The Essence of Yoga in a commercialized world
To be one with nature, you must feel a deep connection with your surroundings with nature and experience it through all your senses improving your mental health and well-being, likewise with yoga…
Yoga is considered a natural state of being, it creates harmony between the mind and body. It is a practice that combines physical postures, breathing exercise and meditation to provide a peace of mind.
When it comes to the history of Yoga, the word originates from the Sanskrit root Yuj, which means 'to join' or 'to unite' and it is traced in Northern India over 5000 years ago. The earliest mention of Yoga can be found in ancient sacred texts called The Rig Veda which contain hymns and chants that were used by Vedic age priests. Since then yoga was refined and developed by Rishi's, or sages, who documented their belief system and practices in the Upanishads, a series of Hindu sacred texts written in Sanskrit.
However, the introduction of yoga and how it came about to the West occurred during the 19th century where people who travelled to India began to observe the surroundings of Indian monks, also known as the Yogi's and their practices. To be precise, it is often credited to Swami Vivekananda for bringing the arts of yoga to the West. Born in 1863, Swami Vivekananda was an Indian monk, a philosopher and a teacher who accepted his spirituality side and shared it to the West upon his trip to the United States of America in 1893, where he went to the World of Parliament of Religions in Chicago spreading the joy of Yoga. In his speech, Vivekananda described the feeling of yoga as a "science of the mind" which sparked a buzz creating a profound impact in the world of yoga and how we practice it today. His beliefs and practices resonated with others through his teachings and lectures, but in a world that benefits from profits and is a consumer based society, the appreciation of yoga and its roots tend to be overlooked.
In the west a society ruled by capitalism, yoga has been construed to be seen more as a commodity unlike its roots in spirituality and bodily, mind and soul healing. According to Finder, yoga industries along with Pilates have a revenue of over £895 million in 2023. As a result of this growth over the years, it has created a gateway for products and services to be profitable to 'fully emerge' the yoga experience thus, making it commercialized by high-priced leggings, yoga props such as mats and overpriced lessons.
During my time at Yoga Roots Collective, it has changed my perspectives and broadened my horizons towards the beauty and appreciation of yoga. It differs from other yoga studios, Yoga Roots Collective is unique and authentic; rather than conforming to the consumer lifestyle, they approach yoga in its pure moments.
- Lina Hangsrong