South Asian Culture & Modern-Day Wellness Practices

Oct 23

Growing up, my grandfather would sit on the floor, legs crossed holding his nose and heavily breathing. I used to giggle to myself a little; he would make weird noises and look so entranced, I thought he was asleep. He would tell me how rubbing my nails against each other would help relieve stress and reduce the possibility of graying hair. He would stand on a small black mat with soft, yet simultaneously sharp spikes, massaging the balms of his feet. This was my grandfather’s way of life: yoga, chakras, healing. All the things I know today as a key part of white women culture; a colonized version of something that brought my grandfather peace of mind unlike anything else.

Wellness practices, such as yoga, chakra healing, meditation, and more, have been growing in popularity across the world. As mental health becomes more of a priority amongst younger individuals, so do wellness practices and staying fit. Practices like yoga, chakra healing, and other widespread wellness practices originated in South Asia and actually have spiritual and deep cultural significance. Understanding the roots and evolution of the way yoga and chakra healing have been approached in the US and across the world is so important to being culturally mindful.

As a South Asian, sharing my culture is always something I aim to do. However, there is something to be said about the way wellness practices have been capitalized on and transformed to fit modern white ideals. I’m not huge on yoga and chakra healing myself, but I do know the roots of where they come from, and what that means in terms of my own culture, and I think that it’s so incredibly important to share that above all else with others.

Where do Yoga and Chakra Healing Actually Come From?

Yoga has roots in ancient India, over 5,000 years ago, with connections to various religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. With postures called asanas, breath control called pranayama, and a heavy traditional focus on spiritual enlightenment, moral principles, and meditation, yoga was practiced very frequently throughout India and the South Asian region.

The chakra system also originates from early Tantric traditions, with strong connections to ayurveda and energy balancing practices. Here are the seven chakras:

Root Chakra: Muladhara

Located at the base of the spine
Red, Earth, Stability, Security, Survival
Impacts legs, feet, spine, & immune system
Imbalance can cause fear, insecurity, or anxiety

Sacral Chakra: Svadhisthana

Located at lower abdomen
Orange, Water, Creativity, Emotions, Sensuality
Impacts reproductive organs, kidneys, and bladder
Imbalance can cause emotional instability, guilt, or creative blocks

Solar Plexus Chakra: Manipura

Located at upper abdomen
Yellow, Fire, Personal Power, Confidence, and Willpower
Impacts digestive system, liver, pancreas, and metabolism
Imbalance can cause low self-esteem, indecisiveness, or anger

Heart Chakra: Anahata

Located at center of chest
Green, Air, Love, Compassion, and Connection
Impacts heart, lungs, and circulatory system
Imbalance can cause emotional detachment, jealousy, or loneliness

Throat Chakra: Vishuddha

Located at throat
Blue, Ether (space), Communication, Truth, and Expression
Impacts throat, mouth, thyroid, and vocal cords
Imbalance can cause difficulty expressing emotions or dishonesty

Third Eye Chakra: Ajna

Located at forehead, between eyebrows
Indigo, Light, Intuition, Insight, and Wisdom
Impacts brain, eyes, and nervous system
Imbalance can cause confusion, paranoia, or difficulty focusing

Crown Chakra:

Located at top of head
Violet or White, Cosmic Energy, Spiritual Connection and Enlightenment
Impacts brain and pineal gland
Imbalance can cause spiritual disconnection, apathy, or overthinking

So, how did we end up here?

After these spiritual practices slowly came to life, British colonialism played a large role in suppressing and stigmatizing these traditional practices. Oftentimes, there was a strong marginalization of indigenous wellness knowledge and systems like Ayurveda.

As people moved West into the US, yoga became a common fitness regimen, with yoga studios and wellness retreats quickly erasing spiritual, cultural, and historical contexts. The depth of spirituality has severely been excluded, oversimplified, and erased as chakra healing diluted into trends like “manifestation” and crystal therapy. Something that brought the South Asian community so much spiritual peace quickly became a Western-centric source of enjoyment.

Today, many South Asians often feel alienated from our cultural practices, which are now packaged as consumer trends. There is even an internalized shame in indigenous methods due to western stereotypes. I’ve been to yoga classes where I don’t see a singular South Asian around me and instantly feel othered. Not to forget, those classes are more expensive than anything, as wealthy western people tend to profit from commodifying these traditional practices leaving South Asian yogis behind. This lack of representation of authentic South Asian teachers also hurts this cultural practice severely.

How can South Asians Reclaim this part of our Culture?

As much as this bothers me, the hard part is really figuring out how to take action in the first place. It seems like we are all powerless in the grand scheme of capitalism in the west. However, there are always small actions we can take to call for further cultural sensitivity around these traditional wellness practices. For example, promoting authenticity and highlighting South Asian practitioners can help bring awareness to those who have been left in the dust by western wellness modernization. We can also encourage yoga studios and brands to credit origins and acknowledge the strong cultural heritage of these practices. Reclaiming the narrative and undoing these stereotypes surrounding these practices can take time, but we can take strides to bring back the depth and spirituality that goes into yoga, chakras, and ayurvedic healing.