Wellness is universal. It is how we take care of ourselves, our mind, body and soul, especially in the chaos of our busy lives today.
Every family, every culture has its own practices and traditions. Remember when our moms made ‘haldi ka doodh‘ or turmeric milk at night to help us sleep better? Or how our grandparents swear by waking up early and practicing yogasan and pranayam in the park with their friends? How instead of going to a doctor, our grandmothers gave us some ayurvedic ‘upaay‘ or remedy for faster recovery?
Yoga, meditation, ayurveda, and more, come from our ancestors in India more than 5000 years ago.
These are some of the many wellness practices woven into our lives from generations. Yoga, meditation, ayurveda, and more, come from our ancestors in India more than 5000 years ago. They studied the science of life, human body and the mind, and created these tools and lifestyle practices for our holistic well-being.
Where wellness ends and confusion begins
Now, imagine walking into a yoga studio with mandalas, frames with Sanskrit shloka and Om hung on the walls, and incense stick burning at a corner. The space feels calm and serene, perfectly designed. Yet, as you unroll your mat for your yoga practice, deep down you feel something missing.
Where are the voices of people who created this practice? Why is it so disconnected from its roots? Wellness is meant to heal, but what happens when it becomes a tool of exclusion and erasure?
This is the paradox of White Wellness. It is a global phenomenon where non-Western wellness practices are commodified with a premium packaging, and sold back to us, often stripped of their roots and cultural significance.
Surely you must have seen viral TikToks and reels of Western influencers talking about the wonders of ‘ashwagandha‘, turmeric, meditation and yoga. Often without due credit or compensation to their origins. Often promoted as new ‘trends’ rather than daily habits for a healthy lifestyle.
But what does this mean for the communities where these traditions came from? Are we going farther from a wellness culture that truly heals?
What is white wellness?
“White Wellness” refers to the prevalent white-centric consumerism in the global wellness industry. It’s the yoga studios with white instructors in elite neighbourhoods, the Ayurvedic product lines owned and marketed by white entrepreneurs, and the luxury retreats that cater to the affluent Western crowd. It isn’t a formally defined term but rather a critique of the wellness industry, which gained traction through articles discussing white supremacy and cultural appropriation.
At its core, White Wellness is about extraction, exclusion, and erasure.
At its core, White Wellness is about extraction, exclusion, and erasure.
– Extracting practices from marginalised communities and repackaging them for profits (without credit or compensation)
– Excluding the very communities whose traditions are being exploited, by making these services/spaces inaccessible, unwelcoming, or too expensive.
– Erasing the history, the cultural and spiritual significance of these holistic practices, and promoting them not holistically but as trends.
This results in a wellness industry that prioritises profit over people, and aesthetics over authenticity.
The cultural roots of wellness practices
To understand White Wellness, we must first look at the origins of the practices it approriates.
Take yoga, for example. Originating in ancient India and put together by Maharishi Patanjali, it is a practice that unifies the mind, body and spirit. It is more than just the asanas or ‘poses’.
Yet, in the West, yoga has become a fitness trend.
Similarly, Ayurveda is an ancient, holistic healing-based medical science from India. It’s not just about the turmeric lattes or herbal supplements.
Similarly, Ayurveda is an ancient, holistic healing-based medical science from India. It’s not just about the turmeric lattes or herbal supplements. It is a way of life that includes diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, and ethical living.
However, Ayurveda has become a trendy diet in the West.
Even meditation, which originated in India has now been reduced to a productivity hack in the West.
The spiritual and communal aspects of these ancient sciences and practices have been erased. They are often whitewashed and reduced to their most marketable elements, leaving behind a hollow shell of what these traditions were meant to be.
The appropriation of wellness
Commodification of wellness practices is not new for India. For centuries, Western cultures have extracted resources, knowledge, and labour from the marginalised communities. White Wellness is simply the latest iteration of this exploitation.
Let’s consider the rise of luxury wellness retreats in “exotic” locations like Bali. A week-long yoga retreat at these spots can cost hundreds and thousands of dollars, promising healing and inner transformation. The cost itself makes it inaccessible for most people, especially the culture where yoga comes from.
