We first met during yoga teacher training 15 years ago and have continued to compare notes on superficial and deep aspects of the practice: How to modify Crescent Pose for someone with a knee injury? Does using Sanskrit feel like it’s respectful enough of the roots of yoga?
During the class, she spoke about yoga philosophy and ethics, performed 15 minutes of breathing exercises, and recited mantras in Sanskrit. It was the opposite of the yoga class I had just quit, which included Lady Gaga tunes turned to 10, burpees, bicep curls in warrior pose, and deadlifts turned into downward dog. Based on everything I learned in my year of teacher training, and my own practice of nearly two decades, it felt like I was cheating on yoga.
“Why is your face so red?” she asked. “Did you just go for a run?” No, I admitted shyly, then confessed, “I did… um… I was doing yoga sculptures.” She leaned back, disappointment written all over her face.
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“Why do you do this?” she said, finally. “You know that’s not real yoga.”
Is there such a thing as “real” yoga?
Of all the phrases that can be used to knock down yogis, “real yoga” tops the list. It means that there is one true way to practice, and that everything else that deviates from it is somehow tainted and needs to be avoided. Keeping the “real” path is not an easy task, given how far it has deviated from this perceived norm, especially in the past 10 years.
“Yoga is not just a physical practice, it’s a lifestyle. When you bring in these other elements, people do think it dilutes that,” said Kate Lombardo, yoga teacher, co-owner and director of YogaRenew Kate Lombardo ) said. “In some ways, I agree, but I also think if more people practiced yoga and felt grounded and peaceful, we would all be better off.”
She believes it’s important to honor yoga’s roots but not be so rigid (pun intended) about its definition, especially how it evolved.
“It’s not a bad thing to meet people where they are,” she said. “We don’t want to reduce yoga to just exercise, but we also don’t want people to shy away from classes because they feel uncomfortable with the more philosophical or spiritual aspects of what they see. There has to be a middle ground where we respect different lineages of practice but also Invite more people to get involved in a way that works for them.
As a yoga teacher, I often tell my students that their practice is personal—everyone is on their own path, and comparison is indeed the thief of happiness.
Benefits of Mixed Yoga
A soon-to-be-released survey from BetterMe shows that 42% of respondents say new ways to exercise are the biggest factor in keeping them active and engaged.
“Combination of exercise patterns can increase the effectiveness of a training program,” says Victoria Repa, a certified health coach, Pilates instructor and founder of BetterMe. “For example, yoga focuses primarily on building strength, stability, and flexibility. However, by adding other types of training elements, such as aerobics or strength training, the body will make more positive adaptations than yoga alone can typically achieve. “.
Yoga-inspired Warrior Sculpt instructor Jessica Feldman says hybrid classes can also introduce yoga to people who have never tried it before, while also giving yoga practitioners a chance to learn proper resistance training form and incorporate more cardio into the routine. In daily training.
“We have a lot of yoga elements, including breathing, grounding, sun salutations and savasana,” she said. “We’ve also integrated weightlifting and jumping jacks. All of these can be combined to help expand someone’s comfort zone; whether they come from a group fitness background or only have yoga experience, this integration can give them the benefit of learning new movements. modalities, as well as improving balance, coordination and range of motion.
Karen Verechia, a yoga instructor at Hilton Head Health who incorporates TRX into her yoga routine, agrees that people from different athletic backgrounds gravitate toward hybrid classes as a way to build body awareness in fresh ways. way. She also believes practicing yoga in these settings can enhance the benefits of the practice.
“In yoga, you can build mind-body connection and overall awareness, be in the moment, and become more focused,” she says. “Incorporating it into other fitness environments allows you to get the best out of yoga while expanding your exercise options. Yoga has always been about a ‘beginner’s mind’ where you approach the practice with an open and curious mind. Why What should be different about hybrid courses?
Embrace the “unreal” approach
While having a post-sculpting lunch with my yoga friends, soaking in the “not real yoga” comments, I realized that my perspective on yoga has changed a lot in the past five years, leaning towards believing that the practice needs to be in this Expand the scope of the field.
Yes, there is a certain silliness to goat yoga or beer yoga, and perhaps a lot of aspects are diluted when you give up Sanskrit, don’t chant, don’t talk about the philosophical principles of yoga, like sutras or other “limbs.” But to me, taking this approach is like opening the door to yoga’s potential a little wider so that more people can come in and experience the practice. They can then decide if they want to explore these other aspects, or if they want to skip them entirely and just pick up some heavy-hitting content and pacing to learn Bad Romance.
From this perspective, perhaps we can all decide how to define “authentic” and apply it in a way that benefits ourselves and each other, rather than using the word to create a boundary that would otherwise be receptive to such practices It seems daunting to people. As a yoga teacher, I often tell my students that their practice is personal—everyone is on their own path, and comparison is indeed the thief of happiness. Applying this with a broader perspective feels like inviting everyone to join in and create their own definition – and when that happens, it all feels real.
