Yoga, an Indian practice believed to be between 3,000 and 6,000 years old, is one of the South Asian nation’s key cultural contributions to the world.
The practice — which is an interplay of body, mind and breath, combining physical postures, breathing techniques, meditation and ethical principles — has become a global phenomenon in recent decades.
Through international celebrations, cultural exchanges and educational programs, yoga has moved from being a mere wellness practice to an expression of India’s cultural identity and presence across the world.
Due to efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the United Nations decided, at the end of 2014, to declare June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.
It has since become a symbol of Indian cultural pride and national identity.
‘India’s soft power’
On June 21, 2023, Modi led the Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, “the very place where he first proposed the idea,” said Chaitanya Prasad, a former Indian civil servant.
Prasad views yoga as a transformative force that strengthens a feeling of unity and harmony in an increasingly fragmented and volatile world.
Each time someone unrolls a yoga mat to begin their practice, they are connecting with India’s rich heritage, Prasad noted.
“This in itself is India’s soft power,” he claims.
Venkat G Hegde, a professor of international law at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, sees the promotion of yoga as part of the Indian government’s efforts to preserve and strengthen what they believe are traditional knowledge systems.
The government’s Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy),which focuses on developing education, research and propagation of traditional medicine, has driven the national and global promotion of yoga.
Internationally, AYUSH has collaborated with several European countries, the European Yoga Federation and regional groups like Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), to develop and promote traditional medicine systems.
The Indian ministry and the World Health Organization have also jointly launched a mobile app, Myoga, to spread yoga globally.
Cultural diplomacy
Ajay Darshan Behra, professor in international relations at the Jamia Milia Islamia University, said providing support for yoga abroad is cultural diplomacy at the grassroots level.
“People-to-people ties are often stronger than state-to-state ties,” he told DW, adding that yoga reminds the world that India is not just a political and economic power but also a civilizational force, with tremendous cultural, spiritual and historical influence on the world.
Behra also pointed out that India’s promotion of yoga does not provoke fear or is not seen as a threat by other nations, giving New Delhi a distinct advantage.
“It is non-controversial, non-violent and universal in appeal. It builds influence quietly unlike military or economic power.”
Yoga as global industry
In the West, however, yoga is mostly limited to physical aspect of asanas or postures. And it is often advertised by predominantly slender, white people, triggering criticism that it reinforces stereotypical ideas and excludes people who do not conform to this beauty norm.
There’s also criticism about cultural appropriation and over-commercialization.
The global yoga industry is currently estimated to generate over €35 billion (almost $38 billion) from classes, retreats, yoga gear, books, magazines and scented sticks, according to market research firm Allied Market Research.
“Today, yoga is largely an elitist practice embraced mainly by affluent sections, often excluding marginalized communities who find it disconnected from their realities,” said Hegde.
Behra also expressed concern over yoga losing its universal character when linked with political agendas, citing efforts by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to use yoga to whip up Hindu pride and promote the Hindu religion that the majority of Indians practice.
“This limits yoga’s inclusiveness and strips it of its spiritual essence,” he said.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
