I love yoga.
\nIt has been a part of my life for many years and has helped me in ways I can hardly put into words. For me, yoga does more than just regulate; it connects. It brings clarity. It puts me in touch\u2014with my body, my emotions, and my inner movements. <\/p>\n
That is precisely why I view some of what is practiced as yoga in the West with a critical eye.<\/p>\n
It is not yoga itself that is the problem, but rather the way we frequently reduce and standardize it, fitting it into familiar frameworks of performance-based logic.<\/p>\n<\/div>
When practice turns into performance<\/h4><\/div>In the West, yoga is usually practiced with a strong focus on performance. From the very beginning, the emphasis has been primarily on physical form\u2014progress, intensity, and visible development. The handstand as a goal. Greater flexibility. More strength. Greater depth in the pose. <\/p>\n
A challenge is not inherently negative. Physical strength and agility are valuable. <\/p>\n
Things become problematic when yoga imperceptibly slips into the same logic that governs many other areas of life: higher, further, better.<\/p>\n
Many people come to yoga because they are already under pressure to perform in their daily lives. If yoga then also becomes a place where one has to achieve something, a silent repetition of that very pattern arises. <\/p>\n
The question shifts:
\nNo longer “What do I perceive?”<\/em>
\nBut rather “How far do I get?”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Anna](\"https:\/\/happylotus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Yoga3.jpg\")
<\/span>\u00a9 Jana Rodenbusch<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
When yoga is reduced to asanas<\/h4><\/div>Another aspect of this development is the strong focus on body postures.<\/p>\n
In classical yoga philosophy\u2014such as in Patanjali\u2019s eight-fold path\u2014asanas are just one part of the eight dimensions of the practice. These include, among other things, ethical foundations, self-reflection, breathwork, concentration, and meditation. <\/p>\n
In the Western context, however, yoga has often been reduced almost exclusively to the physical level. This shifts the focus: from internal alignment to external form. <\/p>\n
When the focus is on outward form, comparison arises. And with comparison comes judgment.<\/p>\n
This does not mean that asanas are unimportant.\u2028But when they are separated from the philosophical and internal context, the practice fundamentally changes.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\u201cYoga for all\u201d \u2013 and the reality of individual bodies<\/h4><\/div>Yoga is often described as a practice for everyone. And fundamentally, I share this desire for accessibility. <\/p>\n
What I view critically, however, is the implicit assumption that an attitude looks the same for everyone\u2014or should feel the same.<\/p>\n
Bodies are built differently.
\nHip joints, shoulder structures, spinal shapes, and tension patterns\u2014all of these vary significantly. What comes easily to one person may be challenging, uncomfortable, or even unsuitable for another. <\/p>\n
When all participants in a large class are expected to adopt the same form, individuality is inevitably limited. Truly tailoring the practice to a person’s anatomy, prior experience, or sensitive nervous system requires at least a minimum level of observation and assessment of their background. <\/p>\n
That is hardly possible in large studio courses. And that is not problematic in itself\u2014provided there is a clear statement of what is being offered. <\/p>\n
It is perfectly legitimate for a class to focus primarily on training strength, flexibility, and coordination.
\nProblems only arise when this type of practice is portrayed as universally healing or deeply transformative\u2014regardless of the individual or the context.<\/p>\n
Yoga is not a standardized form.
\nIt is an individual practice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
When effects are specified<\/h4><\/div>Another point that gives me pause for thought is how inner experiences are handled in the classroom.<\/p>\n
Sentences like:
\n“Feel the spaciousness.”
\n“In Warrior II, you feel your self-confidence.”
\n“This pose opens your heart.”<\/p>\n
Such impulses are often well-intentioned. And, of course, certain attitudes can foster certain qualities. <\/p>\n
However, inner experiences are individual.<\/p>\n
What happens when someone, in this posture, feels not spaciousness but constriction? Not strength but uncertainty? Or simply nothing at all? <\/p>\n
That can easily create a subtle pressure. The feeling of not doing something right. Of not going deep enough. Of not being \u201creceptive\u201d enough. <\/p>\n
We can say:
\nA posture can<\/i> provide stability.
