Where is the yoga 'INDUSTRY' heading?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Is the yoga industry creating yoga to be something its not?

With yoga being a practice of awareness, of creating yourself to be a healthy and happier person; how is the yoga magazines, accessories and media hype aiding in its practice?

Are the mags really just money making skeems? And is this a bad thing anyway? Many of my yogi pals dont have enough funds to buy these magazines but they are 'living' the practice of yoga in all parts of their lives. Sometimes I think a little money making skeeming would help them, whats your views?

How should yoga teachers and retreat centres advertise? How should they make their money?

Maybe yogi's need to create more money making skeems to survive as yoga teachers/people living yogi lifestyles. Its inevitable that yogis need to create a yoga industry as well as a lifestyle, where is the yoga 'INDUSTRY' heading?

Share your thoughts
All the best
Lucie

#2

[QUOTE=lucie;64717]Is the yoga industry creating yoga to be something its not?

With yoga being a practice of awareness, of creating yourself to be a healthy and happier person; how is the yoga magazines, accessories and media hype aiding in its practice?

Are the mags really just money making skeems? And is this a bad thing anyway? Many of my yogi pals dont have enough funds to buy these magazines but they are ‘living’ the practice of yoga in all parts of their lives. Sometimes I think a little money making skeeming would help them, whats your views?

How should yoga teachers and retreat centres advertise? How should they make their money?

Maybe yogi’s need to create more money making skeems to survive as yoga teachers/people living yogi lifestyles. Its inevitable that yogis need to create a yoga industry as well as a lifestyle, where is the yoga ‘INDUSTRY’ heading?

Share your thoughts
All the best
Lucie
surfberbere.com[/QUOTE]

I personally don’t like the word ‘should’, who has the authority to say what anyone ‘should’ do.

My questions to you would be: can one only live the ‘yogic lifestyle’ without wanting to make money? Why can one not advertise a service you feel you are providing to society?

It is one’s intention which requires thought, one’s actions will always receive differing opinions/ scrutiny no matter how wholesome/ evil it appears.

#3

@ Lucie

[QUOTE=lucie;64717]…Many of my yogi pals dont have enough funds to buy these magazines but they are ‘living’ the practice of yoga in all parts of their lives…[/QUOTE]

This is interesting as it appears to flow counter to the Four Purusharthas; Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha.

These four things are commonly acknowledged as the basic pursuits for all beings on the path of yoga. And of course there are differing interpretations of these but I’ll offer the following:

Dharma; the reason the soul has inhabited the physical form, why you are here, your purpose. Artha; the acquisition of wealth, prosperity. Kama; pleasure or the enjoyment of pleasure. Moksha; liberation.

So to answer your question within the context of the modern world and from my perch as a Purna Yoga teacher…
The acquisition of wealth is required for the path of yoga however it has not been properly conveyed to students. What has been conveyed is that the energy of money is bad. The use can be wholesome or unwholesome but the energy of money is crucial.

How much money? That which is needed to fulfill one’s dharma. No more, no less.

“Scheme” however implies a devious nature and obviously that isn’t aligned with the path of Yoga. When scheme means only a well thought out plan for acquisition, fine.

#4

The four purusharths are not “yoga” in and of themselves. In fact, traditionally many yogis have rejected them to retire to the forest and focus on just the “moksha” part.

Also, along with 4 purusharths the Vedic tradition also had and still has 4 stages of life and 4 occupational roles. That is called “varnashrama”.

The 4 stages (ashramas) of life:

  1. brahmacharya
  2. grihasta
  3. vanaprastha
  4. sannyasa

[U][B]Brahmacharaya[/B][/U] is the childhood and youth stage when one is a student and focused on learning both spiritual knowledge and a trade for the later grihasta stage. The spiritual knowledge one is taught will aid him/her in attaining moksha later in life and the trade will train him/her in acquiring artha or material prosperity later in life. It is expected that one will not engage in sexual activity or excessive sensual enjoyment of any kind at this time.

[U][B]Grihasta[/B][/U] is adulthood when one is married, employed in an occupation and raising a family. The primary concerns at this stage in life are dharma, artha and kama.

[U][B]Vanaprastha[/B][/U] is the elder adulthood stage when one’s children are grown and one’s own focus on acquiring artha can be relaxed. This is also when the libido starts to wane significantly so engaging in sexual kama and other sensual persuits can be relaxed to. A sense of renunciation from worldly endeavors begins to naturally arise. The focus here is on moksha, but with some significant ties to the world of the senses.

[U][B]Sannyasa[/B][/U] usually happens in old age but those with significant dispassion can live a sannyasi’s life at any age. It is renunciation from all wordly endeavors and an increased focus on moksha.

These are the 4 ashrams, or stages in life. I will not elaborate on the 4 varnas here at this time.