STOP STRIPPING YOGA OF ITS ROOTS!

Yoga has been hijacked.

What was once a deeply spiritual practice, designed to still the mind, lead to enlightenment, and connect with something greater, has been watered down, repackaged, and sold as just another trendy, look-at-me workout. It’s been turned into a product, a hashtag, a wellness trend that looks good on camera but is hollow at its core.

And let’s be clear, that’s not evolution. THAT’S ERASURE!!

I’ve heard people say, “We’ve evolved yoga past its traditional roots; ours is the real yoga now.” Really? Yoga doesn’t need to be fixed or modernized to fit gym culture. It has existed for thousands of years, long before Spotify playlists, overpriced “eco-friendly” leggings that fall apart in three months, and meaningless Instagram aesthetic. Stripping it of its depth and calling it an improvement isn’t progress: it’s ignorance.

This isn’t about gatekeeping. Yoga should be for everyone. But cherry-picking only the convenient parts while discarding the rest? That’s not practicing yoga, that’s co-opting it! Yoga isn’t here to serve our egos, our fitness goals, or our need to perform a certain image.

It’s here to break us open. To peel our layers, to dissolve maya, the illusion.

You don’t have to wear a mala or change your name to Sanskrit to honor tradition. You don’t have to renounce your life to practice yoga. You can be your normal self, living your modern life. But when you practice, ask yourself, are you truly honoring it, or just consuming the most palatable version? Are you learning from those who respect its roots, or just following whatever sells?

Yoga demands self-inquiry. Maybe it’s time we turn that inward and ask: What are we actually practicing?

Yoga doesn’t need a rebrand. It doesn’t need a trend, a product line, or a Western-approved makeover.

It’s already whole.

The real question is: are we?