What practices specifically in yoga do you speak of? I honestly appreciate that people in the west have secularized both yoga and meditation, as I personally find no value in the spiritual aspects and only find value in the exercise in the case of yoga and helping psychologically in the case of meditation. I'm curious to hear your perspective though, it seems to be different from mine.

Yoga is a spiritual practice, the fundamental goal is realizing your true (non-physical) self.

The physical exercises started out as conditioning to be able to sit longer in meditation, which is how you get there.

What if the “physical” exercises included aspects that qualitatively changed the state of one’s mind in ways that cannot be contained by thinking and thus cannot be expressed by language?

Sure, and that goes for all internal experiences.

In the ashram where I stayed we weren't even allowed to talk about the practice.

Yoga in the west is an effective stretching technique, with inspiring names and imaginary. So, very good indeed, but nothing to do with the source.

It’s awful for stretching, it doesn’t isolate muscles very well and strains joints. If it was good for stretching, you’d see NFL and MLB players doing it on the field before their games. It’s a ridiculous, roundabout way to do something that science has figured out can be done much quicker and easier, with less risk to the body.

It’s just a vain feel good activity. Yoga practitioners talk all about their “practice” and improving themselves through their “practice”. You’ll hear yoga studios say stuff like “don’t go to church, just do yoga!”. There’s a bunch of pride wrapped up in getting the poses right, but this doesn’t benefit your body, it just lets you one-up on other people because your pose is “more correct”.

There’s not strong evidence-based support for stretching.

NFL and MLB players do tons of stuff like cupping or wearing magnets that are questionable. Doing yoga because it makes you feel accomplished seems about as harmless as channeling your ego into any sport or physical pursuit.

The word Yoga comes from the root "yog" in Sanskrit. It literally means "sum", "union". Yoga is to be in union with nature. It happens when one is living harmoniously.

Sukshma

Yoga laptops are actually made by a Chinese company, which most people consider to be in the ‘east’. How does that fit into your idea of western appropriation?

Quite beautifully actually. I’m going to use this laptop on some Swedish furniture, wearing my indigenous moccasins, while watching a western anime, eating California roll sushi and drinking an americano from a Starbucks.

Thank you for your input! Our feeling is that we give deep reverence to the traditional practices and the thousands of years of wisdom with which they come, and we are attempting to help other people who haven't connected with those forms develop a mindfulness practice that does connect for them. We believe if more people in the world are practicing mindfulness the world will be a kinder, more compassionate place.