It’s a sad reality that many yoga teachers learn yoga from social media nowadays. More importantly, many yoga teachers don’t realize the full potential of influence, impact & bias training they’re setting themselves up for. I’m giving you an in-depth understanding of exactly what’s wrong when you learn yoga from social media.
My main social media account is Instagram. For years, I used Facebook but we moved away as the algorithm made it harder to connect with our followers. This article is based on what I see happening in the Instagram Yoga world.
10 reasons why you shouldn’t learn yoga from Instagram…
Yoga teachings are distorted, cherry-picked & sensationalized to gain followers. To establish oneself as a yoga ‘expert’.
It’s never been easier to become a yoga teacher. Or worse to sound like a yoga expert. On Instagram, you’ll see so many yoga teachers trying to fight for the limelight. They find social media real estate by offering tidbits of wrong information or cherry pick something to tie it to the current event and label anything under the sun as yoga. This is done purely to boost their personal agendas & yoga careers.
If you’re a sincere seeker you may end up getting only a fragment of the entire context. Or worse you’ll end up learning someone else’s bias or even appropriation as yoga itself.
Cannot get full context or verify what is posted…
The medium doesn’t lend itself well for full context & verification. Because of the short text, format, or Instagram reels that last only 15 to 30 seconds the rich depth & wisdom that yoga has is cut off. Instagram is great for laid-back, superficial consumption or entertainment. Recently, I saw a reel floating around that claimed Yoga began in the Indus Valley civilization. This is a classic example of misleading. Because yoga surely didn’t start in the Indus valley anyone can tell you that!
The Pashupati seal amongst others was discovered here. So this is yet another way of misleading especially when you have a large audience. Essentially, anyone can say anything without being held accountable for appropriating yoga.
Algorithm rewards controversy with more traffic…
You know this, don’t you? That sensational content is always rewarded. In the yoga world, most recently we saw the Indian farmers’ protests & the International yoga day take center stage. You have to recognize the “armchair activists” who love to stir up controversy. They literally plan, plot & post to create a controversy around something claiming to either loosely decolonize, or honor yoga. But the truth is, they’re just plotting to gain more followers by adding a certain shock value.
If these yoga teachers really had something important to say. They wouldn’t hold back and wait to drop it at a certain time. Because that would be cheating the very students they claim to want to help. Holding back from the student goes against many yamas that are fundamental to yoga.
More followers doesn’t make you a better yoga teacher…
Hardly! If you look at most of the yoga accounts today, they’re probably run by white women in bikinis doing yoga poses. Very few will be going into the vast depths of yoga. The truth is they don’t know it themselves. They’re just profiting from using the word, yoga.
Here are a few examples, Rachel Brathen aka Yoga Girl over 2 million followers on Instagram. Gained popularity because of bikini handstand pics & being an early adopter of the medium. Started a yoga brand with everything from YTTs to food to a podcast & merchandize and more. Selling yoga every minute but there’s no real yoga its just her celebrity lifestyle with her followers who are also largely white women re-affirming their own bias of what yoga is.
Another example, take brands like Lulu Lemon & Alo yoga apparel. Do you really think they care about cultural appropriation of yoga? Or Indian Yoga teachers? If they did, you’d see them being highlighted on their platform by now!
Enhances one’s ego instead of mitigating it…
So much of what is shared on Instagram stems from a point of ego. Yoga teachers need to be careful to not get carried away. Because side stepping the ego is a big part of it.
Lack of access to credible teachers & teachings…
Chances are the best teachers are not running from beach to beach in bikinis trying to get the perfect shot. Nor will the teachers who really know yoga be posing at the drop of a hat anywhere & everywhere. So remember, the algorithm shows you what it thinks will be appealing. Sex sells. So be smart when you consume your content in the name of yoga. There is more to yoga than just yoga poses.
Promotes hate, intolerance & cultish behavior…
With the new-age social media yoga activists, you have to pick a side. If not, you’re usually canceled or shamed as being a traditionalist. You’re either in or out. Needing to conform to a white ideal of what yoga should be like.
Teachers indulging in unethical behaviour against Indian yoga teachers…
I’ve heard more than a few times & seen proof of deleted comments, as well as being blocked by white or claiming to be Indian yoga teachers on many occasions. I recently took down an episode from my podcast as one teacher who claims to “uplift Indian yoga teacher voices” was secretly deleting and blocking (better) yoga teachers from his/her account. This happens regularly to Indian teachers who try to uphold yoga teachings & are labeled or shamed as traditionalists.
Misguiding sincere seekers for personal agenda…
Forgetting that our duty is to serve yoga & its seekers. Not our own agenda. If you’re wondering what it takes to be a good yoga teacher. Listen to Kaya Mindlin on this episode of my yoga podcast where we go over the qualities of a good yoga teacher. Yoga teachers on Instagram are there more for themselves than for yoga or their students.
Opinions & biases not yoga knowledge…
Chances are you’re just digesting someone’s opinions & biases every day in the name of yoga. This can be truly dangerous. So make sure to stay offline as and when you can. Follow a few who nourish you & your yoga journey.
