Yoga in the West vs Traditional Yoga: What an Indian Teacher Wants You to Know

As a yoga teacher from India, this question comes up often:

"What do you think about the way yoga is taught in the West? Is it still real yoga?"

It’s a sincere question. And a necessary one. Because yoga has travelled a long way from the forests and Gurukulas of ancient India to the polished wooden floors of modern studios across the world.

Sometimes it arrives in its fullness. Sometimes it gets a little lost in translation.

So today, I want to share an honest reflection on yoga in the West vs traditional yoga — not from a place of judgment, but from a place of care, gratitude, and clarity.

Yoga in the West vs Traditional Yoga

Yoga: A Gift from India, Not India’s Property

Yes, yoga was born in India. It came from the tapas and inner exploration of sages, woven through the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. It was passed down through silent practice, oral teaching, and deep personal transformation.

But yoga was never meant to be hidden or held back.

It was always meant to be shared — for the upliftment of anyone, anywhere, who sincerely seeks.

So while traditional yoga emerged here, it doesn’t "belong" to India. It belongs to those who walk the path sincerely.

Gratitude for the Global Spread

I feel a deep sense of gratitude seeing how yoga in the West has touched so many lives. Students come from all over the world to our ashram in Mysore. They arrive with open hearts, ready to learn, to question, to practice.

It is beautiful to witness how this ancient science of self-realisation is offering peace, healing, and clarity to people in all corners of the world.

The fact that people chant Om, study breath, or explore dhyāna (meditation) in places far from India is something to be celebrated.

But Yes, There Is Concern Too

At the same time, there is concern. Because as yoga travels, it also changes.

Sometimes it becomes a workout. Sometimes it's fused with pop music. Sometimes it's marketed as a lifestyle brand. Sometimes, the silence and depth of the practice are replaced by speed, performance, or aesthetics.

The difference between yoga in the West vs traditional yoga often lies here:

• Traditional yoga is about stillness, not stimulation.

• It is about going inward, not just improving the outer form.

• It is about self-discipline and surrender, not just flexibility and flow.

And this depth can get diluted if we're not careful.

Just today, during our Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training, I was sharing with the students that a yoga shala doesn’t need to be visually spectacular. Yoga is not about the aesthetics of a room, but the atmosphere of inwardness it cultivates. You don't need elaborate accessories, mirrors, or fancy décor. What you need is simplicity. A breath-centered ritual. A sacred rhythm that brings you home to your inner silence. The danger of consumerism is real - when yoga becomes expensive, accessory-heavy, or branded as a luxury workout, we risk losing the essence. Let us keep yoga grounded, accessible, and honest.

Adaptation Is Natural. Dilution Is Not.

Let me be clear — yoga has always adapted.

Even in India, it evolved from forest traditions to temple rituals to modern schools like Ashtanga and Iyengar. Adaptation is healthy.

But there is a difference between adapting and diluting. Removing Om because it's "too Hindu," skipping Shavasana because it's "boring," or treating yoga as a competition — that’s not evolution. That’s erasure.

The roots matter. The context matters. The intention matters.

So What Should Western Teachers & Students Keep in Mind?

Whether you’re a teacher or student practicing yoga in the West, here’s what I humbly suggest:

• Stay curious about the roots. Learn about the philosophy, the culture, the purpose.

• Let silence be part of the practice. Yoga is not just about doing. It's about being.

• Respect the tradition even while adapting it. Use Sanskrit names, honour the lineage.

• Teach with honesty. You don’t have to be Indian to teach yoga, but you do need integrity.

If these are kept in mind, then yoga will not only survive in the West, it will thrive — deeply, authentically, and beautifully.

So, Whose Yoga Is It?

Yoga is India's gift to the world. But it is not owned by India.

It belongs to all sincere seekers. To those who show up on the mat not just to move, but to reflect, to transform, and to connect.

If you’re practicing yoga with humility and care, whether in a studio in Berlin or a field in Karnataka, you are part of the same river. The river of Yoga that flows beyond borders but is nourished by deep roots.

And as someone who grew up with those roots, all I hope is this:

May we not forget the stillness.

May we honour the path.

And may we walk it, not just perform it.