Yoga is often marketed in the West as a timeless, ancient practice — yet the reality is far more complex. Modern yoga has been shaped by centuries of cross-cultural exchange, political struggle, colonial influence, and caste oppression. Today, yoga is both a global industry and a site of possibility: it can reinforce systems of power, or it can serve as a tool for justice and collective healing. Through a blend of critical inquiry, somatic and restorative practices, dialogue, and group reflection, this 7-session series invites practitioners and teachers to unlearn, question, and reimagine yoga.
Across four sessions, Indu Vashist (yoga teacher, somatics practitioner, historian, and Executive Director of the South Asian Visual Arts Centre) will guide participants through the modern history of asana: demystifying myths of “ancient” postural yoga, exploring global influences on its development, and unpacking how caste, class, gender, and colonialism have shaped yoga’s trajectory. Indu’s sessions weave together lecture, movement, and reflective practice to provide a solid historical grounding for understanding yoga’s place within contemporary global contexts.
Building on this foundation, Sheena Sood, PhD (scholar, activist, yoga practitioner, and co-founder of Yogis for Palestine) will lead three sessions on decolonization and anti-oppression. Sheena will introduce frameworks for understanding caste oppression, unpack yoga’s weaponization by military and nationalist projects, and guide participants in envisioning liberatory practices rooted in social justice and collective healing.
DATES:
Session 1: Friday Nov 14, 7-9pm - Indu
Session 2: Friday Dec 12, 7-9pm - Indu
Session 3: Thursday Jan 29, 7-9pm - Sheena
Session 4: Thursday Feb 12, 7-9pm - Sheena
Session 5: Thursday Feb 26, 7-9pm - Sheena
Session 6: April 25, 1-3pm - Indu
Session 7: Saturday April 26, 3:30-5:30pm - Indu
$375+hst
Primarily live online sessions with some options to join for in-person sessions
Live attendance is encouraged to participate in discussions, but all recordings and supplemental materials are available to you for 1 year.
Register here