Does Yoga Require Activism?

A question came up recently during one of our yoga teacher training weekends as we were discussing the Bhagavad Gita.

The question was simple:

Is activism an essential part of being a yogi?

It sparked a meaningful conversation about duty, compassion and how public our caring needs to be.

At the heart of the discussion was one of the central teachings of the Gita: there is no such thing as inaction.

At the beginning of the text, Arjuna stands on a battlefield, paralysed by uncertainty. Faced with a situation he would rather avoid, his instinct is to withdraw. He throws himself on the floor of his chariot and proclaims his resignation.

Krishna challenges him mercilessly. His argument rests on this fact: refusing to act does not free us from responsibility.

Not acting is still an action.

Not choosing is still a choice.

Not taking a side is still a position.

The Gita presents us with a profound and uncomfortable truth: we are participating in the world whether we like it or not. Didn't ask to be born? tough (and yoga would disagree, anyway).

As yoga teachers, this raises an important question. If there is no such thing as inaction, what does right action look like?

This question feels particularly relevant at a time when many yoga teachers are being told that they have a moral obligation to engage publicly with political and social causes.

In recent years I have seen an increasing amount of rhetoric suggesting that if yoga teachers are not using their platforms to speak out, attend protests, or publicly support particular causes, they are somehow failing to live their yoga.

The implication is often that silence equals complicity.

That not taking a public stand is evidence of indifference.

That if you are not visibly engaged, you are choosing comfort over conscience.

At first glance, this can sound remarkably similar to the teachings of the Gita.

After all, doesn't Krishna tell Arjuna that he cannot avoid action?

Doesn't yoga require us to engage with the world rather than retreat from it?

While this may be true, I think something important gets lost when these teachings are reduced to social media slogans. Am I really in favour of genocide because I don't use my platform to protest war? Is it that black and white?

The Bhagavad Gita is not a call to ideological conformity.

It is not a manual for obedience, nor is it an instruction to adopt somebody else's cause, beliefs or priorities.

The entire text is an exploration of discernment. Krishna does not tell Arjuna what to think. He guides him through a process of inquiry. He challenges him. He asks him to examine his motives, his fears, his attachments and his assumptions.

Most importantly, he leaves the final decision with Arjuna, albeit whilst calling him a "eunuch".

There is a significant difference between encouraging people to think deeply about their responsibilities and pressuring them to adopt a particular position.

What concerns me is not activism itself

Nor is it the suggestion that yoga has ethical implications. Of course it does.

Yoga is not morally neutral. Every choice we make has consequences.

What concerns me is seeing profound philosophical teachings about dharma, karma and right action repurposed as tools of moral coercion.

The message often becomes:

"If you cared, you would speak out."

"If you were truly compassionate, you would take a stand."

"If you remain silent, you are part of the problem."

I find this deeply troubling - not because I oppose activism, not because I believe yoga teachers should disengage from the world but because coercion dressed up as spirituality is still coercion.

The irony is that much of this rhetoric seeks to promote peace, compassion and justice whilst using the language of conflict

It divides people into categories:

The awake and the asleep.

The compassionate and the uncaring.

The courageous and the cowardly.

The morally enlightened and the morally deficient.

The underlying message is often clear:

"If you are not with us, you are against us."

Yet this kind of thinking feels profoundly at odds with the spirit of yoga.

Yoga invites us to cultivate awareness, discernment and self-study. It asks us to become less reactive, not more. Less tribal, not more. It asks us to evolve our thinking beyond the binary, to transcend duality and develop a compassionate, sensitive, adaptable response to the world.

One of the most interesting moments in our discussion came when trainees began reflecting on the many different forms that action can take.

Some spoke about working with people affected by cancer. Others talked about supporting children. Some reflected on teaching ahimsa. Others spoke about community work, volunteering or simply trying to bring more kindness into everyday interactions.

What struck me was that nobody in the room was arguing for inaction.

The real question was whether one particular form of action should be elevated above all others and presented as a moral obligation.

The Bhagavad Gita does not suggest that everyone has the same dharma.

It suggests the opposite.

Each of us has different responsibilities, different capacities and different callings.

For one person, right action may involve political activism.

For another, it may involve caring for a vulnerable family member.

For another, it may involve teaching yoga.

For another, it may involve creating spaces where people can think, question and connect.

All of these are forms of action. All of them influence the world around us. Not all of them are published online.

What I object to is the assumption that someone else's dharma can be prescribed for me.

Yoga teachers have enough challenges without being told that they are morally inadequate if they fail to adopt somebody else's priorities. Most people I know are just trying to make it through the day and take care of the people close to them as best they can. The idea that they are complacently sitting back and enjoying all the benefits with none of the work, is a strange misrepresentation of what is really going on for those with demanding roles in life.

The role of a teacher is not to dictate what students should think.

Our role is to help people develop viveka (discernment), to ask better questions and become more aware of themselves and their impact on the world.

And perhaps that is where I ultimately land with this question.

Does yoga require action?

Absolutely.

The Gita makes it very clear that there is no escaping that responsibility.

But does yoga require public activism? I don't think the answer is nearly so simple.

The more important question is this: What is genuinely yours to do?

I can answer that - if your action comes from compassion, it's probably the right way. If it's coming from fear or shame, have a rethink.

The challenge is not to copy somebody else's dharma but to discover your own,

and then to have the courage to live it. If someone tries to shame you into joining their cause, come back and read this again.

About the author

Morven Hamilton is a yoga trainer and mentor based in the South West of England. She lives by the beach with her daughter and dog and she harbours aspirations to write.