I almost didn’t post this. I drafted it, scheduled it, and then pulled it back. I hesitated because I didn’t want it to sound like I was complaining. But after reflecting on it, I realized—this conversation needs to happen. Because yoga, as we see it today, is not what it was meant to be.
Somewhere along the way, we took a 6,000-year-old practice and turned it into a trendy fitness routine, a marketing machine, and a showcase of aesthetics. Poses, which are only about 200 years old in this ancient tradition, have now become the sole focus—and not for the reasons they were intended. Instead of being tools for resilience, endurance, and deep self-discipline, they’ve been rebranded as tools for sculpting abs, lifting glutes, and toning arms.
Reconsidering Yoga's Purpose
This isn’t just about gatekeeping yoga. It’s about calling attention to what we’re losing. Yoga was never about looking strong—it was about being strong. That strength wasn’t measured by how defined your muscles looked, but by how you moved, breathed, and showed up to the practice and our lives again and again.
How Yoga Became About Aesthetics Instead of Strength
It’s hard to ignore how yoga has shifted over the years. We see it in the language, the marketing, and the way it’s packaged online:
“Core-shredding” yoga workouts
“Glute-building” yoga flows
“Power yoga” designed to burn calories and tone muscles
Yoga does build strength, but not in the way modern fitness culture wants to sell it. Traditionally, strength in yoga was about resistance against gravity, muscular endurance, and deep stabilizing control. You didn’t need weights or high-intensity intervals to make it effective—you needed patience, discipline, and awareness of how to use your own body as resistance with a teacher willing to take the time to teach you these essential skills.
Yet today, many people don’t feel that yoga is “enough” unless they add weights, bands, or fitness modifications. But why is that? Because most haven’t been taught how to engage fully in their practice.
The Need for True Engagement
Instead of focusing on activation, mechanics, and true muscular control, modern yoga classes often prioritize fast transitions, aesthetic poses, and choreography over function. If yoga doesn’t feel like it’s making you stronger, it’s not because yoga is lacking—it’s because the way it’s being taught often misses the depth of its potential.
What Do We Do About It?
This is where the conversation needs to shift. It’s not about blaming or policing how people practice, but rather bringing back awareness to what yoga was always meant to cultivate. So how do we do that?
Slow it down. Instead of rushing through poses, focus on holding, engaging, and refining. Yoga was never about speed—it was about depth.
Focus on engagement. Instead of relying on momentum, learn to activate the right muscles on command. If you can’t tell which muscles are working in a pose, that’s a sign to go deeper—not to add external resistance.
Embrace stillness. Strength isn’t just about movement; it’s about endurance, breath control, and the ability to stay in discomfort. Can you hold a pose for more than three breaths and stay fully present?
Stop chasing aesthetics. The strongest yoga practitioners don’t necessarily have visible abs or defined muscles—they have control, balance, endurance, and patience.
Teach and practice with intention. If we want yoga to remain a powerful practice, we must pass it on in a way that honors its depth. That means teaching proper mechanics, breath, and mindfulness—not just sequences that look good on Instagram.
Final Thoughts: Return to the Essence of Yoga
Yoga doesn’t need upgrading, intensifying, or rebranding. It was already complete—we’re the ones who’ve moved away from its essence.
This isn’t about saying one way is wrong or that you can’t enjoy fitness-inspired yoga. But if we truly want to experience everything yoga has to offer, we have to stop stripping it down to just a physical workout.
Let’s embrace a holistic approach. Yoga can enhance not only our physical well-being but also our mental clarity and emotional resilience. Let's remember the teachings of ancient traditions that emphasize balance, mindfulness, and self-exploration.
Encouraging Mindfulness and Awareness
So let’s bring yoga back. Not by rejecting modern movement, but by remembering why we practice in the first place. The journey is just as important as the destination. Each asana serves a purpose beyond the mat. It's a practice of patience, understanding, and love for oneself.
💬 What do you think? Has yoga lost its depth, or is there still space to bring it back?
With 37 years of practice and 14 years of teaching, I’ve spent my life unlearning the fluff and relearning how to make yoga work for real bodies. I’m not your average yoga teacher—I curse, I keep it real, and I believe in honoring tradition while making yoga practical and powerful. My mission? To teach you how to build poses from the inside out, ditch the performative nonsense, and actually feel your practice. Whether you’re a student or a teacher, I’m here to help you move smarter, breathe deeper, and push the f*cking mat away.
Follow me on Instagram @vikkysantana.yogatraining for more real talk and yoga expertise!
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