To wonder if yoga is becoming less popular now?

[GardenDreams]

I have been practicing for 8 years. We had one local class, a kind of fast ashtanga with a pretty dire teacher for a few years, which I stopped attending after 6 months.
Around 2019 our local class count grew to around 5, mostly nameless types which just endlessly went through sun salutations for an hour.

The popularity seemed to grow rapidly through lockdowns and has now petered out altogether. The original class finally shut it's doors a few weeks ago. No one here seems to be bothered anymore.

Has anyone else noticed this?
I know a lot of these things are prone to fashion and fads, but I do sense a general drop in interest all around in the past year or so. Online spaces that chat about yoga seem less lively too.

I am wondering if there is a new thing people are getting in to, perhaps?
I asked two people that I am familiar with why they stopped going to classes, and one said she had a small knee injury that grew worse with her teacher's instruction to ease it.
The other said she felt more at home with pilates.

Anyone else noticed it?

It’s still very popular where I am (Northumberland so could be behind the curve). Have you tried your local leisure centre? Ours is very good and has a great mix of classes with good instructors.

Virtually every week I see a new advert on our local Facebook page for a yoga class with a teacher I've not heard of before, so it's popularity doesn't seem to be waning here in the Midlands.

Where I live, a second yoga studio has opened, a 3rd reformer pilates studio and my gym has 4 yoga classes a week, always full with waiting lists and 4 pilates classes the same

There's also an individual yoga teacher that does a class once a week from the community centre.

I'm finding Drs and my physio are pushing Pilates more to over 40s for strength building and my friends (we are all in our 40s plus) are all switching to pilates.

DS and his friends are all over yoga as they are all footballers and use it to help stay supple!

Yoga is the only class at my leisure centre which is routinely full and booked in
advance.

must be on a downturn here then! it's a shame.

Everyone I know has started doing yoga since lockdown. It’s just almost exclusively online. Lots of people doing Yoga with Adrienne or similar free stuff on YouTube.

Haven't noticed a reduction in popularity. Probably lots of people do it at home rather than go to classes though - cheap and convenient! That's what I do.

My DD/0 can’t get into the yoga class at her gym unless she books weeks in advance. Very popular.
I do think there’s so much online now though for free.

Around here yoga classes are £20 a session compared to about £10/12 only a couple of years ago. That probably makes a big difference in how many people regularly sign up for 1/2 classes a week.

I go to David Lloyd, there are about 5 yoga classes per day, almost all are fully booked up to 10 days in advance.

I own studios in London and can tell you 100% yoga is less popular in studios now. There used to be so many yoga studios around, but now most have branched out to also offer functional strength or reformer or calisthenics alongside yoga. A few big ones have closed. Triyoga have reformer in their biggest studios now. Yoga was the busiest thing I offered pre lockdown, but I could see from when we reopened (each time), that people were switching to do reformer. Mainly I think it's because they couldn't replicate it at home without buying a reformer, though I have other theories as to why it's not as popular in studio anymore. Yoga is ticking over for us, but the classes that are always full and waitlisted even without promo are reformer pilates, inferno hot pilates, weekend ride, and the strength and calisthenics classes. Also £20 per class? Wow! That's so expensive!

Where I am there seems to be more interest in pilates and strength training, although the yoga classes were very small even when functioning.

I used to love the reddit yoga sub and even that has changed in the past year, a lot of arguing and snark now.

I also practice alone with occasional youtube classes.
I would love to eventually teach kids or elderly, not for profit, but can't afford the training at the moment. Will be moving house soon so hopefully there'll be more further afield!

Glad to see it is still thriving.

Pilates is much better for you.

In person yoga is just an exercise in trying not to fart in front of someone's face. It's a no from me, I save that for my husband.

How so?
I'm not too experienced with pilates.

I had an inner knee injury for 8 months last year and went to a class for instruction, the teacher just shrugged
Did get it checked medically and resting a good while helped to heal it. All of the local classes I attended never gave instruction, corrections or assistance for different needs. They probably could have been quite dangerous for some.

Much of the anatomical safety info online is rather vague too, such as 'when in forward bend, lift with the sit bones'. I can understand it, but a newcomer might not.

Pilates is much better and is recommended more by physios and doctors. That may contribute to the decline in yoga’s popularity.

Yoga tends to prize flexibility whereas Pilates is more strength and you don’t need to be ridiculously flexible to access the advanced poses - you need strength.

I think the spiritual side of yoga can out people off too.

I hurt my back very badly doing yoga…some instructors will force a position that is not suitable.

Loads of yoga where I am but of variable quality. It’s also very expensive compared to all other classes except Pilates - my bootcamp, strength and conditioning classes are only £5, yoga is minimum £10 and usually more like £12-£15. The classes tend to be very long and in uncomfortably cold venues. I want warmth and nice smells for that price, not a dusty village hall!

I have always been a bit scared of pilates because of the machines
Must look into it more.

It is more about strength. Yoga's emphasis on flexibility can be damaging.

Machines??? Think you're confused.

i am!

No machines in Pilates.

We recently got a hotpod yoga studio in my town and it's brilliant and very popular! It's warm and nice. Practice is very strength based due to lots of vinayasas..it's great.

I can't afford the £8+ a session so I no longer go.
🤷🏻‍♀️

Is a reformer not a machine? 😄

Agree Pilates seems to be more popular these days. If I want to do Yoga I do it at home honestly.