05/11/2025
Perfected Bodies, Physical Elitism and Yoga Fascists
“The attributes of a perfected body are beauty, grace, strength and adamantine hardness.”
- Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, III:46, translated by Alistair Shearer
When our newsletter on fitness was sent out, we also posted an amended version on Facebook. It did not surprise me that a few members expressed their discomfort with the idea of a “perfected body”, and another noted that it sounded a lot like fascism.
I can appreciate these sentiments as I have witnessed and experienced the painful consequences of being part of a methodology in which physical adeptness (usually expressed as the ability to do freakishly flexible postures and long stays in inversions . . . ) was the measuring stick for one’s ability as both a practitioner of yoga and teacher. And sadly, the perameters by which you could proceed or be declined entry into the upper echelons of certification and access to the opportunities of a teaching network that might better be described as “net worth”. There were very real financial consequences to whether you could, or could not, do advanced yoga postures.
It’s important, however, to give context to this sutra. It appears in the third book of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, that is, the book about the powers that might come as a result of practice. It’s included in a long list of siddhis (powers), such as shrinking yourself to the size of an atom or being able to be in two places at one time. Wonderful powers that would make long distance travel so much more convenient! Yet Patanjali also warns us in the same book, Sutra 37:
“But, even such excellent sensations and feelings and the psychic powers described thus far, which on the surface appear to be desirable and encouraging aspects of perfection are in fact impediments to enlightenment as they, too, distract and externalize the attention.” (Venkatesananda)
. . . meaning, these powers are not the goal. Having a perfected body is not the goal, but may be a fortunate consequence of practice . . . or of genetics.
These considerations aside, there’s a fine balance to be had in wanting to promote the potential benefits of yoga in a world rife with many avoidable conditions (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease . . .), while also considering the issue of privilege, the affects of poverty, and the way in which the culture of wellness and fitness can be alienating for those less fortunate.
For me, the balance lies in teaching that offers progressive points of entry and where there’s no judgement about which practice you choose. There’s no hierarchy to the progressive stages of any practice, with advanced practice being defined as having the honesty to be exactly where you are. To be skillful and present rather than striving and performative.
At the same time, I must confess that it is important to me as a teacher to set some kind of example. The privilege of this knowledge and access to these teachings shouldn’t be wasted. This is one of the reasons I chose to go on a tour in a wheelchair after my accident: I wanted to express that Yoga is fundamentally about a state of mind and a way of being in the world that is not exclusively defined by the abilities of one’s body. And . . . it’s also important to me to model that one’s yoga practice can also contribute to one’s recovery and rehabilitation, health, vitality, mobility, strength, balance, as well as one’s emotional and mental equanimity.
I welcome your contribution to this discussion.
