om spirit
A
round 1990, more physically
challenging forms of yoga
began to surface in the
mainstream. This was partly
down to the influence of Sri K.
Pattabhi Jois, who developed Ashtanga, and
Bikram Choudhury, pioneer of hot yoga. But
it was also a result of the yoga community
realising that if the practice was going to
grow, it needed to change with the times.
This is the reason most of us practice a
vigorous form of postural Hatha-based yoga
today. It’s also why, unless we’re practicing
naked in an open space in nature, we’re part
of the yoga industry whether we like it or not.The view from 1990
The 1980s had been the decade of aerobic
exercise. In The Subtle Body: The Story of
Yoga in America, Stefanie Syman writes:
“Aerobics emphasised power and strength, asPart four: From the sweat and commitment of the nineties, through to the modern
obsession with Instagram spirituality. By David Holzer
women climbed career ladders and started
competing more directly with men...Yoga was
gentle, relaxing, and safe, qualities not likely
to help you break through the glass ceiling.”
As a result, the yoga business became
more aerobic. It also played down its ancient
connection with Hinduism and the spiritual
dimension that had made it so appealing to
the hippie and Me Generation lifestyle. But
that put yoga at risk of losing its identity.Something had to change.
In its 1990 March/April edition, Yoga Journal
canvassed opinion from members of what
was then still more of a community than an
industry as to what the future held.
Yoga therapist Larry Payne said: “I know for
a fact that the major health club owners met
and decided that the 1980s was the decade of
aerobics, but the 1990s will be body-mind. We’re
going to see meditation in the health clubs.”Bikram Choudhury said: “The next 10
years will be 10 times better than what’s
happened since 1970...Through teaching
yoga you can make more than enough
money to drive a Mercedes and live a very
decent and comfortable life.”
On a more yogic note, teacher and author
Sita Frenkel, from the Sivananda tradition,
said: “Yoga practice in America hasn’t
touched the spiritual level yet.”
They were all correct.Sweat and commitment
According to Yoga Journal, there were one
million people in the US practicing yoga in- By 2003, the same magazine revealed
that the number had skyrocketed to an
incredible 15 million people.
The story was the same in Europe. A
2002 UK article by Holly Gati was called ‘A
Return to Ourselves: Tired of Going from the
Worldmags.net