You know, I’ve been thinking about this!! I’m a Black British woman who has recently taken up Vedic Meditation. I felt it was a ‘calling’ that I had to go to this ‘guru’ (upper-middle-class English man) who styled his know-how by visits to the Ganga and the healing powers of Ayurvedic medicine. He’s even gone so far to feel that either the practice is not practiced properly in India or, Indians have lost the understanding of this very ancient tradition so much so, that if we were to go to India to learn this, it would not be taught properly!!

I think to myself have I not been down this route before? And yet, here I am, ‘attending’ Zoom lectures, learning techniques but fearful that all this may not be credible. But it doesn’t stop there. Several weeks before the lockdown, I went to a Turkish cafe shop to have breakfast. They had on the menu under beverages, ‘Golden Milk Latte’. As you’ve correctly stated that Tumeric has been the flavour for several months, I should try this. And boy, was it delicious. It was delicious that I returned to the cafe three days later just to treat myself to two cups of it. And as I said — it was a Turkish cafe!

I totally understand what you are saying and of course, I can relate to it. It is toe cringing to listen to my ‘guru’ talk about something with great enthusiasm and passion but also to talk about it as if he is its sole custodian. But the thing is the meditation does work and flying out to the subcontinent to look for a guru, is not practical for me.

Maybe one of the things that can be done is to make sure that to be Indian is not only cool but it continues to be cool for future generations and by owning and knowing what is, culturally yours. A great article.