161: How The Legacy Of The Caste System Shows Up In Yoga Spaces with Anjali Rao
Is yoga exclusively connected to Hinduism? What is the caste system and why would a western yoga teacher need to understand it? How much of yoga’s complex history do modern yoga practitioners and teachers really understand?
In this powerful and thought-provoking conversation, I welcome back Anjali Rao — yoga educator, activist, and author — to unpack the intertwined histories of yoga, caste, patriarchy, and colonization. Drawing from her new book Yoga as Embodied Resistance, Anjali challenges us to explore how caste hierarchies and colonial legacies still shape modern yoga spaces, language, and access to practice today.
Anjali brings a decolonial and feminist lens to the history of yoga, asking practitioners and teachers alike to hold space for complexity, discomfort, and nuance rather than rushing toward easy answers.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
the origins, structure, and enduring legacy of the South Asian caste system and the material and spiritual inequalities it has perpetuated.
a discussion on how caste hierarchies and Brahminical dominance are reflected in today’s yoga spaces—often unconsciously
a nuanced look at the relationship between yoga and Hinduism
how colonialism and capitalism have "flattened" diverse traditions into rigid categories, leading to oversimplification and erasure of nuance in both yoga’s history and present-day understanding
practical advice for teachers and practitioners on recognizing signs of exclusivity, and steps teachers can take toward expanding inclusivity and embracing discomfort
an introduction to the work of caste abolitionists
Learn More From Anjali:
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Recent Podcast Episodes
Before this recent solo episode, The Purpose of Asana Ep 159, was even released my friend Cecily Milne reached out to say she was so excited to listen to it and chat about it! We decided to record our conversation for all of you, so today we have Part Two!
In this episode Cecily and I dive into what makes asana unique compared to other movement practices, we discuss the nuances of teaching with specificity, and tackle the evolving role of the yoga teacher in today’s landscape.
We also unpack how our approaches to asana practice and teaching have transformed over time, the importance of intentionality versus invitation in cueing, and how to empower both educators and students to understand their why for every cue and pose.