The other day I woke up at five thirty to catch a six thirty a.m. class of sunshine yoga. There I tried to get through positions called the donkey, child’s pose, and Parsva Dandasana. All the while I was chanting and vibrating my voice box to the sounds of humm, yumm, and ohmm. During the fast pace movements I was instructed to yell HA, as I slammed my hand on the mat. At the end my thighs were protesting any movement, and my stomach was groaning from hunger. Altogether, it was unique and a lot of fun. I got some much needed exercise and some cultural experience.
Clothes, shoes, cars, and any other imaginable object may be made in a different nation. That does not mean one is exposed to those cultures. Wearing fabric, especially if you did not know where it was made, does not give anyone a new cultural experience. It makes the world more global, but that is not the spreading of cultures. Someone gets a cultural insight through foreign food, films, dances, and exercises.
