Decolonizing, Demystifying, and Deconstructing Yoga

Reclaiming a Practice Rooted in Freedom, Culture, and Collective Healing

Yoga is undergoing a transformation.

For decades in the West, yoga has been packaged, commercialized, and filtered through a narrow lens—often stripped of its history, its cultural context, and the very communities it was designed to liberate. What was once a holistic practice of breath, movement, spirit, and self-realization was reduced to curated poses, expensive leggings, and an expensive drop-in class promising a “good stretch.”

At Noir Yoga, we believe yoga is far more than that.
Yoga is a path.
Yoga is a story.
Yoga is liberation work.

And to honor that truth, we must decolonize, demystify, and deconstruct the practice so that it can return to its roots—and evolve into an inclusive, healing modality for every body, especially those historically excluded from wellness spaces.

1. Decolonizing Yoga: Returning the Practice to Its Lineage

To decolonize yoga is to tell the truth.

It means naming that yoga is not an “American fitness trend,” but a 5,000-year-old spiritual and philosophical system originating in South Asia. It also means acknowledging how colonization, capitalism, and Western wellness culture distorted it—turning sacred practices into commodities.

Decolonization is not an aesthetic; it’s an active process. It means:

• Honoring yoga’s South Asian roots and teachers

• Rejecting cultural erasure and appropriation

• Creating space for the voices, bodies, and lineages historically pushed out of the studio

• Teaching yoga as a philosophy, not just a physical workout

• Centering healing over performance or perfection

At Noir Yoga, decolonization looks like:
welcoming Black and brown bodies with intention, teaching beyond the poses, and creating a practice culture rooted in truth, reverence, and liberation.

2. Demystifying Yoga: Making the Practice Accessible for Everyone

Yoga should not feel intimidating. It shouldn’t require “flexibility,” a certain body type, or the confidence to walk into a room where no one looks like you.

Demystifying yoga means removing the barriers—real and perceived—that keep people from showing up on the mat.

Demystification means teaching that:

• Yoga is not about touching your toes; it’s about meeting yourself where you are.

• Breathwork is yoga. Meditation is yoga. Rest is yoga.

• You don’t need fancy clothes, a Sanskrit vocabulary, or a wellness résumé.

• Yoga belongs to beginners just as much as advanced practitioners.

• Every body—curvy bodies, Black bodies, aging bodies, disabled bodies, trans bodies, pregnant bodies—is a “yoga body.”

This is why Noir Yoga created Noir Beginnings, a class designed specifically for those who are new, nervous, or rediscovering their bodies. It’s also why our instructors focus on trauma-informed teaching, shape-inclusive cues, and practices that invite ease rather than pressure.

We don’t want yoga to feel mysterious. We want it to feel like home.

3. Deconstructing Yoga: Breaking Down the Myths and Rebuilding What Matters

To deconstruct yoga is to peel back the layers.

It’s asking:
What do we actually need from this practice?
And what outdated, harmful, or exclusionary ideas can we release?

Deconstructing yoga means:

• Letting go of the myth that advanced poses = advanced practice

• Dissolving the “guru culture” and returning agency to the student

• Challenging performative spirituality

• Rejecting the commercialization that limits who can access healing

• Redefining what strength, discipline, and devotion look like on the mat

At Noir Yoga, our future Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program will guide students in examining not only how they practice yoga, but why. We are rewriting the rules that Western culture imposed—reconnecting yoga to freedom, community, and collective care.

Deconstruction allows us to rebuild yoga with integrity.

Why This Matters — Especially in a Black-Owned Yoga Studio

For Black communities, healing is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Our bodies carry generational stress, ancestral wisdom, and the daily pressures of navigating systems not built for us.

Decolonizing, demystifying, and deconstructing yoga gives us permission to reclaim wellness on our terms.

It gives us space to breathe.
To soften.
To strengthen.
To remember who we are.

At Noir Yoga, this work is not theoretical—it is lived. It’s woven into every class, every playlist, every workshop, every greeting at the front desk. Our studio is a sanctuary where culture is honored, identity is celebrated, and healing is communal.

The Future: A Yoga Teacher Training Designed for Liberation

This blog post is the foundation of Noir Yoga’s upcoming Yoga Teacher Training theme: Decolonizing, Demystifying, and Deconstructing Yoga.

Our training will prepare teachers to:

• Teach yoga with cultural and historical integrity

• Serve diverse communities with compassion and skill

• Integrate trauma-informed, inclusive, and anti-oppressive practices

• Lead with authenticity, humility, and cultural awareness

• Build a yoga culture where liberation is the priority—not aesthetics

This is the yoga the world needs now. This is the yoga we are committed to offering.

An Invitation

Yoga is not something we have to perfect. It is something we practice, together.

If you are seeking a space that honors your humanity, your identity, your story, and your healing—you belong here.

Welcome to Noir Yoga.
Where we breathe differently.
Where we heal loudly.
Where we practice liberation.

Asé

By Dr. Mason Mason, Founder & CEO, Noir Yoga

Reflections on the "Yoga for Black Men" Workshop

On Saturday, September 14th, I had the privilege of facilitating Noir Yoga’s first "Yoga for Black Men" workshop, an experience that reminded me why I opened this space in the first place. Over the course of two hours, we journeyed together through journaling, breathwork, meditation, yoga, mindfulness, and sound therapy. These practices came together to create a deeply intentional space for Black men to focus on healing, reflection, and self-discovery.

The energy in the room was palpable from the moment we began. There was a sense of camaraderie, even among those who had never met before. I watched as participants used journaling to release and process their thoughts—often heavy ones that rarely find space in everyday life. Breathwork allowed everyone to ground themselves in the present moment, a much-needed reset from the constant hustle that often surrounds us.

Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness were key components of our time together, offering moments of quiet strength and connection to our bodies. By the time we moved into sound therapy, I could feel that the group was fully immersed, letting go of the outside world and embracing this moment of communal healing.

As I reflect on this workshop, I am left with a full heart and a clear mind. This was exactly the kind of gathering I envisioned when I dreamed of Noir Yoga—a place for Black men to come together, heal, and grow in an environment that centers their experiences. I truly believe that spaces like this are not just important, but essential for our well-being.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be hosting these workshops quarterly, with the next one scheduled for January 2025. I hope to continue building on the energy we created and provide more opportunities for connection, healing, and transformation.

If you missed this session, I encourage you to join us next time. Together, we are cultivating something special, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.