In wellness spaces, particularly among yoga and spiritual teachers, there’s this deeply misguided belief. They think staying “neutral” or silent during global atrocities like genocide somehow aligns with peace. They also think it aligns with unity. But this silence does far more harm than good. By choosing not to speak out, these teachers are not only ignoring systemic violence but are actively upholding white supremacy.
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Silence Protects Oppressive Systems
White supremacy isn’t just about blatant racism or extremism. It operates invisibly, sustaining itself by allowing those with privilege to remain untouched by the suffering of marginalized communities. Influential teachers who stay silent on atrocities like genocide unknowingly protect the status quo. This maintains a world where white supremacy thrives unchecked.
Yoga and spiritual teachers often teach about peace and justice. When they fail to speak out, their silence becomes a form of passive consent. Inaction allows the very systems of violence, oppression, and harm to persist. White supremacy feeds on indifference, and when those with a platform remain silent, they’re essentially giving it space to grow.
Spiritual Bypassing as a Tool of White Supremacy
Spiritual bypassing, using spiritual practices to avoid dealing with uncomfortable truths, is another way white supremacy thrives. When teachers focus on sending “love and light,” they avoid addressing real-world violence and oppression. They are actively avoiding the suffering of marginalized groups. Many of these groups are non-white. This bypassing lets privileged individuals—often white—sidestep accountability and ignore the violence that doesn’t directly affect them.
This bypassing upholds white supremacy. Privileged individuals can sidestep accountability. This is true regardless of race (you don’t have to be white to uphold white supremacy). They can ignore violence that doesn’t directly affect them. This often perpetuates systems that disproportionately harm non-white communities. It makes it okay to look the other way under the guise of maintaining “peace” or avoiding “negative energy.” It tells marginalized communities that their suffering is too inconvenient to address, further marginalizing them.
The Problem with Neutrality and Unqualified Authority: Kino MacGregor as a Case Study
Take Kino MacGregor’s podcast as an example. She initially brought on a Palestinian yoga teacher to share their truth, a decisive moment. Soon after, she gave equal space to an Israeli yoga teacher who justified the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.
The problem? By giving space to a narrative that justifies violence, she exercised her privilege to avoid taking a moral stance. She floats above it while others are being genocided, wielding her influence without accountability. Who’s next on her podcast, the KKK?
This pattern, where unqualified individuals use their privilege to wield influence and avoid responsibility, is pervasive in wellness spaces. They cherry-pick perspectives under the guise of “balance” but fail to recognize how their neutrality upholds white supremacy.
The Role of Privilege in Silence
Privilege is what allows teachers to remain silent on issues like genocide. Many Western yoga and spiritual teachers are far removed from the violence and discrimination that marginalized communities face daily. Their silence is rooted in a desire to stay comfortable, protect their brand, and avoid alienating their audience. But this is the essence of white supremacy, the ability to choose silence because the violence doesn’t touch you.
For those experiencing genocide, there is no luxury of silence. Their very existence is at risk. When teachers refuse to acknowledge this, they perpetuate the systems that allow such violence to continue.
Neutrality Favors the Oppressor
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once said, “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” When yoga and spiritual teachers choose neutrality in the face of genocide, they are siding with the oppressor. Their silence shields those who commit violence from accountability.
White supremacy relies on this kind of neutrality to survive. Staying silent signals that the suffering of marginalized communities is insignificant. It suggests that their plight does not warrant disturbing the comfort of those who can afford to remain untouched.
What True Allyship Requires
If yoga and spiritual teachers truly believe in values like ahimsa (nonviolence), they must speak out. They must speak out if they hold Satya (truthfulness) and karuna (compassion) dear. They cannot remain silent. True allyship requires speaking out, taking action, and using platforms to highlight injustice. Being silent is not peaceful; it’s complicit. If teachers want to be part of the solution, they must use their influence to challenge oppressive systems. They should not protect these systems.
These same yoga teachers and Ayurvedic practitioners speak about freedom as a core teaching. Why are they silent when it comes to speaking out against genocide or oppression? What are they truly afraid of? Are they worried about losing money, students, or friends? That isn’t freedom, that’s fear. Freedom isn’t just about personal liberation. It’s also about the courage to stand up for justice. This courage is necessary even if it means losing something. When these teachers remain silent to protect their comfort, they are contradicting the very teachings they claim to stand for.
Silence in the face of genocide is not a neutral act. It actively supports white supremacy. Whether they realize it or not, yoga and spiritual teachers who remain silent uphold those systems.