\nIt can<\/i> foster a sense of spaciousness.
\nIt can<\/i> make strength tangible.<\/p>\n
But we shouldn’t dictate what someone has to feel.<\/p>\n
Yoga becomes a genuine practice when subjective experience is respected rather than corrected.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Mixing of systems \u2013 and the question of clarity<\/h4><\/div>In recent years, we have also observed an increasing blending of yoga with other forms of training\u2014such as Pilates or functional strength training.<\/p>\n
Movement is important. Strength is important. Different methods can complement each other. <\/p>\n
Yet yoga is more than just a sequence of exercises. When it is viewed solely as a workout while remaining imbued with spiritual promises, a contradictory blend of performance orientation and self-optimization emerges\u2014all under the guise of mindfulness. <\/p>\n
This ambivalence can be unsettling, especially for people who are sensitive to pressure or live with psychological strain.<\/p>\n<\/div>
![\"Trauma](\"https:\/\/happylotus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ChatGPT-Image-24.-Feb.-2026-11_59_11.jpg\")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>How I understand yoga in today’s context<\/h4><\/div>All these points do not mean that yoga is problematic.<\/p>\n
On the contrary: for me, yoga is one of the most vital resources in my life. It helps me stay in touch every day\u2014with my body, my emotions, and my inner processes. For me, yoga works on several levels simultaneously. It connects. <\/p>\n
Precisely because yoga can have such a profound effect, I take the framework surrounding it seriously.<\/p>\n
The problem isn’t yoga.
\nThe problem is yoga without context.
\nWithout knowledge of nervous systems and individual needs.
\nWithout real choices.
\nAnd without guidance.<\/p>\n
Yoga is not neutral. It heightens awareness, deepens the connection to one\u2019s inner self, and can set processes in motion. And that is precisely why a sense of responsibility is required.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Why guidance is crucial<\/h4><\/div>People must not be left alone to deal with the effects of yoga.<\/p>\n
When practice sets inner processes in motion\u2014whether physical or emotional\u2014guidance is needed. There is a need for space for questions. And there is a need for an attitude that regards every reaction as legitimate. <\/p>\n
Providing guidance does not mean interpreting experiences.
\nRather, it means being able to put them into perspective.<\/p>\n
It means viewing protective mechanisms not as resistance, but as a form of competence.
\nIt means offering choices: regulating intensity, orienting oneself outwardly, and taking breaks.<\/p>\n
Especially in the context of mental health, this is not an additional qualification, but a foundation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Yoga doesn’t end on the mat<\/h4><\/div>For me, yoga is not an isolated practice lasting 60 or 90 minutes. It is a space for practice. <\/p>\n
The mat can be a safe playground\u2014a place where we can gain experience within a clear framework:
\nWhat does stability feel like?
\nHow do I deal with resistance?
\nWhen do I push myself too hard?
\nWhen do I withdraw?<\/p>\n
On the mat, we can explore these questions in a safe space. With pauses. With choices. With guidance. <\/p>\n
But yoga doesn’t want to stay on the mat.<\/p>\n
The actual practice often only begins afterwards – in conversations, in dealing with pressure, in conflicts or moments of being overwhelmed.<\/p>\n
If yoga helps us to respond more consciously in everyday life, to recognize boundaries, or to take ourselves seriously, then it fulfills its purpose.<\/p>\n
If, however, it remains merely at the level of outward form, without being translated into life, it is reduced to mere movement.<\/p>\n
Yoga is not a final state.
\nIt is a training ground for life.<\/p>\n<\/div>
![\"Trauma](\"https:\/\/happylotus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ChatGPT-Image-24.-Feb.-2026-14_08_11.jpg\")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Perhaps yoga in the west needs more differentiation.<\/h4><\/div>Yoga is valuable.
