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Welcome back, yogis! This is the final part and conclusion to my Sounding Off series. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations – I know I’ve overloaded you with complex ideas and convoluted histories, but trust and believe that the yoga industry is better when all of us engage in these critical conversations.
First, let’s review everything we’ve learned over the past seven weeks. Then, I’ll reflect on my own experiences with Sanskrit in modern yoga, and we can decide how to move forward together. Allow me to remind you of the question that we have sought to answer throughout this entire series, each in our own ways:
Should we really be speaking Sanskrit in our yoga classes?
Review
Sanskrit originates in the Vedic oral tradition; it is meant to be spoken, heard, and transmitted aurally…
But in Vedic ritual, incorrect pronunciation defeats the purpose of aural recitation.
We can trace the Vedic-Sanskrit lineage back to ancient civilizations…
But the Vedic-Sanskrit lineage has been plagued by socio-linguistic inequities since antiquity…
And much of the Sanskrit we use in modern yoga is not as ancient as it seems.
Sanskrit is spiritually nuanced or even “transformative” in a way that modern spoken languages are not…
But mindless memorization of Sanskrit words promotes misinformation…
And misinformation breeds pseudoscience and ‘conspirituality’ (conspiracy + spirituality).
Committing to learn complex Sanskrit words can serve as a form of tapas: an act of yogic discipline…
But knowing a few Sanskrit words does not equal Sanskrit literacy…
And those few Sanskrit words are constantly appropriated, commodified, and reduced to their aesthetic appeal in the modern yoga industry.
The Sanskrit textual canon is often regarded as a centralized source of yogic authority…
But yoga has historically been developed and transmitted by many diverse communities – not just Sanskrit-literate ones.
Sanskrit has come to connote “authentic” pre-colonial yoga…
But Sanskrit supremacy IS a legacy of colonialism in yoga.
Sanskrit is inaccessible to beginner yogis…
And yoga teachers often ignore the exclusionary history of Sanskrit culture…
But by offering Sanskrit education to all yogis, we can democratize yogic wisdom!
Evidently, the answer to our question is not so black and white. Over the past seven parts of this series, I have elaborated on seven reasons in favor and eleven reasons in opposition to Sanskrit in modern yoga. Whether we should speak Sanskrit is not a simple matter of respecting the tradition or honoring yoga’s roots; after all, yoga has a long, complicated history, and Sanskrit is just one small part of it.
Now, we know that Sanskrit was strategically selected to represent yoga – first by high-caste Hindu elites, then by European Orientalists and colonialists, and now by American consumers. When we perpetuate the falsehood that we must speak Sanskrit for our yoga to be authentic, or non-appropriative, or anything else, we are playing into reductive, exclusionary stereotypes about what yoga can be and who can practice it. Sanskrit does indeed have a rich heritage, but this language is not the end all be all for yoga. Let’s broaden our horizons – I know it’s possible.
So, do I speak Sanskrit in my classes?
Yes, sometimes! When I teach in gyms, rec centers, or in random pop-up situations, I rarely use Sanskrit save for certain poses that most people know (śavāsana, mostly). When I teach in yoga studios, however, I speak Sanskrit with some regularity. There are multiple reasons that I do this:
- When recited in rhythm with the breath, Sanskrit words take on a lovely cadence which can be soothing – even meditative! I often teach three rounds of the same sequence, with only the third in Sanskrit. This pattern ensures that students have already committed the sequence to muscle memory before they begin translating foreign words.
- Some Sanskrit words are so commonly mispronounced that I like to say them in my classes – just so my students can hear the correct pronunciation for once. In this case, I always follow the Sanskrit with its English counterpart, and I tend to emphasize the part of the word that is often mispronounced (i.e. “pra-SAA- rih-ta pādottānāsana, wide-legged forward fold”)
- Many yoga postures have clear, succinct, well-known Sanskrit names but long or convoluted English names (i.e. janu śīrṣāsana AKA “head to knee pose” – what does that even mean?). If I choose to use Sanskrit for the sake of efficiency, I usually demonstrate the pose at the same time so that my students can easily follow along.
- Unfortunately, many people still equate Sanskrit with “authentic” yoga. Even though we’ve debunked this myth throughout this series, I often feel the need to perform my authenticity as a Desi yoga teacher by reciting Sanskrit words in my classes. Whether I like it or not, this action boosts my credibility, and it tends to catalyze deeper conversations with my students about yogic spirituality and philosophy.
Outside of these few instances, I have mostly stopped using Sanskrit in my yoga classes. I have found that the practice is deeply classist, inaccessible, and prone to misuse. Moreover, the prevalent misconception of Sanskrit as a marker of “true yoga” is harmful and reductive of yoga’s diversity throughout history – it continues to erase yogis of various castes, nationalities, religious backgrounds, and gender identities from the yogic tradition. This pattern of erasure doesn’t just limit the types of yoga that we get to enjoy in the west – it also impacts the development of political ideologies and policies in contemporary South Asia. Such influence is far beyond our scope of practice as postural yoga teachers.
Where do we go from here?
I know I’ve thrown a lot of information at you throughout the Sounding Off series, but we’ve only just scratched the surface. The yogic tradition is vast, multi-layered, and infinitely complex – to truly do the work of Woke Yoga, we must continue to learn and listen to the voices that have been muted throughout yoga history.
The decision to use (or not use) Sanskrit in your yoga classes is entirely your own – so long as you think critically throughout your decision-making process. I hope that I have provided you with compelling arguments both for and against Sanskrit in modern yoga, and that you can continue to return to Sounding Off as a resource as you consider this quandary. I’ll leave you with one final set of questions for self-reflection; please engage with each one thoughtfully, using your answers to inform the future of your yoga teaching and practice.
Self-Reflection Questions:
- Do I speak Sanskrit in my yoga classes?
- When? How often?
- In what circumstances/ yoga environments?
- WHY do I speak Sanskrit in those instances?
- Is it to honor yoga’s history as an oral tradition?
- Is it because my lineage relies on ancient Sanskrit texts or teachings?
- Is it because Sanskrit feels more nuanced or spiritual than English/ my native language?
- Is it because I have only read yogic texts that were originally recorded in Sanskrit?
- Is it an effort to decolonize yoga or return to yoga’s South Asian roots?
- Is it to make my cues more efficient or accessible?
- Is it for another reason? If so, what is it?
- How does Sanskrit impact my own experience as a yoga practitioner?
- How does Sanskrit impact the classes I teach?
- How do my students respond to Sanskrit?
- Is Sanskrit common in the studios/ yoga spaces where I teach? Why or why not?
- Where can I go to find credible information about yoga’s history and socio-political dynamics?
- Do I know how to find reputable non-Sanskrit sources on yoga?
- Who in my yoga community can I speak to about these topics?
- How can I continue these conversations with my yoga students, fellow teachers, and studio owners?
Thank you so much for reading and engaging with Sounding Off! I look forward to continuing this discourse and answering any questions you may have. Please drop a comment below or contact me on any of my social media accounts – I would love to hear from you!
I have also compiled a complete bibliography – with NO Sanskrit sources! – for you to continue learning and expanding your perspectives on this subject. Feel free to download, share with your friends, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts as you work through it:
Don’t forget to subscribe to my Substack newsletter (sign-up in the sidebar to the right) if you haven’t already, as I’ll be posting about lots of fun stuff in the coming weeks. Wishing you all love and light!
Sincerely,
Kaya (The Woke Yogi)