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7 responses to “White Supremacy in Wellness: How Yoga and Spiritual Teachers Uphold it by Staying Silent on Genocide”
I think fostering communication between groups is never a bad thing, and I commend Kino for doing it.i think this simple framework of oppressor/oppressed, painting Israelis as the oppressor and suddenly “white” and Palestinans as “brown” is also off the mark. Using words like genocide is not correct in this situation either, nor is expecting people to take a stand on a region with a complex history that many don’t understand, and throwing around labels without understanding does not help the situation, which is why I think many people opt out here. It is very confusing when legacy media uses numbers from a terrorist run ministry to describe casualties, and doesn’t discern between combatants and civilians. Also, most people are aware (I hope) that there are no Jews in many Arab places….(why do you think that is the case? Jews have had an Actual genocide…..in Iraq, Iran, Egypt, etc….which is why they need a homeland….Israel is a place where many Arabs live, with freedom to be gay, to have equal rights, etc.. (Population 20% and growing)….I could go on and on, but this white/brown framework is not correct.
It’s interesting that you’re more worried about how we talk about the situation than the reality of what’s happening on the ground. We’re not just “painting” Israelis as oppressors. They’re an occupying force with military and political power, while Palestinians are the ones being displaced, bombed, and forced to live under apartheid! That’s oppression, plain and simple.
As for the “white/brown” thing, it’s not about literal skin color but about power and privilege. Yoga teachers could stand to understand this more.
Israel is backed by Western governments, with all the military and economic power that comes with it, while Palestinians are treated as disposable. It’s not hard to see who holds the power here.Calling it genocide is about recognizing the reality of people being forced off their land, their lives destroyed. It’s not just about body counts. It’s about erasing a people, their history, and their future. That’s exactly what’s happening.The whole “Israel has Arab citizens, so it must be equal” argument is weak. Sure, Arabs live in Israel, but what kind of rights do they really have? Let’s not pretend that Israel is some beacon of freedom for all.You say people opt out because it’s “too complex,” but really, it’s because they don’t want to face the ugly truth. Calling it complicated is an excuse to stay comfortable and avoid having to take a stand
Furthermore, I was going to break down how your comment upholds white supremacy, but I thought better of it.
The expectation for me to explain why Zionism is problematic or why your views align with systems of oppression is itself a tool of white supremacy. It places the burden on the oppressed to educate the privileged, shifting emotional labor onto those already affected by harm.
It’s not my job to explain why what’s happening to Palestinians is wrong. It’s clear, and it’s your responsibility to educate yourself on these realities rather than expecting me to justify the oppression of marginalized people.
This dynamic—where I’m expected to explain while you debate or dismiss—upholds the very power structures that allow oppression to continue.If you genuinely want to understand the systemic oppression of Palestinians, there are many resources available. But expecting me to engage in a debate over basic human rights only serves to perpetuate the imbalance of power.
Of course what is happening to Palestinians is wrong. It’s beyond horrible. You have a lot to respond to but I am going to keep it simple. Words have power. They way we speak matters as this is also a PR war. It’s not about land, it’s not about Israel /Palestine. If it were, peace would have been achieved long ago, look at the land given to Jordan, to Egypt. No Israeli mother wants her sons to go to war. We value life. Why do you think there’s a wall? Who also has a border with Aza? What has all the aid been used for? Not for the Palestinians, sadly, they are a pawn. Who is behind all this oppression?Who treats people as disposable? Iran/Hamas/Hezbollah have been very good at brainwashing everyone to have a common enemy. Also, listen to some Muslim Israeli Zionists, you may see another side to this. Look the true genocides in Yemen, Syria. Until a Jew (or even a Christian) can live in any of the 50 some Arab countries, I’d say they do need a homeland. It is not perfect, but it is necessary. Arab Israelis serve the highest levels of government, are doctors, teachers. The ones who stayed, instead of leaving, as their leaders told them to do while they killed the Jews, have these rights. Because they gave up terror. They quit educating their children to hate and blow themselves up. There are beautiful places where all these cultures live in peace…Haifa, Jerusalem… have you been? What do you think would happen, currently, if “Palestine” existed from the River to the Sea? The Jews would be slaughtered by the psychos who believe what Iran and the jihadis have taught them. There needs to be dialogue about this, not just echo chambers and a refusal to discuss. Look deeper, it’s not BLM.
It’s honestly laughable because you’re just regurgitating the same Zionist script and propaganda that gets repeated over and over. If you want to keep believing that indoctrination, that’s your choice, but I won’t entertain it here. The truth is clear: those who support Zionism are complicit in the ongoing colonization and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians
Uufda Magnolia. If you’d care to educate yourself on history (although you clearly regard yourself as an expert on the Middle East) here’s an outside, Christian source. And feel free to answer my questions for yourself, but I’m done with this. Good luck, and Shalom!
!https://www.icej.org/blog/did-the-jews-steal-the-palestinians-land/
I see where you’re coming from — you’ve chosen to align with a supremacist, racist narrative that justifies human rights violations. And now you’re here searching for sympathy and understanding. You clearly make some interesting choices. Thanks for revealing your true colors and showing everyone exactly who you are.