Last week a woman waiting to check out at a local health food store observed a buff figure in front of her making a hard sell to the cashier.
"If I give you this coupon, would you come to my yoga class?"
This ancient and sublime art is now so intensely monetized in some quarters that it has become barely recognizable.
Several times recently I have heard both patients and yoga teachers complain that certain facilities are "so corporate." At some institutions yoga teachers are treated like sales staff at car lots and must meet quotas to keep their job.
Yoga, which originated in India, literally means "union." Traditionally it comprises physical, mental and spiritual practices employed to quell the ever-changing, grasping mind and to bring the practitioner into a state of peaceful equilibrium.
Countless scientific studies have shown yoga to provide profound benefit for myriad health issues including anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, certain types of arthritis and other selected musculoskeletal conditions. It is a highly valuable adjunct to integrative medicine. I have practiced yoga for almost 40 years now and regularly teach patients to introduce specific elements into their home exercise programs. Contrary to popular belief, yoga builds strength as much as it improves flexibility and offers effective cross-training for almost any sport.
Although the full spectrum of the yogic tradition includes principles for righteous living, specific body postures, breath work and meditation, in the United States it has become best known as a physical activity.
Iyengar yoga became one of the most popular styles early on and continues to enjoy widespread popularity with international scope. Among its strengths is its distinct focused, safe and precise execution of the postures and, with some teachers, an opportunity to learn highly effective breathing practices.
The Silent Dance Center and the East Honolulu Yoga Center, places where I have taken classes over the years, are examples of Iyengar yoga. They offer monthly membership but also welcome students on a drop-in basis at a reasonable rate, and the teachers are excellent. Open Space follows a similar model and offers an eclectic range of yoga classes and also has a reputation for respect of the ancient tradition.
The franchised yoga studios carry a different ambience. This was my experience when sampling classes of Bikram yoga, a dominant school of hot yoga. The deep sweat and the workout are exhilarating, but the yoga is very basic and taught in the style of a motivational spin class. "Go! Go! Go! Keep it up. You can do it, man!"
CorePower Yoga is a serious franchise-based business. By the beginning of last year, founder Trevor Tice had built 57 studios in five states with plans to expand by 10 to 15 more each year.
As the ancient tradition of yoga becomes increasingly corporate, it moves dangerously away from its delicate source.
American ingenuity has resulted in outstanding innovation, invention and leadership, but it also too often forgets to honor the traditions it draws from. Next time you are shopping, if a buff figure chases you down waving a coupon for a yoga class, instead take up sprinting.
Ira Zunin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.
