This is the question asked in Yoga Inc. an hour long documentary that was filmed in 2006 and centers around such issues as yoga as an Olympic sport, copywriting yoga styles, yoga chain studios, and more. The documentary includes interviews with average, every day yogis as well as yoga “celebrities” and their opinions on the way yoga has changed throughout the years. With such dramatic changes happening in yoga practices throughout the United States, many people question whether or not the essence of yoga has been lost.
I have come across many articles, blogs, and videos lately which suggest that because of the path yoga has taken in the US, it is hardly recognizable anymore. From sexuality being used to sell props and products, to franchise studios popping up around the country, certain tactics are raising the question .. is it still yoga? This documentary, however, is different. Issues are presented in a neutral manner and then argued from both sides, leaving you the opportunity to decide whose team you’re on.
Does turning yoga into a competition defeat the very purpose of the practice? Is a chain of yoga studios opening up in major cities around the country beneficial or detrimental to the yoga community? Does a yoga teacher have the right to copyright poses that have been around longer than he has? You be the judge….
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