Cultural Appropriation in Wellness: What is Respectful Engagement?

A weekly free yoga class at the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Students with Disabilities was canceled for the remainder of the semester due to cultural sensitivity issues. The cancellation of a weekly free yoga class at the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Students with Disabilities meant students lost a valuable resource, revealing how deeply cultural appropriation in wellness can impact even well-intentioned initiatives in 2026. By Q4 2027, the Western wellness industry must demonstrate concrete steps toward de-commodifying traditional practices.

Wellness practices are promoted for their holistic benefits and inclusivity, yet their widespread adoption in the West often leads to cultural insensitivity and economic exclusion. This contradiction poses a significant challenge for an industry that claims to foster well-being for all.

Without intentional efforts to de-commodify and re-indigenize wellness practices, the industry risks further alienating and harming originating cultures while perpetuating superficial engagement.

What is Cultural Appropriation in Wellness?

Cultural appropriation occurs when elements of a minority culture are adopted by members of the dominant culture without understanding, respect, or acknowledgment of their original context. In the wellness sector, this often means practices like yoga are extracted from their spiritual and historical roots. The Guardian notes that Western economic forces have led yoga astray, transforming it into a commodified product appropriated by the white wellness industry. The transformation of yoga into a commodified product fundamentally distorts its original intent and practice, stripping it of its profound philosophical foundations.

The Commodification of Sacred Practices

The Western wellness industry often reduces deeply spiritual practices to marketable commodities. Yoga classes in the West are frequently commodified, with practices reduced to quick workouts, Instagrammable content, or combined with other activities, sometimes costing around £35, according to The Guardian. The commercialization of yoga classes reduces profound spiritual practices to superficial trends, prioritizing profit and aesthetics over authentic engagement. The focus shifts from inner transformation to external appearance or physical exertion, diluting the practice's original meaning and purpose.

A significant aspect of cultural appropriation involves economic injustice, where dominant cultures profit from stolen elements without equitable exchange. The Native Governance Center confirms that members of the dominant culture often profit from stolen cultural elements without compensating the originators. The profit from stolen cultural elements without compensation reveals the exploitative core of appropriation, where cultural wealth is extracted without proper recognition or benefit for the communities that developed these practices. The economic injustice of profiting without consent perpetuates economic disparity, denying originators their rightful share in the value created from their heritage.