On Cultural Appropriation in Western Yoga Spaces

A reflection from one of our owners, Denise Walker:

This is a picture of me from the fall of 2019. @dallascurow did an incredible job of capturing the moody nature vibes I had envisioned. I’ve used these photos for a lot of things since then, however, when I look at them now, all I can see is the sandalwood and crystal mala draped around my neck. This mala was made by a white woman in the USA that always reassures her clientele that it is okay to wear malas like jewelry because, “If you look at gurus in India, they are covered in malas from head to toe.” And back then, that narrow, white perspective paired with my own perspective of, “It’s okay, I meditate,” was good enough for me! I wore my malas all the time and when they weren’t in use, I’d leave them wherever - sometimes even on the floor. At the time, I thought it gave me more credibility as a meditation teacher to wear the mala (in photos and as an accessory). It wasn’t until I watched an IGTV video where an Indian woman, @kallie_rebel_yogatribe explained that my relationship to my malas was indeed cultural appropriation and had the potential to cause harm as well as alienate South Asian people.

Malas are a sacred tool for meditation that come from Hinduism, Buddhism, and others. They should be treated with the utmost respect. This means using them correctly: for Japa (a type of meditation where you recite a mantra or something similar while running the mala through your fingers, pausing on each bead as you recite). They should never touch the ground as it is a sign of disrespect. If you were to wear them, it would be with great devotion with the mala tucked under your shirt, close to your heart but not on display.

As one of three white female owners of City & Soul, we are committed to continuously educating ourselves about cultural appropriation and decolonization in our personal and professional lives.

Denise Walker