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Is today’s yoga dumbed down? How to make yoga accessible… without losing depth

I’m curious how you feel about the evolution of modern yoga?

A big concern I often hear is the tendency for today’s yoga to be dumbed down.

Do you agree?

I crave depth. Roots. Source material. Soul.

Sometimes, I feel like an old, curmudgeon – annoyed by the sexy Instagram glamification of yoga. I find myself reminiscing about the “Good Old Days”…craving old-school, luxurious 2 hr. practices (or 3 hrs if you went to Bryan Kest) with no music. Just straight up asana, breath, philosophy.

Yet, yoga is all about evolution. The only constant is change. And…to evolve, we need to pivot, stay fresh and listen carefully to meet the needs of the modern yogi.

45 min. hot yoga classes (with nary a Sanskrit word in sight) are all the rage!

Soooo….how DO we make yoga more accessible to reach as many people as possible….without losing its luminous depth?

I share my thoughts in today’s short video…

You’ll Discover:

  • How you can make your teachings accessible to more people – while maintaining the depth and purity of the practice.
  • The importance of building trust with your students before you dive too deep into spiritual or mystical language (this week, I got called out for using “flowery language”…ouch!)
  • How to translate the benefits of yoga effectively so more people can understand + are motivated to apply what they learn to their daily lives.
  • Specific examples of how I adapt language for different audiences (i.e. cousins who are farmers in Illinois vs. my brother-in-law who works on Wall Street).

If you’ve found this useful, get on my YPS online waitlist to be the first to learn more when we open for enrollment

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12 Comments

  2. SuryaAdi Kaur

    Love thsee ideas and work every class to do exactly this – speak to the level of knowledge, physical capabilities, etc. Thanks for this. And can’t wait to see/hear about your latest project

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  3. Eliza Roza

    Thank you Ashely. I love your content. I’m a yoga teacher with a psychology degree from Johannesburg, South Africa. I’d love to train with you online, so I’ve signed up and I’m looking forward to when enrolment opens again. Thanks for putting the psychology summit together as well, I’m loving the content!

    reply
  4. joni

    Love this. Teaching in a ski town, I’ve taught not only at local studios, but also at the high end resorts where in one yoga class you will have someone who has never taken yoga (regularly!) to a New Yorker with a regular Ashtanga practice. A challenge. But I find it to be exactly like working in the upper echelon of food and wine in my younger years where hospitality and what we call the “maître d’ gene” reigns… where in order to uphold all standards we must learn to read the clients at every single table all night long. So I completely agree that with so many people still entering the practice of yoga we must meet people where they are. It is a skill that takes time and experience. While I’m really still a newer and only part-time yoga teacher compared to my teachers, this skill has certainly lent to handling this one of oh so many variables that take place in each and every yoga class. Thank you, Ashley! @madere @apressessions XO

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  5. Julie Rose

    I completely agree and feared myself being a newer yoga instructor and now studio owner, that I was exactly what frustrated you! Dumbing down yoga! I have been talking lately with close friends about wanting to be deeper rooted and only time and further learning will bring me there. I live now in a small town and felt compelled to open a studio purely because there was nothing for at least 40 miles! And I had to start somewhere! I hope in 18yrs I too can be frustrated with new approach!
    My true question to you (and it’s hard in limited space) is how can we grow and dig deeper when things aren’t easily accessible? Due to location, finances and families etc. Your course is exactly what I’m looking for! Yet unattainable to me for logistical reasons. I don’t want to be an imposter!!! I never want to dumb down yoga, but I’m only at the beginning of my journey, with a recent 200hr training.
    I want to make yoga and it’s philosophy attractive and attainable to other people in my own place in life.
    Thank you for all your guidance!
    Julie

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  7. Kimberly Snell

    I completely agree. It’s almost like people put the term yoga with anything to sell it. I admit it is hard truly understanding your audience and then presenting yoga ina way that is safe and meaningful bit when you do the results are amazing. I am learnibg how to present to athletes, Christians, teachers, and high school students. The concerns and issues are totally different but the postures are the same. Thanks for this video. It validates my thoufhts and feelings.

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  8. Vanessa Johnson

    Some good points . I am on a journey studying yoga to merge with my Personal Training, realising the needs of some clients. They are all varied … I have chosen the yoga path as I feel it would be more beneficial for them in many ways , and as you mention the needs for clients are all different. Namaste

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  9. Lisa Meronchuk

    Thank you Ashley!! Completely agree! I teach in south Florida, where the western mind set is all about the physical practice, and “hot” yoga is the big thing right now. Teachers rarely use sanskrit, or talk about any kind of yoga philosophy in class.

    Teaching what we know, is crucial, as well as meeting our students where they are. I also believe we attract students who are tuned in with our own energy. My students know right away, i teach from my heart, and give them a well balanced practice, with the emphasis on the mind, body, spirit connection, and depth of our yoga practice and meditation.

    I am a student for life as well, thank you so much for your videos and blogs! Know that you are reaching and serving so many!! Love all of your content!

    Namaste!
    Peace and blessings,
    Lisa

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  10. Shira Cohen

    Yes completely agree, people are much more intelligent when we can comminicate effectively! I figured out quiet quickly that if one way of relating to a person didn’t work, speak on their terms. How do they relate to the world and find a relative vocab, then we are on the same page and can continue together, no leaving anyone behind, during a class, if we can make them part of the journey.

    I love your work and sharing Ashley. Thank you so much, it helps greatly in understanding the relationship to key aspects of living and life!
    Namaste, Shira.

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  11. Rachel

    Totally. I started practicing yoga ten years ago in a small one room studio with wooden floors, a bit of incense, and no mirrors. Today, it’s hard to find a studio WITHOUT mirrors or a “we interrupt your asana to focus on those bikini abs!” type narrative. Yearning for a class with depth – and breath! Thanks for sharing. xo

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  12. Angie

    I completely agree with all of this. Its nice to feel validated. As a Licensed mental health therapist and a yoga teacher too, I feel that each class or person I teach are so unique and I have tons of different vocabularies! In addition, I always feel that there is so much more to learn in yoga and when I teach what I know, I feel as though my students comprehend it because I get it! And I have so much to learn! Thank you so much for your videos and teachings. Love them!

    reply

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