Cotton-mix, direct-to-film printed T-shirt
 
In the 2010's what started as a meaning-seeking exodus from Western cubicles ended up on South Asian shores as an immigration of foreign yogis. Many of these immigrating yogis genuinely committed to the philosophy while learning the language and adapting to local rhythms, integrating into the host cultures. Alongside them, however, were the peripheral practitioners who’ve become minor legends in South Asian humour for their confident mispronunciation of Sanskrit yogic words, selective devotion, and their passive-aggressive serenity often carried an unmistakable trace of colourist entitlement. 
 
In Sri Lanka, this cultural moment produced two terms: yoga nangi and yoga malli. They usually refer, though not exclusively, to foreign or diasporic yogis whose behaviour sits at odds with the very philosophies they claim to embody, often paired with an air of condescension toward the local culture. Add to this the quiet avoidance of taxes, registrations, and the mundane mechanics of living locally, and the picture becomes complete. Nangi and malli literally mean ‘little sister’ and ‘little brother’; a reminder, in the gentlest form of local colloquialism, that there is still much for them to learn and grow into. 
 
Yoga nangi and yoga malli are growing into loaded cultural memes within Sri Lanka’s pop anthropology, with easy counterparts of other lifestyles like DJ nangi or surf malli. They give us humorous entry points into larger conversations about gentrification, appropriation, modern colonial tendencies, and the ongoing economics of hospitality. 
 
* These T-shirts are made from a cotton and polyester blend material and printed using direct-to-film (DTF) printing.