The Sunday Interview: Deconstructing Wellness Culture: Yoga, Mindfulness, and Appropriation

In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, host Brad Onishi sits down with Dr. Liz Bucar, religious ethicist and professor at Northeastern University, to unpack the hidden costs of the modern wellness industry. Exploring themes from her new book, Beyond Wellness: How Restoring the Religious Roots of Spiritual Practices Can Heal Us, Dr. Bucar argues that consumer culture has stripped profound traditions like yoga, mindfulness, and psychedelics into a "spiritual salad bar"—trading real transformation for quick dopamine hits. Through her own raw, firsthand experiences—including a grueling silent Buddhist retreat and a transformative ayahuasca ceremony while processing the grief of losing her father—she illustrates why separating these embodied practices from their ethical, communal roots ultimate leaves us spiritually malnourished.

The conversation dives deep into the ethics of cultural appropriation and extraction, questioning how affluent Westerners commodify sacred traditions while the minoritized communities who sustained them struggle to survive. From analyzing Alcoholics Anonymous as the original "spiritual but not religious" program to unpacking a 97-year-old monk's parable on why we fail to find enlightenment, Dr. Bucar and Brad challenge listeners to move beyond self-care and re-engage with true community and obligation. Whether you practice daily meditation, teach yoga, or are simply curious about the intersection of religion and consumerism, this episode is a vital look at what it actually takes to dig a deep spiritual well.

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