Black History Month offers an opportunity not only to celebrate Black excellence, resilience, and cultural impact, but also to pause, reflect, and acknowledge the deeper histories that shape our present. Within the yoga and wellness community, this reflection is especially important. Yoga is a practice rooted in ancient South Asian spiritual traditions, yet its modern expression—particularly in Western spaces—has often centered whiteness while marginalizing or erasing the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) practitioners, teachers, and healers who have sustained and expanded these practices for generations.
This month we extend the invitation to look more closely at those histories. From the South Asian gurus who first shared yoga beyond their homelands, to Black and Brown teachers who have used movement, breath, meditation, and community care as tools for healing in the face of systemic oppression, BIPOC contributions to wellness are vast and foundational. At the same time, many of these voices have been overlooked, under-credited, or excluded as yoga became commercialized and packaged for mainstream consumption. Acknowledging this truth is an essential step toward integrity in our practice.
History and acknowledgment are not meant to induce guilt, but to cultivate awareness and responsibility. When we understand how racism, colonization, and cultural appropriation have shaped the wellness industry, we become better equipped to challenge inequities that persist today—whether that shows up as lack of representation, inaccessible pricing, unsafe or unwelcoming spaces, or the silencing of lived experiences. Yoga, at its core, asks us to practice truthfulness (satya), non-harm (ahimsa), and unity. These values invite us to listen deeply and act intentionally.
As a yoga studio, we see this month as a starting point—not a checkbox. We are committed to uplifting BIPOC voices, honoring lineages, and continuing to learn how we can show up more responsibly as stewards of these practices. This includes amplifying Black and Brown teachers, investing in equitable access to wellness, and creating space for conversations that support healing, justice, and belonging.
May this reflection serve as both a celebration and a call to action—encouraging us to practice yoga not only on the mat, but in how we acknowledge history, hold community, and move toward a more inclusive and liberated future together.