\nBut it is not a universal remedy.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it calls for fewer promises\u2014and more precision.
\nLess standardization\u2014and more individuality.
\nLess of a performance mindset\u2014and more genuine awareness.<\/p>\n
For me, yoga remains a deeply personal practice.
\nAnd that is precisely why I believe it is important to reflect consciously on how we approach it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unkategorisiert"],"yoast_head":"\n
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In the West, yoga is usually practiced with a strong focus on performance. From the very beginning, the emphasis has been primarily on physical form\u2014progress, intensity, and visible development. The handstand as a goal. Greater flexibility. More strength. Greater depth in the pose. <\/p>\n
A challenge is not inherently negative. Physical strength and agility are valuable. <\/p>\n
Things become problematic when yoga imperceptibly slips into the same logic that governs many other areas of life: higher, further, better.<\/p>\n
Many people come to yoga because they are already under pressure to perform in their daily lives. If yoga then also becomes a place where one has to achieve something, a silent repetition of that very pattern arises. <\/p>\n
The question shifts: \u00a9 Jana Rodenbusch<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Another aspect of this development is the strong focus on body postures.<\/p>\n In classical yoga philosophy\u2014such as in Patanjali\u2019s eight-fold path\u2014asanas are just one part of the eight dimensions of the practice. These include, among other things, ethical foundations, self-reflection, breathwork, concentration, and meditation. <\/p>\n In the Western context, however, yoga has often been reduced almost exclusively to the physical level. This shifts the focus: from internal alignment to external form. <\/p>\n When the focus is on outward form, comparison arises. And with comparison comes judgment.<\/p>\n This does not mean that asanas are unimportant.\u2028But when they are separated from the philosophical and internal context, the practice fundamentally changes.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Yoga is often described as a practice for everyone. And fundamentally, I share this desire for accessibility. <\/p>\n What I view critically, however, is the implicit assumption that an attitude looks the same for everyone\u2014or should feel the same.<\/p>\n Bodies are built differently. When all participants in a large class are expected to adopt the same form, individuality is inevitably limited. Truly tailoring the practice to a person’s anatomy, prior experience, or sensitive nervous system requires at least a minimum level of observation and assessment of their background. <\/p>\n That is hardly possible in large studio courses. And that is not problematic in itself\u2014provided there is a clear statement of what is being offered. <\/p>\n It is perfectly legitimate for a class to focus primarily on training strength, flexibility, and coordination. Yoga is not a standardized form. Another point that gives me pause for thought is how inner experiences are handled in the classroom.<\/p>\n Sentences like: Such impulses are often well-intentioned. And, of course, certain attitudes can foster certain qualities. <\/p>\n However, inner experiences are individual.<\/p>\n What happens when someone, in this posture, feels not spaciousness but constriction? Not strength but uncertainty? Or simply nothing at all? <\/p>\n That can easily create a subtle pressure. The feeling of not doing something right. Of not going deep enough. Of not being \u201creceptive\u201d enough. <\/p>\n We can say: But we shouldn’t dictate what someone has to feel.<\/p>\n Yoga becomes a genuine practice when subjective experience is respected rather than corrected.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> In recent years, we have also observed an increasing blending of yoga with other forms of training\u2014such as Pilates or functional strength training.<\/p>\n Movement is important. Strength is important. Different methods can complement each other. <\/p>\n Yet yoga is more than just a sequence of exercises. When it is viewed solely as a workout while remaining imbued with spiritual promises, a contradictory blend of performance orientation and self-optimization emerges\u2014all under the guise of mindfulness. <\/p>\n This ambivalence can be unsettling, especially for people who are sensitive to pressure or live with psychological strain.