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The Yoga Manifesto

How Yoga Helped Me and Why it Needs to Save Itself

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The Yoga Manifesto

By: Nadia Gilani
Narrated by: Avita Jay
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About this listen

How did an ancient spiritual practice become the preserve of the privileged?

Nadia Gilani has been practising yoga as a participant and teacher for over twenty-five years. Yoga has saved her life and seen her through many highs and lows; it has been a faith, a discipline, and a friend, and she believes wholeheartedly in its radical potential. However, over her years in the wellness industry, Nadia has noticed not only yoga's rising popularity, but also how its modern incarnation no longer serves people of colour, working class people, or many other groups who originally pioneered its creation.

Combining her own memories of how the practice has helped her with an account of its history and transformation in the modern west, Nadia creates a love letter to yoga and a passionate critique of the billion-dollar industry whose cost and inaccessibility has shut out many of those it should be helping. By turns poignant, funny, and shocking, The Yoga Manifesto excavates where the industry has gone wrong, and what can be done to save the practice from its own success.

 Colonialism & Post-Colonialism Exercise & Fitness Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Politics & Government Sports Yoga Physical Exercise Funny
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I got some amazing insights as a new yoga teacher and agree that the industry is producing ill equipped teachers but I felt angry at some stages, like when the author mentioned there is no connection between Reiki and Yoga…. Wow! Mind, body spirit, our connection to our creator is in all aspects of practice, also the word Namaste…. It’s beautiful and I think if yoga teachers want to use this word as it makes their students feel comfortable then why not as long as they know what it means, it was super negative at stages and I kept wondering why I was still listening to it.

Self righteous!!!!

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I liked this book on the whole but felt the author was a little passive aggressive.

She covers a lot of good ground with good intentions but then appears to self-prescribe how Yoga should be in the world.

Author seemed quite angry

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Great book, in which Nadia shares her experience and honest opinion of her view on Yoga. Great food for thought for yoga studios, teachers and practitioners. A book that can help us think about and hopefully act opon how we want to see the Yoga of the 21st century evolve be inclusive to all and respectful of it's roots.

Food for thought for yoga practitioners in a forms

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I was hoping to purchase a book about yoga but instead got a 10-hour pity party. Blaming everyone else in her life for doing her wrong, immature, and not taking responsibility for own actions. Without an ounce of hesitation is putting all the white people in the same drawer; rich, privileged, hype, vegan, exotic beach photos posting etc. (act of racism) while at the same time complaining about racism and lack of diversity. I guess being racist towards white people is acceptable these days? Coincidentally, I am white, but at the same time I very often work 12-hour shifts, and don't have the time or funds to attend fancy yoga classes you're on about, and have to resort to YouTube tutorials. These are free, and available to everyone. What is stopping anyone else (motivated enough) from utilising that channel?

Self-righteous and openly racist

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I loved the topic - the underlying message that yoga should not be a white person, bendy body, expensive legging opportunity for those with plenty money. However I felt that it was such a tad of woe I started to switch off. Not sure of some of the Instagram feeds I see somewhat contradict the principle of this book.

I agree with the underlying topic - but felt it was like a big telling off..

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