ABSTRACT
This paper explores the intersection of yoga, race and class, through the experiences of London-based teachers and migrant students. It considers the growth in popularity of yoga, including its use as a complementary treatment for physical and mental health conditions and its dominance by the white middle-class to understand the culture of modern yoga. Juxtaposed against that are interventions aimed at the growing number of migrants moving from the developing world to the developed, of which yoga is one. These initiatives seek to address migrant health concerns and aid their integration into host societies. Through participant observation of two yoga programs, this research investigates how yoga is taught to migrants in a Western setting, using critical pedagogy and critical race theory. It asks who benefits from this form of yoga and considers how accurately the efficacy of yoga programs for migrants can be measured. Findings include that yoga is taught in a way that reinforces racial and class hierarchies and the white-saviour complex. As a result, it is difficult to determine the true benefits of yoga for migrants.
