PinnedMember-onlyThrough A Yogic Lens: Is It Really Cultural Appropriation? Or Something Deeper?BY ANJALI SUNITA We’ve all seen it: the deity tattoos, the turbans, self-appointed spiritual names, goddess circles, Yoga business courses, pornographic Yoga pose selfies, events described as “tribal” galore. …Cultural Appropriation12 min read
PinnedMember-onlySafety In the Dark: Recalibrating My Nervous System*Trigger warning, assault, stalking, domestic violence, and rape are briefly mentioned in this piece. Today I walked home alone in the dark, and I felt fine. In a small town of 7,500 people on the North Island of New Zealand, I walked in the dark for more than a mile. …Womens Rights4 min read
PinnedMember-onlySpiritual People, please stop naming and blaming the Universe.Today as I lay with my leg up in a moon boot after breaking the base of my fibula, I am starting to count the number of times people call upon the Universe to explain the unexplained. This week alone in response to my broken bone, I have heard some…Spirituality5 min read
PinnedMember-onlySmashing Four Common Myths About Ayurvedaby Anjali Sunita Many people shy away from Ayurveda because it classifies substances and people into basic categories or bio-energies called the doshas; classification of people in general bares warranted suspicion. As we have seen in Westernized Yoga communities, half-baked information can lead to stereotyping and a diluted understanding of…Ayurveda7 min read
Nov 12, 2021Member-onlyThe Yoga Industry: How Much have we transformed in 2021?In 2020–2021, with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, Stop Asian Hate, and The Farmer’s Strike in India, commercial yoga outfits ‘woke’ to engage with the communities who’s cultural riches they have sold for centuries. Franchises opened their checkbooks like never before to fund the latest trending organization. …Colonialism6 min read
Sep 29, 2021Member-onlyMuddy waters, Muddy Roots, Still Grow Flowers.Recently Jivana Heyman of the Accessible Yoga organization posed the question on FB: “Re: Cultural appropriation, how do you honor your teacher if they are/were abusive”, naming the Sivananda organization. I haven’t felt compelled to write about it until this moment, but now I do. *trigger warning: rape, assault, abuse…Guru6 min read
Sep 16, 2021Member-onlyTop Five Kitchari Recipesby: Anjali Sunita Kitchari, a simple mixture of rice, lentil, vegetables, and spices has become all the rage as Ayurveda enters the consciousness of mainstream yoga practitioners. “Kitchari” just means mixture. …Ayurveda3 min read
Sep 11, 2021Member-onlyReimagine Boldly: Don’t wait for catastrophe to pivotAccessibility, diversity, and authenticity were the core values at the heart of my mission as a teacher. In 2005, I got my start in yoga by teaching all over Baltimore, from the city’s most disinvested neighborhood schools and prisons to private homes of venture capitalists. Some might say I was…Small Business4 min read
Jul 18, 2021Member-onlyBalancing Through Ayurveda in the Dog Days of SummerWhen working or playing outside in the hot sun, a heat radiates from the core outward to the pores. Digestive power lessens. Bodies sweat and skin feels oilier. Summer time is pitta season. A deep breath of hot humid air can feel like breathing in liquid lava. There is an…Ayurveda4 min read