Take a deep breath, push your body into downward-facing dog and the world immediately looks a lot better: Yoga promises us relaxation, physical fitness and serenity. With millions of followers, the originally religious practice has now become a real lifestyle. Stars and influencers pose in the most exciting poses on Instagram and advertise yoga mats, yoga shirts and yoga blocks. The practice of exercise has even arrived in medicine. But what is really behind the yoga zeitgeist?
One appointment follows the next, the to-dos in the household pile up and the news is once again full of murder and manslaughter. Many people long for a balance in their stressful everyday lives. For something that would make them forget their worries for a moment. Around nine percent of women and one percent of men take up yoga for this reason. One of them is Ann-Christin Giese-Kessler. Six years ago, her life was going haywire, stress levels were rising and so was her dissatisfaction. At first, she tries to find a balance in sport – but that’s not enough for the 31-year-old. “I came to my first yoga class through a friend – and ended up almost floating out of the studio,” says the physiotherapist. Because she felt the positive effects of yoga on her own body from the very first moment, she decided to train as a yoga teacher. There are many different ways to do this. In Germany, for example, the various yoga professional associations offer corresponding training, but it is also possible to do the whole thing at a yoga studio that has been recognized by the US Yoga Alliance. The basic training consists of 200 hours and costs between 1,500 and 3,000 euros, depending on the provider. Based on this, yoga teachers can study a further 300 hours to deepen their practice and join a professional association. The complete 500-hour training course costs an average of 6,000 euros in Germany.
Between power yoga, beer yoga and yoga to fall asleep
Ann-Christin Giese-Kessler first completed her basic training. Today, she offers yoga classes digitally at gluecks-gedoens.de and in her own studio in Cologne. As a yoga teacher, she is now part of the billion-dollar industry behind the serene lifestyle that the marketing strategy behind yoga promises us. According to estimates, the global yoga business already generated annual sales of around 80 billion US dollars in 2016 – and the trend is rising. The study “Global Yoga Apparel Market 2019-2023” states that the yoga market will continue to grow by around six percent every year until 2023. This is also reflected in the cost of the products that are part of the yoga boom. Consumers often pay three-figure sums for yoga blocks, mats and clothing. A yoga lesson costs between ten and 20 euros, a studio membership costs an average of 60 euros per month. Nowadays, there is the right yoga practice for almost every target group. Those interested are spoiled for choice between beer yoga, naked yoga, yoga to relax, yoga for pregnant women, power yoga, yoga to fall asleep, and, and, and. It is estimated that around 300 million people worldwide practise some form of yoga – including ten times as many women as men. Most yoga fans are interested in more flexibility and relaxation. However, many practitioners in Western countries are unaware that yoga is based on a centuries-old history.
The history of yoga
Admittedly, it is not easy to understand the origins of today’s Western yoga practice. The fact is that traditional yoga originated from the religious practice of Hinduism. “The basis of the religion is the Vedic scriptures, which according to traditional understanding were written down around 5,000 years ago. It talks about yoga practices throughout,” says Erlend Pettersson, founder of the Hindu Forum Germany. The pensioner has been a Hindu for decades and has intensively studied the religious significance of yoga. He explains: “The Sanskrit term ‘yoga’ literally means ‘to bind together’ – so it’s about more than just a sport. The original aim of yoga was to unite mind and body. The fact that the Greeks reported Indian “philosophers who practiced gymnastics” – the yogis – as early as 300 BC allows Pettersson to draw only one conclusion: “Yoga is incredibly old.” In fact, historians now believe that the first yoga exercises were practised in India as early as 4,500 BC.
“If you can breathe, you can practise yoga.”
As Chairman of the Board of the German Association for Buddhism and Yoga, Volker Köpcke combines both areas in his daily work. The expert also recognizes clear parallels between yoga and his religion: “If you look closely, you can also find many allusions to it in the traditional Buddhist texts.” The term “kumbhaka”, for example, appears frequently in these texts. In traditional yoga, the word “kumbhaka” describes the special breathing technique of holding in Kundalini and Hatha yoga, which is also known in other religious systems in India.
However, there are various theories as to how the former spiritual practice from India could become a real world movement. Buddhist Köpcke explains the development as follows: “Sri T. Krishnamacharya is regarded as the ‘father’ of modern yoga. Born in 1888, he studied the classical forms of Indian yoga as well as the practice of hatha yoga with the legendary Sri Ramamohana Brahmachari in Tibet.” He is said to have brought his experiences with him to Europe and the USA, where they were adapted by Buddhists to the Western world.
Full physical effort
Another story, however, sees the origins of yoga as we know it today in the British colonial era. According to this, the British in the 19th century are said to have In the 19th century, Indian asanas – physical exercises – were integrated into their fitness plan in combination with gymnastics. This variant is supported, for example, by the fact that most people in the West today practice yoga in a very physical way. In the traditional scriptures there are a total of 84 body postures, which are practiced differently today depending on the region and goal. The best-known asanas in the West include the sun salutation, downward-facing dog, child’s pose and warrior pose. But not all yoga is the same.
