Yoga: TOO Popular?!

The New Yoga is a really interesting article that is the basis of this entry. Throughout I quote the author, Anne Cushman. Honestly, at this point you really do not need me to tell you that yoga is a big hit – the “in” thing. You’ve already heard it everywhere else. “You’ve watched Sun Salutations on Good Morning America and heard about it on Oprah. You’ve read the statistics everywhere from the New York Times to the Tusla World.” The American media tends to show yoga as being the latest fitness craze, similar to the dance aerobics fad in the early 1980’s. The media takes away the spiritual aspect altogether. Another point is that slowly but surely yogic mind-body practices are influencing many aspects of Western society - from preventative medicine to Madonna's choice of outfits at the MTV awards. Yoga is seeming to seep into everything from “your favorite sitcom to your least favorite junk mail catalog.” It is everywhere – at work, at home, at church – you name it! What Easterners are concerned about is yoga becoming Americanized. This in depth article really dissects both sides of this argument. But it is up to you to decide where you fall. Personally, I understand the author’s points, but can recognize her biases as well (i.e. she seems to be a yogi). This just goes to show you, there are always issues arising around this hot topic.