Demystifying American Yoga

American yoga is often (mis)understood as elitist and exclusionary--as a pursuit of fitness practiced by bendable, beautiful bodies. It is commodified and marketed as a variety of expensive brands and disposable trends. The focus on the physical overshadows yoga's elements of conscious breath, mindful meditation, deep philosophy, and transformative healing. Or, yoga is assumed to be a religious practice, or just a bunch of stretching, or unfettered appropriation. Despite its popularity in the U.