“There are several forms of yoga,” says yoga teacher Ann-Christin Giese-Kessler. Yin yoga, for example, is a very calm practice in which you stay in one posture for up to five minutes. “It stretches the fasciae and challenges the head in particular to remain calm for as long as possible,” explains the Cologne native. Vinyasa yoga, on the other hand, is very flowing and active and can be sweaty. Hatha yoga is characterized by alternating tension and relaxation. But these are just a few examples of the many names and ways in which yoga is practiced today.
The whole thing often has little to do with the original practice. “The yoga system offered in many studios today is based on classical dhyana yoga,” says Hinduist Erlend Pettersson. “However, with the focus on movement and breathing that most people practise today, they hardly achieve the transcendence that earlier yogis achieved.” Yet it is transcendence that yoga was originally about. “The classical meaning of yoga is the connection of the human being with the divine,” explains Pettersson. The aim of yoga meditation is to bring the mind into a controllable situation through movement, breathing exercises and certain regulating behaviors.
The Buddhist Yoga Bible
For many Hindus and Buddhists today, yoga is still more than just a way of balancing everyday life – it is their way of life. The spiritual yogis of this world even have their own bible. The “Yogasutra” dates back to the time between 400 BC. and 200 n. Chr. and describes all the essential contents of religious yoga practice:
1. yama (morality, ethics) includes non-violence, truthfulness, chastity and restraint of desire
2. niyama (self-discipline) includes purity, contentment, self-study and discipline
3. ishvarapranidhana (devotion) includes worship of the Divine in any form
4. asana (physical discipline) comprises the physical exercises
5. pranayama (control of the breath)
6. pratyahara (withdrawal and control of the senses)
7. dharana (concentration)
8. dhyana (meditation)
9. samadhi (contemplation, realization of the higher self)
But yoga is like all other religions: apart from the religious context, the Bible is hardly used these days. The yoga studio is all about movement, breathing and relaxation. This may not necessarily lead to enlightenment, but influencers, yoga teachers and doctors swear by the positive effects of regular asanas and meditation. Buddhist Volker Köpcke can also see something good in the Western yoga lifestyle far removed from religion: “Personally, I see it as positive, as many people take up yoga to improve their physical and mental health and lead a more harmonious and peaceful life.”
“Yoga has changed my life.”
There is now widespread scientific consensus that yoga can have a positive effect on our well-being. Studies have shown that yoga makes us calmer, more relaxed, healthier, more creative and more self-confident. A joint study by Erasmus University Rotterdam and Harvard Medical School in Boston even showed that yoga can improve heart health. “Certain forms of meditation are also helpful for blood pressure management and significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke,” says Austrian Ayurveda practitioner Rainer Picha. The former cardiologist and internist now uses yoga, meditation and Ayurveda to help his patients. He is convinced that most cardiovascular diseases are caused by a poor lifestyle. “80 percent of heart attacks could be prevented.” That’s why Picha took a break in 1996 after years of working as a conventional doctor – and became intensively involved with prevention options and alternative medicine. “After several stops, I now teach integrative medicine at the university in Graz and have my own practice for Ayurvedic medicine,” says Picha. Not only is he himself convinced of the medical benefits of yoga and mediation, his patients are also increasingly open to the alternative prevention methods: “30 years ago, Ayurvedic medicine as a whole was not really recognized. Anyone who told doctors back then that they meditated was not taken seriously,” says the doctor. “Today, things are very different: the field is now well researched and is already being used in conventional medicine to pursue a holistic approach to healing. Today, doctors who say they meditate are often perceived as being very mindful and aware.”
“Yoga and meditation are like all other things in life: The quantity makes the poison.”
Yoga teacher Giese-Kessler is also convinced of the positive effects of her favorite sport: “Yoga has changed my life.” For example, she has become much more relaxed. “Things that used to stress me out are no longer a problem. I also have much more joy in my everyday life, have become more mindful and grateful and have integrated fixed routines into my life. I meditate regularly and practise yoga just for myself. As a result, I have also built up a very intense connection with myself. I always look at what I need right now and what my needs are.”
Internist Picha, on the other hand, focuses on the many health benefits of yoga: “Yoga can improve posture and provide more mental and psychological stability, as well as boosting cognitive abilities.” Physiotherapist Giese-Kessler adds: “Physically, you strengthen your muscles, stretch, mobilize your joints and your whole body. You develop a certain calmness and definitely reduce stress.” And with this, the yoga teacher is beating the advertising drum that numerous influencers and celebrities are only too happy to activate. Because if you practise yoga, you’re hip.
