming European colonialism and racism dilutes the conversation. For studio operators in 2026, this history provides essential context for why representation, acknowledgment, and respectful teaching practices matter operationally, not just symbolically.

Respectful Teaching Practices: What Studios Are Implementing in 2026

Studios investing in cultural respect are adopting specific practices. Teachers are being trained to acknowledge in every class that yoga originated 5,000 years ago in South Asia, opening the door for students interested in deeper learning. Teachers study Sanskrit terms deeply before using them in class, and explicitly state when they are not experts on yogic philosophy.

As one educator advises, "Do not use any Sanskrit words that you do not deeply understand and practice." Teachers should use Sanskrit appropriately if they understand the history and meaning behind it and are appreciating the culture it stems from. Religious imagery, including statues of deities, should be placed at eye level or higher, never on the floor near shoes.

Some studios are making more intentional investments in teacher development, including mandatory history education and actively recruiting Indian and South Asian teachers. This reflects a healthier operational orientation: yoga as something to serve, not simply package.

What This Means for Studio Owners

Editorial analysis — not reported fact:

If your teacher training curriculum does not include yoga's colonial history, the eight-limb framework, or explicit guidance on respectful Sanskrit use, you are training teachers to perpetuate appropriation regardless of their good intentions. In 2026, prospective students and experienced practitioners increasingly evaluate studios on these criteria. The operational question is whether your hiring and training processes screen for cultural competence as rigorously as they screen for sequencing skill and hands-on adjustment technique.

Consider auditing your studio: Are religious images treated as decor or as sacred objects? Do your class descriptions mention yoga's South Asian origins, or do they focus exclusively on physical benefits? When you review teacher applications, do you ask candidates how they approach Sanskrit, or whether they acknowledge the limits of their own expertise? These are not peripheral brand questions. They determine whether South Asian practitioners feel welcome in your space and whether your business model relies on erasing the people who created the practice you profit from.

Studios that frame this work as "too political" or "not what students want" may find themselves increasingly out of step with both emerging teachers and a growing segment of practitioners who expect businesses to operate ethically, not just aesthetically. The path forward involves investment: in training, in expanding your teacher roster, and in being willing to say "we're learning" rather than claiming authority you do not hold.

Sources & Further Reading

• Yoga Journal: Cultural Appropriation and Yoga — Overview of appropriation patterns, market size, and the tension between Western commodification and traditional practice
• Accessible Yoga: Decolonizing Yoga — Scholarly perspectives from Rumya S. Putcha, Shreena Gandhi, and Lillie Wolff on colonialism, power, and respectful practice
• The Guardian: Nadia Gilani on The Yoga Manifesto — British Pakistani teacher's framework for identifying appropriation and restoring yoga's roots
• Yoga Renew Teacher Training: Cultural Appropriation in Yoga — Practical guidance on Sanskrit use, acknowledgment practices, and respectful teaching

Editorial coverage of publicly reported industry developments. Yoga Studio Insider has no commercial relationship with any companies named.