Yoga in America has been democratized, which comes at a cost. A beautiful ancient practice that focused on the inner being is now geared toward the outward practice of sweating your way to good health. While the recent popularity of yoga in America is definitely something to celebrate, aspiring yogis must turn to the sacred roots of yoga to truly experience the benefits of the practice.
Like many foreign-born ideas, yoga has molded into American culture, and introspection is often left out of classes. One of the elements of yoga, “samadhi,” is defined by Merriam-Webster as a “religious trance” in Hinduism, “the meditative concentration that is the final step of the Eightfold Path” in Buddhism, and “spiritual self-fulfillment” in Jainism. When this term is brought up in a yoga class, it is tough to ignore the massive eye roll of many American participants.
If the concept of samadhi is truly as ridiculous as people seem to think it is, then it would have been left out of teachings hundreds of years before new students walked in and thought they knew better. Simplifying the practice to appeal to a larger audience leaves out many of the emotional and spiritual elements in lieu of being offensive, which takes away from the beauty and ultimate goal of yoga practice.
Swami Vivekananda brought yoga to the United States in 1863 for the sole purpose of teaching others how to use meditation to grow closer to God. It was not until the 1980s that yoga began to make the jump from a spiritual to a physical practice, focusing only on the health and fitness aspects.
Leaving out the crucial spiritual element goes against the framework that yoga was founded on and replaces it with an external lens. To many in India, yoga practice is daily and fundamental to clear one’s mind and start the day off on a high note. Removing the inner depth of yoga has transformed the practice into something to write on a to-do list, only to be crossed out begrudgingly without lasting fulfillment.
Ancient yogis would abhor the expensive yoga fashion lines and unnecessary accessories that accompany modern yoga practice and have turned it into a status symbol rather than a part of life. If there is any question that yoga has Americanized, one must look no further than Bikram yoga, otherwise known as hot yoga. Its popularity in America is primarily due to the disproved idea that sweating more offers a better workout. This type of yoga only developed recently, and has little to no presence in India.
In addition to a perceived better workout, hot yoga is the epitome of the American yoga experience. By sweating more and exhausting oneself, Americans are able to rush a practice that may take hours in India. This fits perfectly into the American schedule, since yoga practice is often squeezed between work and other commitments. Rushing the practice further alleviates the spiritual element, confining yoga to a mere checklist of poses.
Aspiring yogis must be attentive to the rich history and deeper meaning that yoga has had and continues to have in India. There are benefits that must be learned to be appreciated, practiced to be understood, and I believe that as long as people are attending yoga just to feel like they are in good health and achieve a certain level of status, all of this is missed.