Critical Yoga Studies  is the first interdisciplinary and international journal to focus on the social, cultural, political, and historical dimensions of yoga. From 2016 to 2025, Critical Yoga Studies was published under the name Race and Yoga and featured peer-reviewed articles, personal narratives, book reviews, and interviews written by yoga scholars, teachers, and practitioners. Published through The University of California Press’s e-scholarship division, Critical Yoga Studies accepts original, unpublished manuscripts only (no simultaneous submissions or previously published works). The journal’s name change in 2026 reflects the development of critical yoga studies over the last decade and the wide range of approaches and topics that the field encompasses. 

Mainstream narratives about yoga in the U.S. often describe how the practice promotes physical and spiritual well-being. But, yoga practitioners and scholars rarely question who has had access to the practice since its arrival in North America, and thereby its purportedly healing and liberatory properties. Relatedly, they fail to critically interrogate the representation of the prototypical yogi in contemporary America: upper and middle-class white persons, particularly white women.

Critical Yoga Studies is the first scholarly journal to examine issues surrounding the history, racialization, sex(ualization), and inclusivity (or lack thereof) of the yoga community.

We explore topics such as:

Yoga and Whiteness (e.g. How yoga became associated with whiteness--and in particular white femininity--in the U.S.)

Going Native: Authenticity to Minstrelsy (e.g. How religious and cultural symbols are used or appropriated to re-create the “authentic” Indian yogic experience.)

Liberation for All (e.g. How to expand the practice to underserved spaces, or scaling the efficacy of programs intended to diversify the yoga studio space and/or teacher training programs.)

Critical Yoga Studies is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary academic journal. The journal features research-based articles, editorials, and reviews of books, films, and art exhibits.