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I am proud to be a part of the yoga community - A group of people dedicated to practicing and preserving the meditation of yoga through mindfulness, vinyasa, asana and pranayama.

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Culture is very important when considering yoga as it deepens, loosens, constricts and changes depending on where you are and who you learn from. Yoga practiced in the west is said to loose a lot of its culture as it is modernized/westernized. The culture of yoga is deep rooted in its rich history which emphasizes holistic approaches to health, a combination of movements, chanting and breath work and aspects of religion such as Hinduism. Yogic culture is prominent in India where it has its roots, even though it has continued to move strongly across the globe.

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The history of yoga is expansive and deeply rooted in Hinduism. The history of yoga is ancient and dates back to due time periods in the BCE century. The vast expansion of knowledge, stories, religious texts, paintings etc (of yoga) is influential to social change as there has been associations with political/environmental agendas. As yoga has become westernized, and the world continues to advance in different directions people use yoga and its history to adapt and justify their ideas. For instance, in portland there is a large community of yogis who used the teachings of the yoga sutras to shape their understanding on presence, acceptance and typically align with fellow political ideologies.

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This is a photo of a “yoga sculpt” class, a class in which weights are paired with yoga poses/movements to gain strength. Many argue this is not authentic yoga and that it may be taking over the community with a very specific group of people. Although some believe that it is positive because it encourages yogic behaviors and wellness. 

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I believe that environment is very interesting when considering yoga due to the practice changing depending on who you are with and where you are. Sadly, this can be controversial as many people believe that changing environments can be negative towards the sacred practice of yoga. For instance, in Portland there are a lot of classes that are called yoga, but lack some of the basic foundations that many traditional yogis would consider essential; which can be perceived however you would like. It is interesting though to consider that the environment creates a new energy, a new practice and a new group of people in it. At my old yoga studio everyone seemed to have the same opinions on social change and what was important/needed to be done. They used their environment to connect with others and understand the change in their community.

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My community has a very specific and niche effect on globalization as I am part of the community that may be negatively impacting the practice of yoga. Westernized yoga is something many yogis and people of different cultures may speak badly about especially when we talk about globalization. The globalization of yoga is spreading its practice across the whole entire world, but it makes some people argue that the art is being lost.

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How have economic systems affected you and your community in the context of social change?

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How have economic systems affected you and your community in the context of social change?

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Yoga has also gotten affected by economic systems because of the growth of health and wellness industries. The health movement, especially in America has become a multibillion dollar industry that profits off of consumers. This raises a lot of questions as holistic health is becoming more and more common. Yoga has become a part of this industry as more and more studios pop up with more students than ever. This creates concern as people may wonder if there is still authentic studios and practices, or if there is just a desire for more economic and financial success by businesses.

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How have institutions related to health and safety and the state affected you and your community in the context of social change?

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How have institutions related to health and safety and the state affected you and your community in the context of social change?

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This is super interesting when considering the social group of yoga as it is a health practice for the body and mind. Since becoming more popular over the past 10 years we see an influx in yoga and members joining the community. This has created many different ideas as many yoga studios have sold out rooms and wait lists which can make it hard for regular practitioners to attend classes. Although sadly due to inflation many workout studios have had to higher prices. When I first started at my yoga studio to improve my health the price was $117 for an unlimited month, but now it is $179. What a huge difference.

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How has the institution of education systems affected you and your community in the context of social change? What connections can you make?

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How has the institution of education systems affected you and your community in the context of social change? What connections can you make?

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This is a little bit of a complicated question because yoga is not necessarily something that is taught or not taught in school. In my personal experience, I was never taught or practiced this form of workout or meditation in my daily life at school. Although I think that we could dive into yoga school and what that means. As many of my posts speak about for this project, it is important to look at the type of yoga school you’re going to. For instance, I got my 200 hour certificate through core power - which is considered a very westernized form of the practice. I also did it online, which could be seen as ineffective to the practice as well. I think that there are many hidden curriculums that could be taught in these classes, whether that be the misunderstanding of yoga, or the idea that one body type fits into yoga, and one doesn’t based on the way people in your class may look. Everybody in my teacher training was relatively thin, fit, and looked a certain way. This is not true or the embodiment of what yoga is supposed to be, but it may teach somebody that this is what a yoga teacher or student is supposed to look like.

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How has the institution of religion affected you and your community in the context of social change

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How has the institution of religion affected you and your community in the context of social change

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The institute of religion plays into yoga in a few mysterious ways. Yoga is said to be a spiritual practice and that is something people typically also associate with religion as religion in a type of spirituality. Yoga has roots in ancient Hinduism and Buddhism even though it does mot necessarily apply to any given religion. In hinduism itself yoga is said to be one of the six orthodox schools, but the act of doing yoga alone is not enough to classify as religious.

Something interesting is that yoga has manifested in many peoples life as spiritual and religious - it is altered by the person practicing. Even in the west yoga is used to connect to your spirituality or even a God or person like Jesus. When considering what we learned this week I am finding such a beautiful connection between yoga compared with to some negative aspects of the church and some positive. For instance yoga would break the bounds of patriarchy as there are no roles or rules for who can practice and their role at a yoga studio or retreat. This is powerful. When honing in on symbols and interactive practice, which is what I spoke about in my discussion this week we see the same rituals and practices that we may see in church. In yoga we stand upon attention, bow to our instructor, sit down when queued and chant when queued. I find this remarkably beautiful when making this connection that it doesn’t matter when you are or what you practice but there is something special about doing things in unison. There are almost the exact same movements done in a catholic mass that there are in yoga, both with completely different meanings but a similar intention; to bring people together and improve spirituality

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How have social movements affected you and your community in the context of social change? 

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How have social movements affected you and your community in the context of social change? 

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Social movements have affected my community in a myriad of different ways. Any type of physical practice can be seen to be effective by social movements as they are political. The act of moving your body, being able to attend a yoga studio/afford it and being accepted instead studio are all due to social changes and social progression. The ability to move our bodies in specifically western culture was not always allowed for everyone - and it is social rights activists such as the woman's rights/civil rights movement that have allowed this.

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Religion and religious ideas are very influential and connected when considering communities of yogis. Religious practices are ways of connecting people with one another and a higher power. Yoga in itself is a spiritual practice and those in the community find a peace and connection with each other. Religion changes society and peoples life and SO can yoga.

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Health, Safety,  State and Economy When Considering Yoga.

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Health, Safety,  State and Economy When Considering Yoga.

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The ability to be a part of community especially in a community such as yoga really relates to the health, safety and states of our communities. To be able to practice with our communities means we must have a space that is open and safe to all. In order to practice we must be in positive health space so we keep other members safe. Lastly, money plays a huge role in workout communities whether we like it or not.