
What I am seeing today, however, is worrying me. Social media are representing yoga as the new fitness craze. Body image, once again, seems to be the main issue. You are going to be a successful yogi if you can bend like a circus contortionist, or balance on your hands as a gymnast. And of course, you have to be wearing expensive outfits and make up in order to shoot great instagram pics. Compulsive behaviors have moved from the gym into the shala. The instagram is full of beautifully trained and fit girls claiming “Yoga made me accept my body”… Actually, I would be surprised if they wouldn’t, being so perfect! Are we loosing sight of the therapeutic aim of Yoga, and turning it into aerobics 2.0?
I am not saying that we should turn back the clock. Social media are here to stay. Yet, is it possible to make a better use of them? Is there a way to present Yoga in a healthier way?And outside the internet, back in the real world, are Yoga teachers paying attention to their practitioners, making sure – when they are coming from such difficult backgrounds – they are teaching in a way that actually encourages self-acceptance and avoids competition?
Is Yoga a blessing or a curse for women suffering from eating disorders? I believe the role of the Yoga teacher can dramatically change how a practitioner feels about herself. Sometimes, that can mean turning a student to a more challenging or more relaxing practice, if our experience tell us that this can offer the practitioner a better chance of spiritual growth and a healthier approach to their body. As yoga teachers, in a very competitive market, I believe we should never forget to place our customers’ spiritual and physical health in the first place. People suffering from eating disorders are psychologically very challenged, and sometimes physically frail. Let’s not forget that in our culture, body image is paramount and to make sure its worst aspects do not enter our shala we have to make our best efforts to create a non-competitive, accepting atmosphere, so that the practice can be a safe harbor for those who need it.
Let’s make Yoga a blessing, and not a curse.