Risks and side effects of practicing yoga incorrectly
However, this trend sport is not as harmless as it seems at first glance. The well-known US business journalist William J. Broad was one of the first to point out the risks of practicing yoga. In 2012, he published his book “Yoga. What it promises – and what it can do”. Broad, who enjoyed trying out asanas himself, writes about the medical histories of practitioners. It’s about back problems and strokes. The cause: the controversial yoga postures headstand and shoulder stand. In India, they are still practiced today without hesitation – as a supposed cure for thyroid disorders, depression and constipation. But since then, the two asanas have hardly been found in the West.
“If I go into a headstand without practising, then of course there is a risk of injury,” says yoga teacher Giese-Kessler. But she is certain: “If you’re really careful and listen to your body, then yoga really is a low-risk sport.” Ayurveda practitioner Rainer Picha takes a similar view: “Yoga and meditation are like all other things in life: The quantity makes the poison.” His advice: don’t simply copy something from the internet without thinking, but get a specialist on your side.
Yoga between sexism and sectarianism
However, the physical risks of asanas are not the only problem of the zeitgeist. Yoga has also had an image problem for years, which is difficult to deny. The history of the most famous yoga gurus in the Western world is closely linked to sexism, sexual harassment and a veritable cult. A good example of this is the story of the well-known yoga guru Yogi Bhajan. He brought Kundalini yoga, a yoga style that focuses on the mental and spiritual aspects of the practice, to the West. In 2020, his secretary of many years publishes a book in which she recounts 20 years of sexual and emotional abuse by the spiritual leader.
Unfortunately, Yogi Bhajan is no longer an isolated offender in the yoga scene. There are also similar stories about Bikram Choudhury, the inventor of Bikram yoga. The hype surrounding the yoga method in the USA turned the Indian into a multimillionaire – who, according to stories, liked to get closer to his students than they would have liked. In the meantime, Bikram is wanted by warrant because he was sentenced to a fine of millions for sexual harassment, sexual assault and discrimination.
What both gurus have in common with many of their comrades-in-arms is the perfidious way in which they have exploited their power and spiritual reputation in the yoga scene for base needs. Because when yoga gurus become abusive, this is often overlooked within their community. In the beginning, the women concerned sometimes even feel honored because they see the guru as a kind of deity. This is why there is often the assumption that yoga is a sect-like practice.
“The spiritual yogis of this world even have their own bible.”
“Of course, there are also critical movements and sects that use the practice for their own purposes,” says yoga doctor Picha. But this should not be generalized. “After all, yoga and meditation are valuable ways to prevent health problems that everyone can – and should – benefit from.” Nevertheless, there is clearly a certain potential for sexism and oppression inherent in the practice of yoga. Even if it doesn’t come from a guru, the focus on yoga can degenerate into self-optimization and unhealthy competition with the global yoga community – along the lines of: whoever masters the perfect headstand first.
Political dimensions of the zeitgeist
Anyone interested in politics should also be familiar with the political dimension of the lifestyle. One story clearly outweighs the accusation of cultural appropriation. Because hardly any yogi today knows that in a time long past, many Nazis were also part of the yoga community. Yoga teacher Mathias Tietke has written an entire book about it entitled “Yogi Hitler”. According to this, Adolf Hitler was celebrated in the scene as a skilled practitioner and skillfully used the values for the National Socialist ideology. Central teachings of yoga were suppressed and others reinterpreted in such a way that a completely unique “Aryan yoga” was created. Today, all that remains is a warning. And that is to prevent people from unthinkingly absorbing the content of so-called gurus without questioning it critically. If you stick to it, you can benefit in many ways from occasional asanas and meditation. According to yoga teacher Ann-Christin Giese-Kessler, the trend sport is virtually barrier-free: “Someone once said to me: “If you can breathe, you can practise yoga” – and that’s exactly how it is. All you need is yourself and comfortable clothes.”
Happy yogi, happy life?
Yoga, which is now practised in fitness studios and video courses, increasingly focuses on physical and mental health. Internist Rainer Picha sees it as a wonderful preventative measure that has a positive impact on you and your environment. “As a society, we need a holistic view of health in the long term anyway if we want to prevent our healthcare system from collapsing. To achieve this, it is necessary for each individual to take care of their own health.” Unfortunately, this is something that many people misunderstand: They think that as long as they are healthy, they don’t need to do anything for their health. “But prevention can really prolong our lives. Yoga, meditation and Ayurvedic medicine can be an important building block for this.”
In the end, yoga is always just as healthy and helpful as it is practiced. As with everything in life, it requires a healthy degree of mindfulness and frugality. Giese-Kessler advises beginners to seek professional help. “Sometimes you don’t even notice when you’re doing a pose incorrectly – and feedback from a teacher really helps enormously. You should also let go of your ego: The asana shouldn’t look perfect, above all it should feel good.” However, many people approach it with false ambition and force themselves into uncomfortable and sometimes unhealthy poses that are not suitable for their body. The yoga teacher concludes: “You should definitely listen to your body.”
