Why Is Yoga So Popular

It seemed like a simple question, when over lunch my friend asked, “Michael, why is yoga so popular these days?”. I guess the question took me a little by surprise as I could remember not so long ago when yoga was a “fringe” activity at best, and those who practiced were regarded with a little more than just curiosity. But times have changed. The yoga revolution has happened. There are more yoga studios than McDonalds and now we have our sights set on gas stations as well.

My theory is simple in answer to what lies behind the “why is yoga so popular” question.

Basically, our high pace techno society, while wonderful in so many ways, has alienated us from ourselves. Yep! We have become disconnected from ourselves from the inside out. How has this happened? Well back in the day, not so long ago, if you wanted money from your bank account you would go into a bank and talk to someone while you completed the transaction. Now you shove a piece of plastic into a slot, punch in some numbers, and talk to no-one unless you make a mistake and talk to yourself. We spend hours “talking” to people with our phone, but no longer actually talking. We are texting instead.

OK, so how does that disconnect me from myself? Well, when I talk with someone I am engaged at a physical, emotional and mental level and I am also in a feedback loop with the other person. I actually get to see and feel myself at a deeper level every time I engage with another human IN PERSON.

These days we engage less and less with others IN PERSON. So we see less and less of ourselves reflected back to us as a result. We live mostly in our mind and have no way of cross checking what it is telling us. Result – disconnection at other levels.

So what has this got to do with yoga? Well, when we practice yoga, if the class is led by someone who knows how to help us connect on all levels, we actually get to see, feel, and experience ourselves deeply – not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, and maybe even spiritually as well.

Hence the reason why yoga is so popular today. We subconsciously crave that connection. And even if we don’t know we need it, we do know where to go to get it.