1. Colonial Attitudes and Orientalism: During the East India Trade period (1600s to early 1800s), European interactions with India were largely commercial and colonial. The primary European focus was on economic exploitation, political dominance, and the extraction of resources. Indian spiritual practices like yoga were often dismissed or misunderstood through an Orientalist lens, which portrayed non-Western cultures as exotic, irrational, or inferior. These colonial biases left little room for genuine interest in or respect for Indian philosophical and spiritual traditions.
2. Lack of Cross-Cultural Curiosity: European traders, missionaries, and colonial administrators were more focused on their economic and political objectives rather than engaging deeply with Indian cultural or spiritual traditions. While certain elements of Indian culture, like textiles, spices, and other goods, were appreciated, philosophical and spiritual aspects, such as yoga, were seen as unrelated or even irrelevant to European life at the time.
3. Misunderstanding of Yogic Practices: The physical and spiritual practices of yoga were often perceived as strange or even threatening to Christian missionaries and Western observers. Early encounters with yogis led to misinterpretations, with some viewing them as ascetics practicing self-denial or mystics performing magical feats rather than practitioners of a sophisticated philosophical and spiritual discipline. This misunderstanding, combined with religious biases, made yoga seem incompatible with Western values.
4. Limited Access to Yogic Knowledge: Unlike the 19th century, where figures like Swami Vivekananda actively traveled to the West to spread knowledge about yoga, during the East India Trade period, there were few systematic efforts to explain or share yogic teachings with Western audiences. Most knowledge exchanges were controlled by European scholars or missionaries who were not well-versed in yoga’s spiritual and philosophical foundations. As a result, deep engagement with yogic texts, philosophy, or practice remained limited.
5. Focus on Material Goods over Intellectual Exchange: The East India Company and other colonial powers prioritized the trade of material goods over intellectual or spiritual exchange. The cultural interaction during this period was one-sided, and India was more valued for its commodities rather than its contributions to philosophy or wellness practices.
6. Rise of Western Rationalism: During the 17th and 18th centuries, Western Europe experienced the Enlightenment, a period that emphasized reason, science, and secularism over spirituality and mysticism. This intellectual climate made Western thinkers more dismissive of practices like yoga, which they may have seen as esoteric or unscientific.

By the 19th century, however, the intellectual climate had shifted, and Western audiences began to explore alternative spiritualities and philosophies, partially as a reaction to the materialism and industrialization of the time. Figures like Swami Vivekananda bridged the gap between East and West, offering accessible teachings that aligned with the growing interest in personal well-being and spirituality. This cultural shift, alongside the deepening intellectual curiosity about non-Western traditions, set the stage for yoga’s eventual popularity in the West.