The cancel culture has us canceling anything fun. It has us canceling things because of a political undertone that isn’t even real unless you look at it through racist glasses.
Nothing is sacred anymore. Businesses are having to apologize and change their business models just to avoid being viewed as racist.
Now, a yoga studio in New York City is apologizing because of playing hip-hop during their yoga sessions. Their entire premise is built on playing songs from Tupac, Biggie, and others.
It’s fun. The music is fun. It allows people who want to listen to hip-hop and do yoga to have a place to go.
Plenty of yoga studios have a theme for what they do. Some have wine to make it more exciting.
Others invite alpacas or goats to the session for a bit of comedic relief. Others choose a fun locale like the mountains or a beach for a way to enjoy the fresh air.
PETA isn’t making anyone feel bad for doing yoga with animals. The EPA isn’t making anyone feel bad for doing yoga in one location instead of another.
Yet, Black Lives Matter has made everyone feel bad for anything they may have even thought about doing.
Y7, a hot yoga studio in New York City, has felt the need to apologize. They have apologized for “appropriating hip hop and black culture.”
Instead of playing hip hop music like they always have, they’ve promised to broaden their playlists to include other genres. They’ll also make sure to make the practice more accessible to marginalized communities.
Wait, what?
What’s so wrong with a yoga studio based on hip hop staying true to their roots? They’ve never shunned “marginalized communities.” If you like hip hop and yoga, come on in. You don’t like hip hop? Cool, but this yoga studio isn’t for you.
But, that’s not the world we live in. The cancel culture and the BLM movement have made us apologetic for things we shouldn’t have to apologize for.
If anything, this yoga studio should be praised. Yeah for you for bringing hip hop and the black culture to the masses. Yeah for you for showing the world this amazing genre of music.
Nope. That’s not okay.
Y7 issued a full apology on Instagram, stating “Our promise is to no longer profit off hip hop music, hip hop culture or black culture.”
What about the yoga studios that profit by playing jazz? Boy bands? Deathrock? Those are okay because it doesn’t infringe upon black culture.
Some yogis don’t want the cancel culture to come in and ruin their fun. They like the studio because of the hip hop roots. They don’t want the playlists to become more inclusive.
As one person commenting on the studio’s post suggests, “Keep the music, add more color to the payroll.” People who have identified themselves being “of color” agree.
No one should feel pressured to change. The studio did nothing wrong. They were built on the premise of hip-hop music. Why can’t music just be music? Why does it have to be tied to black culture?
Black Lives Matter and the cancel culture have managed to ruin everything – and now yoga studios are having to change playlists and adapt a whole new culture to avoid offending anyone.
Yoga may not always be the most diverse pastime. However, by choosing hip hop music, they become more diverse. For those who may have wanted to try yoga who are of color, it may be that they finally feel invited to do so.
As for being inclusive to marginal communities, the average cost of a session is about #37 – and the Y7 studios are found not only in NYC but also in LA and Chicago.
For those who want a piece of the action, just say so. But don’t make it about race and politics.
Hip hop is just music and yoga is just a way for people to find peace within their bodies and minds.
Only, it’s not now. Yoga studios are now part of the cancel culture, proving that nothing is safe anymore.
