The Hidden Agenda Behind “Lifestyle Coaching”: Repackaging Right-Wing Ideology

by Devibala Palanivel

A famous Home-schooling influencer has triggered widespread outrage after making deeply insensitive remarks about sexual assault victims. In a closed session, she said that women must “respect and take care of their bodies” to avoid abuse, implying that neglect invites assault. Even more disturbingly, she claimed that the abuse of infants “as young as two or six months old” happens due to their previous birth’s karma.

At first glance, this might seem like yet another instance of victim-blaming in a patriarchal society. But her mention of “karma” points to something larger — a moral framework rooted in religious hierarchy and right-wing ideology that normalizes inequality and shifts blame onto victims.

The Ideological Layer Beneath Lifestyle Coaching

The influencer’s comments are not isolated. They reflect how certain ideologically driven communities use “self-improvement,” “minimalism,” and “parenting” classes to subtly spread regressive beliefs. These groups often detach from their parent organizations and operate independently, which makes it difficult for the public to see them as part of a larger ideological project.

The influencer, who calls herself a minimalist, charges large fees for her courses while urging women not to pursue careers so they can “present themselves fully to their children.” This message is hypocritical. She herself is a working mother of three. One of her clients reported that her sessions extend beyond minimalism, promoting veganism as the “pure” diet and claiming that non-vegan foods increase “sexual arousal,” which she bizarrely links to sexual violence.

Such narratives are not just pseudoscience. They echo Hindutva moral codes that regulate women’s bodies and behaviour. Concepts like karma and dharma are used to justify caste hierarchies under Sanatana Dharma, where suffering and subjugation are seen as deserved consequences of past lives. When such beliefs are dressed up as lifestyle advice, they normalize gender violence, casteism, and inequality — especially among upper and upper-middle-class women with social media influence. The Coimbatore Parenting Network Connection

The influencer was also associated with the Coimbatore Parenting Network (CPN) — not sure about her current status, but she was taking classes under their banner whose members have promoted “natural birthing” and “birth villages.” These spaces romanticize unassisted childbirth and discourage hospital births, endangering maternal health and undermining public efforts to reduce mortality.

The glorification of “natural birth” not only pressures women who undergo C-sections but also creates an exclusionary class divide, as only the wealthy can afford such “wellness retreats.” In another instance, another CPN associated advised women to “sync their menstrual cycles with the moon,” a baseless claim that still gains traction among those who trust these so-called coaches. These trends reveal a pattern spiritualized pseudoscience being used to promote control over women’s choices, framed as “nature” or “tradition.”

The “Trad Wife” Trend: Choice or Conditioning?

This ideological repackaging extends beyond parenting. The rise of the “trad wife” trend, where women voluntarily embrace traditional gender roles under the banner of “choice feminism,” is another example. These influencers romanticize domesticity, encouraging women to find purpose solely in caring for their families. However, these portrayals are far from realistic. Most “trad wives” come from privilege. They can devote hours to cooking or crafting only because of invisible domestic labour provided by maids(Caste oppressed/Dalit women). Ironically, while they preach against women having careers, they themselves monetize this image through brand deals and online content creation.

For ordinary working women, this creates immense psychological pressure, feeding guilt for not being “traditional enough.” In a society like India, still navigating the transition toward gender equality and autonomy, these trends subtly pull women back into the very role’s feminism helped them escape.

The Danger of Ideological Packaging

Parenting and lifestyle networks like these must be scrutinized closely. They often target women during vulnerable periods, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or early motherhood when emotional and physical exhaustion make them more susceptible to manipulation. Wrapped in the language of empowerment and wellness, these teachings spread regressive, casteist, and patriarchal ideas that harm not only women but society at large. Progressive and liberal organizations must call out these networks openly. When women are led to internalize these narratives, the entire project of social progress slows down. No society can advance when half its population is conditioned to accept submission as virtue.

The influencer’s remarks are not just offensive; they are a symptom of a larger ideological strategy that hides behind “self-help” and “lifestyle” language. What appears harmless at first glance is, in fact, a mechanism to reinforce hierarchy, restrict women’s agency, and justify inequality. To counter this, critical thinking, scientific awareness, and feminist solidarity are essential — because no truly progressive society can exist without women who are free to think, question, and choose for themselves.