386: Weaponization of Yoga with Sheena Sood

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

386: Weaponization of Yoga with Sheena Sood

Description:

How can something like yoga, that is meant to be peaceful and focused on meditation and breath, be weaponized? How has it been co-opted by the far-right, colonizer projects, and Zionists? How does this show up in our yoga spaces and what can we do to address it? Dr. Sheena Sood shares her insights.

Dr. Sheena Sood (PhD) is a Philadelphia-based activist, educator, sociologist, and healing justice visionary of South Asian descent. She is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Delaware Valley University in Pennsylvania and has studied yoga at Kailash Tribal School of Yoga in India. Her current research project is about Omwashing Yoga: Weaponized Spirituality in India, Israel, and the US, where she investigates the growing incorporation of yoga and mindfulness by far-right law enforcement, military, and vigilante groups. Sheena is also curates “Decolonizing Yoga” workshops through frameworks that recognize yoga’s oppressive layers and liberatory potential and is the founder and creative director of Yoga Warrior Tales, an interactive adventure-based educational program that teaches children yoga and mindfulness through a social justice lens.

Sheena shares her perspective on the situation in Palestine and the reactions in the yoga world after October 7. She explains why this response of “om-washing” is not unexpected, and how we as yoga practitioners, teachers, and studios can counter harmful narratives to support Palestine. Sheena also has some words of encouragement and motivation for those of us doing the work and feeling exhausted, so be sure to tune in for some powerful insights.

Key Takeaways:

[3:14] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsors, OfferingTree and her own 20-hour Yoga for Pelvic Health Training.

[4:26] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Sheena Sood.

[11:29] What does Sheena do and who does she do it for?

[14:13] How can something like yoga, that is meant to be relaxing and focuses on breath and meditation, be weaponized? What is om-washing?

[22:50] Sheena shares her experience of learning about the history of Palestine and how that influenced her interactions with IDF/IOF soldiers in her yoga teacher training.

[29:14] Sheena shares her reflections on the video that was circulating of people practicing yoga in support of Israel.

[34:42] How is om-washing showing up at a micro level? How does the weaponization of yoga show up in our yoga spaces and studios?

[45:22] Shannon pops in with a message about the sponsor, OfferingTree.

[49:11] Shannon and Sheena discuss how change can actually be created - it's not by trying to be nice.

[54:13] What is Sheena's advice for people who have been taking action but are feeling discouraged or unmotivated that their efforts are making a difference?

[62:37] Shannon and Sheena reflect on some of the images they have seen of Israeli soldiers practicing yoga after bombing homes in Gaza.

[66:45] Learn more from Sheena on social media or via her website.

[69:42] Sheena shares some closing thoughts.

[71:26] Shannon shares her reflections from this conversation with Sheena, as well as a personal update.

Links:

• Sheena Sood

• Sheena Sood on Instagram: @sheena_shining, @yogawarriortales

• Yogis For Palestine

• Sign the Yogis for Palestine Solidarity Statement

• Previous Podcast Episodes Related to the Topic

• 385: When the Yoga Teacher Stumbles with Jivana Heyman

• 382: Having Tough Conversations with Rebecca Sebastian

• 376: Collective Care Over Individualistic Self-Care with Muna Shakour

• 369: Struggling to Write Content is Normal with Billie Smith

• 362: Yoga in Times of War & Violence with Molly Nixon

• Yoga for Peace with Shannon Crow [BONUS EPISODE]

• 356: How Silence Feels for a Yoga Student with Suzanne Miller

• 359: Ahimsa in Times of Conflict with Rula Wardeh

• La La Lil Jidar

• Queer Inclusive Teaching with Billie Smith + Shannon Crow

• Yogis for Palestine Merchandise (T-shirts)

• Aniqa Anwar

• ABCD Yogi - Om-washing and Zionism on YouTube

• Southampton Olive Oil Company

• Move with Billie - Inclusivity Workshops

• Yoga for Pelvic Health 3-Hour On Demand Workshop with Shannon Crow

• The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team

• Shannon Crow on Instagram

Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree, and Yoga for Pelvic Health 20-hr Online Training with Shannon Crow.

Quotes from this episode:

"Om-washing is the term for how the global far right and these ethnostates and cultural institutions use yoga as propaganda to make themselves look peaceful or liberatory to the public. But in fact, it's disguising their violent agendas."

"If I'm doing yoga according to the ethics that I want to live up to, then yoga invites me to reckon with the violence my ancestors and my relatives might be participating in."

"One of the ways in which these yoga studios participate in om-washing is in these unfortunate ways in which they think they're trying to be well-intentioned and decolonial, but they actually are only just doing this diversity and inclusion approach that is not actually anti-colonial and that is not anti-imperial."

"No oppressed and formally colonized society has ever won a struggle against their oppressor simply through nonviolent, peaceful resistance."

"I just want to encourage folks to not numb yourself as we continue to see these images and think they can't get any worse. Continue to find ways to let your heart feel what it is that you're witnessing."