If we take the yoga industry, which is worth over $115 billion in 2025, white-owned brands like Lululemon dominate the markets while many Indian yoga teachers struggle to make ends meet.
If we take the yoga industry, which is worth over $115 billion in 2025, white-owned brands like Lululemon dominate the markets while many Indian yoga teachers struggle to make ends meet.
It is the same story for Ayurveda.
‘It’s not just cultural appropriation, it’s commodification when you strip something away from its roots, from the heart, from its depth, it makes it easier to sell.
Makes it easier for other communities to profit from, while those that the culture and the practice is from, receive none of those benefits.‘ says Susanna Barkataki, an Indian yoga teacher and author
Who wins, who pays?
Simply put, White Wellness benefits the privileged at the expense of the marginalised. People of colour, particularly Black and Asian communities, often experience the exclusion and discomfort in wellness spaces.
Who wins?
- White entrepreneurs: White-owned businesses and influencers profit from the commercialisation of wellness.
- Wealthy and privileged Consumers: Affluent, predominantly white individuals have more access to wellness spaces and resources.
- Corporations: Large companies capitalise on wellness trends by selling overpriced products like detox teas and yoga pants.
Who pays?
- People of Colour: Marginalised communities are often excluded from wellness spaces or their practices are appropriated without credit or compensation.
- Indigenous communities: Traditional knowledge and practices are commodified, often without consent or benefit to the originating communities.
- Low-Income Individuals: The high price point for wellness products and services makes them inaccessible to those who can’t afford them.
‘While appropriation and appreciation are not binaries, and we have to be more discerning of our positionalities regarding caste, race, gender and other factors, how do we practice and share yoga ethically? That is the question.‘ asks Anjali Kamath Rao, a Ph.D. student and yoga practitioner
Systemic barriers to wellness
The prejudices of White Wellness are not accidental, they’re systemic. The wellness industry is truly shaped by racism, classism, and capitalism- the forces that also drive inequities in other sectors.
Apart from the very apparent cost barrier, the representation gap speaks volumes. Take the US, for example. In 2021, according to a study, 71.3% of the yoga instructors were White, whereas only 10.6% were Hispanic, 7.1% were African American, and 5.1 % were Asian.
This lack of diversity reflects a broader range of systemic barriers- from access to training to discrimination in hiring practices.
Reclaiming wellness by redefining it
Despite these systemic challenges rooted in ignorance, there is hope. To address White Wellness and foster inclusivity, several initiatives and strategies have been proposed and implemented. People are becoming more aware as marginalised communities are raising their voices against these issues.
There are movements like Decolonising Yoga that are challenging the appropriation of yoga by white communities and working to preserve the spiritual and cultural integrity of yoga. In the US, organisations like the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance are creating inclusive spaces and creating growth opportunities for people of colour practicing and teaching yoga.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Wellness Programs has created guidelines for more Inclusive and Accessible activities.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Wellness Programs has created guidelines for more Inclusive and Accessible activities. Ensuring affordability is another key strategy, where companies are now offering affordable healthy product lines, as mentioned in an article titled Diversity Is the New Mission in Wellness in Skift.
Disturbingly though, the connection between wellness and white nationalism, as explored in a podcast titled How white nationalism infiltrated the wellness industry, reveals a darker side, with some products linked to white supremacy, adding another layer to the industry’s complex racial dynamics.
A call for inclusive, holistic wellness
So, where do we go from here? Can wellness truly heal if it excludes the very communities it “borrows” from?
White Wellness is a multifaceted issue rooted in biases and ignorance. Awareness and inclusivity are the best way forward for us. Let’s start by supporting wellness businesses that are holistic in their essence while also supporting the communities they benefit from. By learning about the history of these practices. By amplifying the voices of marginalised communities.
It’s about creating wellness spaces that not only honour their cultural roots and respect spiritual traditions, but also welcome everyone. Each and every person, regardless of their race, class or background. Together, we can create a wellness culture that truly heals and is for everyone.
About the author(s)
Forget textbooks, Mrudavi got hooked on writing through her childhood obsession with fiction novels. Now, she tells engaging stories that address real-world topics with a touch of her experiences. When the writing bug takes a break, Mrudavi can be found curled up with a good book or with her favourite people, fueling her imagination with endless cups of iced lattes.