<\/p>\n<\/div> All these points do not mean that yoga is problematic.<\/p>\n On the contrary: for me, yoga is one of the most vital resources in my life. It helps me stay in touch every day\u2014with my body, my emotions, and my inner processes. For me, yoga works on several levels simultaneously. It connects. <\/p>\n Precisely because yoga can have such a profound effect, I take the framework surrounding it seriously.<\/p>\n The problem isn’t yoga. Yoga is not neutral. It heightens awareness, deepens the connection to one\u2019s inner self, and can set processes in motion. And that is precisely why a sense of responsibility is required.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> People must not be left alone to deal with the effects of yoga.<\/p>\n When practice sets inner processes in motion\u2014whether physical or emotional\u2014guidance is needed. There is a need for space for questions. And there is a need for an attitude that regards every reaction as legitimate. <\/p>\n Providing guidance does not mean interpreting experiences. It means viewing protective mechanisms not as resistance, but as a form of competence. Especially in the context of mental health, this is not an additional qualification, but a foundation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> For me, yoga is not an isolated practice lasting 60 or 90 minutes. It is a space for practice. <\/p>\n The mat can be a safe playground\u2014a place where we can gain experience within a clear framework: On the mat, we can explore these questions in a safe space. With pauses. With choices. With guidance. <\/p>\n But yoga doesn’t want to stay on the mat.<\/p>\n The actual practice often only begins afterwards – in conversations, in dealing with pressure, in conflicts or moments of being overwhelmed.<\/p>\n If yoga helps us to respond more consciously in everyday life, to recognize boundaries, or to take ourselves seriously, then it fulfills its purpose.<\/p>\n If, however, it remains merely at the level of outward form, without being translated into life, it is reduced to mere movement.<\/p>\n Yoga is not a final state. Yoga is valuable. Perhaps it calls for fewer promises\u2014and more precision. For me, yoga remains a deeply personal practice.
\nNo longer “What do I perceive?”<\/em>
\nBut rather “How far do I get?”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>When yoga is reduced to asanas<\/h4><\/div>
\u201cYoga for all\u201d \u2013 and the reality of individual bodies<\/h4><\/div>
\nHip joints, shoulder structures, spinal shapes, and tension patterns\u2014all of these vary significantly. What comes easily to one person may be challenging, uncomfortable, or even unsuitable for another. <\/p>\n
\nProblems only arise when this type of practice is portrayed as universally healing or deeply transformative\u2014regardless of the individual or the context.<\/p>\n
\nIt is an individual practice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>When effects are specified<\/h4><\/div>
\n“Feel the spaciousness.”
\n“In Warrior II, you feel your self-confidence.”
\n“This pose opens your heart.”<\/p>\n
\nA posture can<\/i> provide stability.
\nIt can<\/i> foster a sense of spaciousness.
\nIt can<\/i> make strength tangible.<\/p>\nMixing of systems \u2013 and the question of clarity<\/h4><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>How I understand yoga in today’s context<\/h4><\/div>
\nThe problem is yoga without context.
\nWithout knowledge of nervous systems and individual needs.
\nWithout real choices.
\nAnd without guidance.<\/p>\nWhy guidance is crucial<\/h4><\/div>
\nRather, it means being able to put them into perspective.<\/p>\n
\nIt means offering choices: regulating intensity, orienting oneself outwardly, and taking breaks.<\/p>\nYoga doesn’t end on the mat<\/h4><\/div>
\nWhat does stability feel like?
\nHow do I deal with resistance?
\nWhen do I push myself too hard?
\nWhen do I withdraw?<\/p>\n
\nIt is a training ground for life.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Perhaps yoga in the west needs more differentiation.<\/h4><\/div>
\nBut it is not a universal remedy.<\/p>\n
\nLess standardization\u2014and more individuality.
\nLess of a performance mindset\u2014and more genuine awareness.<\/p>\n
\nAnd that is precisely why I believe it is important to reflect consciously on how we approach it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unkategorisiert"],"yoast_head":"\n