Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Integrity

<p>The ease with which we can travel has blurred many cultural boundaries over the past couple of hundred years, and especially so in the past 50 years.</p><p>On any given day you could start your day with a Vedic Meditation practice originating in India (of course), followed by Capoeira from Brazil in the park, have a croissant for breakfast, attend Spanish language lessons in the morning, enjoy Yum Cha from Hong Kong for lunch, spend the afternoon at a local indigenous cultural experience, meditate again before a Middle Eastern dinner, then watch an opera sung in Italian for the evening.</p><p>It’s not a typical day by any means. but these are the options available to many of us. </p><p><br></p><p>They build our understanding and appreciation of each other and add color to our world, but at what point does appreciation become appropriation? </p><p><br></p><p>How can we maintain cultural integrity without overstepping the mark? Thom explores this subject through the lens of Vedic wisdom and its application to modern life.</p><p><br><strong>Episode Highlights:</strong></p><p>[00:45] None of Us is an Island</p><p>[03:22] There Shall be No Italian Food</p><p>[05:44] Representing a Culture</p><p>[08:33] Is There any Theft Occurring?</p><p>[10:22] The Shankaracharya Tradition</p><p>[12:46] Troth of Initiator</p><p>[14:12] The Command to Teach Vedic Meditation</p><p>[16:41] The Layer Known as Yoga</p><p>[19:29] Yogastha Kuru Karmani</p><p>[21:40] Training and Accreditation to Preserve Cultural Traditions</p><p>[23:33] The Secret Knowledge</p><p>[25:57] Climb to Authentic Knowledge</p><p>[28:25] Embracing Knowledge from Non-Native Practitioners</p><p>[30:42] Invitation to Deepen Understanding of Indian Traditions</p><p><br><strong>Useful Links</strong></p><p><a href="mailto:info@thomknoles.com">info@thomknoles.com</a> </p><p><a href="https://thomknoles.com/">https://thomknoles.com/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles">https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles</a></p><p><a href="https://www