To think that many yoga teachers are too “woo woo?”

[SnugShaker]

I’ve done yoga for a while and noticed that a lot of teachers seem to embrace a very spiritual, “new age” approach, with talk of energy, chakras, and healing. While I understand yoga has a deeper, more mindful side, sometimes it feels like it goes a bit overboard. Is it just me or do others feel that yoga teachers often focus too much on this “woo woo” stuff?

Different teachers are different levels along that spectrum but yoga is generally about more than just making some body shapes.

Yoga obviously is going to attract this type of person . However of all the yoga teachers I know .. and that’s alot .. only a couple of them are too woo woo for me . Most teachers are fairly down to earth and embrace the mindfulness, breathwork and the asana side . Yoga is more than just stretching and exercise . People who like the woo will practice with those teachers those who don’t will find another who suits them .
Yoga teachers are human - they are supposed to live a yogic lifestyle.. however I have met the loveliest people who teach and equally some nasty pieces of work !!

What exactly do you think yoga is?

I’m not being snide, I’m interested to know.

Yoga without the spiritualism and philosophy is just a series of gymnastic stretches. You can’t really just have the asana without the other 7 limbs or you may as well just do Pilates.

I love the woo woo.

If you're not keen, have you tried pilates?

I hate pilates specifically because it's not woo woo! Haha

I like the woo woo stuff! I don’t think it’s really yoga without it to be honest, it’s always felt like it should be a whole mind and body process to me and the introspective element of it is important. Chakras etc for me is just language used to describe how to focus on what’s going on inside you and become more aware of your body. You don’t have to subscribe to it on more of a level than that if you don’t want to.

That's what yoga is. If you just want the stretching you need something else.

I wish mine was more woo. I love her but I’m not sure that she has an ounce of woo. Sometimes I want to yell about my chakras but obviously can’t shout because of my zen.

This. I think you’ve misunderstood the nature of yoga. It’s not just an exercise class.

I get that yoga has a spiritual and philosophical foundation and I don’t expect it to be just another fitness class. But some teachers lean so heavily into the mystical side - talking about ‘third-eye awakenings’ and ‘cosmic downloads’ - that it feels more like a spiritual seminar than a movement practice. I’m fine with mindfulness and intention but I sometimes wish there was a bit more balance. Does that make sense?

As others said, yoga is much more than a 'workout'. It's an ancient practice that is based on spirituality. I'm a qualified teacher and the training goes through the history of it and chakras, mediation, spirituality are fundamental parts of yoga. The asana- the poses are just the cherry on top of a whole lifestyle. It's completely white washing to look at those aspects and say people that practice those parts make yoga too woo. If you don't like it, do Pilates.

I actually do Reformer Pilates as well! I like that it’s focused on strength and control without too much of the extra fluff. I don’t mind some mindfulness in yoga but when a class starts feeling like a guided meditation on astral projection, I start zoning out!

But I do agree with you in some respects- there is respecting the roots and foundations of yoga and then there is the 'wellness culture' that has become this massive beast, and that is nudged on by influencers and Instagram and looking a certain aesthetic and that part I find insincere. Yoga should be for everyone.

Ah yeah I do get you. I fall somewhere in the middle. I’m an ashtanga student, I teach vinyasa and I talk a lot about philosophy, a bit about chakras but not very much about Star Seeds and kundalini awakenings (at all tbh).

You just have to try and find a teacher who is the right vibe for you. I love a good chant but get a bit uncomfortable at white robes and vibrational humming 🤣

Yes agreed, like others have said you might prefer pilates OP. Spiritual life underpins yoga.

Well, to be fair, yoga was developed as a spiritual practice, so it's not really surprising. You can find lots of fitness-focused classes though, you just have to check which is which before you sign up.

Do you not think it's problematic to dismiss and diminish the cultural and spiritual roots of yoga as 'woo woo'?

And by problematic, I mean offensive.

I had a pal when I worked in Soho who was a brilliant business head and a bit of a Jack the lad and liked a drink, life moved on and when he hit middle age he found Yoga. Changed career and became a yoga teacher, caught big time Woo to the extent that he dumped his wife and kids and went off with a fellow yoga teacher to live the woo life. This woo stuff can appeal to all sorts and can be like a cult in a way: how do you question and hold to account the ineffable?

Do you complain when you end up in a Church attending a Faith service😀?

The teacher is bearing witness to their Faith you are there to exercise🤷‍♀️

Mine’s quite woo, but she’s also really lovely & very good at doing classes that work for students on a range of levels.

I do take the woo with a pinch of salt but I also really enjoy listening to it.

Isn't yoga a bit like modern paganism though - a lot more tacked on to older practices,but bearing little relationship to them? I might be wrong, I did read it on the internet after all...

But yeah, I'd love to do some sort of sweary yoga. I find the stretching and breathing hard enough without trying not to giggle at woo stuff or accidentally letting out a fart.

[(Edit) @LaughingM ]
Why?
The teacher is essentially upselling their "mass" service as an commercial product.

The OP has no interest in being "Saved By the Cross" etc

That’s exactly what I mean! I get that yoga has a spiritual and philosophical side, but for some people, it seems to take over their entire identity. It can start to feel almost cult-like, where questioning anything is frowned upon. Your ex-colleague is a perfect example of how deep some people get into it - sometimes to the detriment of their personal lives. Did you see the shift happening gradually or was it more of a sudden transformation?

Yoga as a practice is 5000+ years old but the poses we think of as yoga were mostly invented in the last 50-100 years and drawn from Swedish gymnastics.

And the history of the various schools of yoga is hella murky.

But the roots of yoga are ancient, and spiritual.

I see what you’re getting at but the difference is that if I go to a church service, I expect a religious experience. When I go to a yoga class, I expect a movement practice with some mindfulness, not a full-on spiritual sermon. I just think some teachers take it to an extreme where it overshadows the actual physical practice. But I get that some people enjoy that side of it!