My how yoga has changed...
Love to hear your thoughts on this topic!
I unearthed this photo the other day and I got all the feels. It was taken in my mom’s backyard in Arizona just after I finished my 200-hour YTT. I was so in love with yoga.
Meditation was brand new to me and I was, for the first time, able to shift away from a lifetime inner narrative that I was a melancholy, anxious person. I was able to view myself through a completely different lens — one where I could trust that deep within my “small self” was inner-knowing, calm, and a wellspring of ease and love. And I experienced my “upper case Self” for the first time — the being who was not only connected to everything else but literally was just like everything else. Simple, temporal matter that would exist and then cease to exist.
I was 30 years old, yet I felt like I was only just starting to feel happy in my skin.
I will always cherish that moment in time of yoga culture here in the U.S., because it shaped my adult life. I was longing for answers and what I received was experiential insight. And hey — in practical terms, it led me to my husband!
I miss the earthiness of the homegrown yoga studios. I miss long Savasanas and “come watch” to learn an action or an exercise at the wall.
But, like all things, these were not perfect times. We were — all of us — obsessed with the poses. The shapes! The Handstands! The binds! The amazing girls doing all the incredible things in those Hard Tail ads!
We were also taught that yoga was an all or nothing endeavor. I remember an editorial meeting at Yoga Journal where an editor suggested a “cross-training for yoga story” and I practically spat out my coffee in disgust. It was all yoga, all the time, hamstring attachments be damned.
On our recent podcast together, Jason and I went back in time and talked through the changes we’ve seen in yoga classes and culture in the U.S. over the past two decades. We highlight both positive changes and changes we are not so crazy about.
We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from listeners that it’s resonated. I’d love to know in the comments what your experience has been of living through changes in yoga.
Hi Andrea - first off thank you - I absolutely LOVED this podcast.
It really got me thinking.
At the end of this year, it marks 20 years since I first qualified as a yoga teacher. During that time things have changed sooooo muuuch, but its really been the way the transmission of 'teachings' (in air quotes on purpose - because some of what passes as 'teaching' these days is .... questionable); and the 'consumption ' of yoga that has seen the biggest change IMHO.
I agree with you and Jason - a real positive has been improvements in our understanding of anatomy and physiology so I would argue our physical practice now is definitely enabling a safer way to practice. Likewise students having more agency over their bodies - consent cards, etc.
I enjoy learning online and its enabled me to study with teachers that I wouldn't otherwise be able to because it would be cost prohibitive to travel; get accommodation, take time off work etc. The flip side of that is the amount of free yoga online has, in my view led to a 'devaluing' of yoga a little bit. However - if someone really wants to learn more, and get a deeper education they will start to seek out teachers and a community that they can connect with in a more meaningful way - in-person or online. I also fear all the 'free yoga' has somewhat minimised the rich history, and tradition and culture that yoga comes from; and has elevated the 'body beautiful....
There is a performativeness now that I did not experience in my early days of practicing - back then it was just get on the mat and do it no-one cares what it looks like and there was no cameras, no reels no tiktoks - it was realtime! As a woman in my 40's - in the past year or so - I've started to really feel increasingly like my years of experience teaching and practicing is not relevant - because now its about likes, clicks, followers, the gear your wearing, #influencing; extreme asana..... whereas - when I consider a class or workshop or teacher - I look for *experience* not how it looks.
The Positive Side!!!
The democratization and decentralization of yoga - while there is still a ways to go, has been positive. More people can now access this practice that before - but it should not be at the expense of honoring the roots and traditions; or at the reduction of the quieter aspects - meditation and pranayama. There is still a white-centeredness to so much of the wellness and holistic health 'industries' and yoga has not been immune.
I was very fortunate with the teachers I have had the pleasure of learning from and spending dedicated time with; and I was never a 100% bought into adherent of any one style - although I had a long love affair with mysore style ashtanga (I still have the occasional fling). Now I have a much more explorative approach as opposed to being rigid. This has been a big change in my practice! Its been liberating and I can honestly say this way of practicing serves me and my life where I am now, much better. I am now physically stronger in my practice than I was 10 years ago - I may not be as flexible and twisty but I feel more *in* my body. But those early days for sure gave me a self disciple, a consistency, and a 'trust in the process' that I know I personally would not have been able to get in any other style of yoga. Now those concepts are still at the cornerstone of my practice as I get older.
Finally - Yoga is and has always been evolving, changing and adapting. As practitioners, and teachers we need to embrace change while still being mindful and respectful of the historical importance; and Asian roots + culture from where the gift of yoga has come from. Yoga is practiced by humans who are fallible - there will (unfortunately) always be charlatans and self-proclaimed gurus and healers; and those who have those titles put on them by adherents. But Yoga is supposed to help us develop discernment - so that we can hopefully identify and call out 'bad actors'.
Savasana Confession: yep - was never into it much TBH. 3 or 4 minutes I'm done!
I started my yoga journey at 19. I heard about it- I knew it had something to do with stretching and meditating. I walked into the Iyengar Institute in Los Angeles and my life was forever changed. I remember asking the front desk what should I wear for this ( this was the 90’s and yoga pants had not happened yet) and they told me to go to Marshalls or TJ Max for some cotton leggings. There was no thought of the typical wardrobe that one now wears.
After my first class I could not understand why more people didn’t do this- as a younger me I was a “seeker” of spirituality and answers to my questions about life and yoga covered the bases. It seemed to me at that time to be a instructor meant becoming a monk of some kind, the studying, the practice, but really living yoga. No social media to promote yourself then or ambassadorships but living true yoga in your daily life. I went to classes regularly and met friends for life. Learned as much as I could in workshops and eventually tried all the popular styles and then yoga became the thing to do for exercise over the years . I have had mixed feelings about the popularity and how it changed for me. In one hand I and other instructors were able to make an income doing what we love. In the other WOW, suddenly you were popular if you were young, attractive, athletic, aesthetically pleasing. Don’t get me wrong a lot of those people do live yoga but I was never taught that that was the point. At one point I thought about no longer studying but as usual in yoga I found my tribe!!! I found myself again- the point is for me yoga got me through a lot of amazing life moments, anxiety, childbirth, Illness, injury, loss, love and hope. I love learning and I don’t see that ending. I love community that yoga brings to my life.
P.S- omg!! Hard Tail! Oh that brought such a smile to my face when I read it Andrea!!! I couldn’t afford them back then and when I would see people in studio’s wearing them I thought to myself oh they must have made it big!!!!!!!!! Haaaaaa!!!!!!