AbstractsEducation Research & Administration

Taking yoga off our mat: approaching Montreal's yoga culture with a critical lens

by Sarah Mostafa-Kamel




Institution: McGill University
Department: Department of Integrated Studies in Education
Degree: MA
Year: 2015
Keywords: Education - Early Childhood
Record ID: 2061152
Full text PDF: http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/thesisfile130319.pdf


Abstract

Yoga has evolved into a ‘booming' phenomenon, particularly in North America where over thirty million individuals are known to practice, making it a $27 billion industry. The modern form of yoga, as practiced in North America, has drifted away from its traditional roots in order to accommodate the needs, lifestyles, and cultural norms of North Americans. Traditionally, the main reason for practicing yoga is to attain "enlightenment," a way to discontinue the cycle of reincarnation. Modern yoga is now practiced for a diversity of reasons including stress reduction, mental wellness, fitness and weight loss, and in different settings such as prisons, schools, community centres, churches, shopping malls, parks, hospitals and corporate sectors. Although there has been quite a wide range of literature focusing on the philosophy and benefits of yoga, little academic attention focuses on critical reflection of the ways in which the yoga culture has become inaccessible to those who do not fit the dominant and stereotypical image of yoga: thin, flexible, white and wealthy. Data indicates that the dominant narrative in Montreal's yoga culture speaks to a small fraction of society and fails to represent the vibrant diversity in our city. With the use of critical autoethnography, critical ethnography, participatory photography and semi-structured interviews, I document how the intersection of race, class and body type impacts individual and collective yoga practices of seven yoga teachers and practitioners in Montreal. These individuals' shared testimonies and photographs provide a critical lens to understanding modern yoga culture and provides a more diverse and informed standpoint of yoga practitioners in Montreal. Le yoga est devenu un phénomène en plein essor particulièrement en Amérique du Nord où plus 30 millions d'individus pratiquent le yoga, ce qui en fait un secteur de 27 milliards de dollars de chiffre d'affaires. Le yoga, tel que pratiqué en Amérique du Nord s'est éloigné quelque peu de ses origines traditionnelles afin d'accommoder les besoins et modes de vie des nord-américains. Traditionnellement, la principale raison de pratiquer le yoga est d'atteindre l'illumination qui est un moyen d'interrompre le cycle des réincarnations. De nos jours, le yoga est pratiqué pour de multiples raisons, notamment la réduction du stress, la recherche du bien- être mental et la perte de poids dans différents contextes tels que les prisons, écoles, centres communautaires, églises, centres commerciaux, parcs, hôpitaux et entreprises. Bien qu'il y ait eu une littérature abondante se concentrant sur la philosophie et les bienfaits du yoga, il y a eu peu de réflexion critique sur la façon dont le yoga est devenu inaccessible à ceux qui ne correspondent pas à l'image dominante et stéréotypée du yoga : mince avec un corps souple, caucasienne et riche. Mes conclusions démontrent que l'image dominante du yoga à Montréal s'adresse à une petite fraction de la société et ne parvient pas à représenter la diversité de notre ville. Grâce à…