More Yoga
More Yoga
I began to write about the different styles of yoga until I gave myself a mental slap with a what the fuck are you doing? I think I got triggered after seeing the word kundalini. A throwback to my new age days of yore ensued, and I cringed, deleted, and finally recalibrated my thoughts. I spent way too much time looking into all things spiritual, occult, and new age in my youth.
Recently, I was not surprised to find that the whole sparkly-panted yoga thing has a dark and grimy underbelly that would smell like week-old roadkill from five hundred yards if it were given a physical form. I had intended to deal with its practitioners' morally and ethically superior attitude another day, but what the hell. Might as well get it off my chest whilst I'm here — then I've only the interesting bits left to write about as and when they arise. But can I actually be bothered to put in the effort of all that copying, pasting and critiquing? No, I cannot.
Over four trillion dollars a year. That's what the global 'wellness' industry is worth, and it represents around 5% of the global economic output. Yoga is a well-established branch within the industry and shows no sign of decay. In the UK alone, Yoga and Pilates generate over £800 million in revenue, so it's hardly surprising some of those in the industry are motivated by profit margins. Many teachers will now upload content to Youtube and rely heavily on Instagram to promote their content, which has helped cement the commercial aspect that existed long before the days of social media. I'm not sure there has ever been a time when materialism and spirituality weren't linked. It's a shame because yoga can be an excellent thing to get into and is incredibly effective in connecting the head and the heart. If you're like me and struggle to give time to yourself, that half-hour on the mat can give you the much-needed breathing room needed to collect your thoughts.
Anyway, new year, routines, and all of that - I kicked it off with Adriene's Shakti Power Flow. She is still one of the most grounded content producers, and there is never any pressure to force yourself into discomfort to achieve a pose. She's doing another thirty days of yoga for the new year; the first one should be posted in a few hours and is worth doing if you're looking for a way to ease yourself into being more active. I intend to get myself on the mat every day this year, more as a way of staying alert to my inner voice, which has a tendency to be drowned out by the noise of everyday life of late.
