r/yogateachers
Why do some people keep trying to reinvent yoga?
This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.
The Question
Theres a saying that yoga is everyone and it can be unique to every individual. And we are not to pass any judgments on how others choose to practice… but why do some people feel the need to keep reinventing or creating hybrids of yoga? This is just out of curiosity. I’ve been noticing studios and classes putting their own twist on yoga… puppy yoga (with literal puppies), naked yoga, yoga-lates (Pilates hybrid), and some instructors just creating their own “style” of yoga. The list goes on. Plenty make it a mission to create something unique. Which ca be great and creative… but why piggyback on “yoga”. Why not call it… movement method, animal flow, power series, something something whatever. Why do you think it is essential to tag some as yoga even though they might’ve deviated from what yoga was traditionally intended for?
— via r/yogateachers
Our Response
Because the word sells.
That's it. That's the answer.
Yoga has brand equity. People search for it. It sounds spiritual enough to feel meaningful. Accessible enough to not be threatening. Slap "yoga" on your puppy class and you're tapping into a hundred years of Western marketing.
If you called it "Stretching with Dogs," fewer people show up.
Now — does that mean it's all cynical? No. Some people genuinely think yoga just means moving mindfully. Or breathing while you stretch. They're not trying to deceive anyone. They just don't know the tradition has a specific shape.
But here's what matters to you: none of this affects your practice.
Ashtanga still works. The method is still intact. You don't need to police the word.
Let people do puppy yoga. You do your Surya Namaskar.
If you want to understand what yoga actually is — outside the branding — check out the study guide on the eight limbs. It'll give you the framework. Then you'll know what you're doing. And why it's not the same as Pilates with a Sanskrit playlist.
Not sure where to start?
Chat with the intake assistant — tell it about your practice and it’ll point you to what fits.
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