The Evolution of Yoga in the West
The Role of Women in Yoga’s Transformation
If you’ve recently attended a yoga class, you likely noticed that the majority of participants are women. This demographic shift might be seen as either a benefit or a drawback, depending on your perspective, but it is an undeniable reality. One intriguing question is why yoga, originally a male-dominated practice from another continent, has become predominantly female in the West. How did yoga transition from being practiced mainly by Eastern men to becoming popular among Western women? And what changes occurred in this process?
To explore these questions, I interviewed several individuals, predominantly women, who offered both philosophical and technical insights.
One influential figure in this transition is Beryl Bender Birch, who witnessed this phenomenon firsthand. She recalls that during her travels in India in the 1970s, yoga was predominantly male-dominated, with women largely excluded. Birch suggests that one broad explanation for yoga’s transition lies in the East’s association with the “feminine” and the West’s with the “masculine.”
Western men were less inclined or available to adopt yoga, leaving women as the primary adopters. They could bridge the gap between Eastern and Western practices, facilitating yoga’s transcontinental journey. Of course, this transition required some adaptation, and not everyone is entirely content with these changes.
Nischala Devi, who translated the Yoga Sutras, provides a more practical explanation. She notes that American women in the 1960s, many of whom were homemakers, had the time and inclination to practice yoga. “Housewives were available and eager for a practice that was free of dogma,” she explains. However, as yoga became more focused on the physical aspects during the 1980s fitness revolution, it saw a surge in female participation. The 1990s emphasized physical fitness, and today, yoga is often perceived as a predominantly female practice.
Linda Sparrowe, another expert in the field, agrees that women’s involvement has been essential for yoga’s survival in the United States. Women have “redefined yoga to meet contemporary needs,” she says. While this has led to a practice that diverges from its origins, it retains its core beauty.
Despite the success of this adaptation, the current focus on the physical aspects of yoga remains a concern for some. Traditional yoga encompasses more than just physical postures (asana). Birch notes that while she coined the term “Power Yoga” to appeal to Western audiences, her practice incorporates all eight limbs of yoga. Others, however, have reduced yoga to a mere workout, neglecting its broader aspects. All experts agree that exposing Americans to the other seven limbs is crucial.
There is, however, a silver lining. As women have been the gateway through which yoga entered the American mainstream, the practice of asana can still serve as an entry point to yoga’s deeper benefits: meditation, attention, and awareness. “Asana was always the gateway for meditation,” says Birch. “It begins to train us in attention, and yoga’s essence is about paying attention. The more you focus your mind, the clearer your perception becomes.” But as Birch points out, there is much more beyond asana.
Yoga continues to evolve. While it may have begun with women and physical practice, it is now poised to deepen. “We are essentially in the early stages of our practice,” says Birch. “The current emphasis on appearance and trends is temporary. As we progress, we will return to fundamental questions about our true selves and deeper aspects of yoga.”
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More on women’s role in yoga will follow. In the meantime, how do you feel about the predominance of women in yoga today? What benefits and drawbacks do you see, and do you anticipate any further shifts?
Help us make yoga more inclusive! Share this article with friends and encourage them to join you in your next class.
Alice G. Walton, PhD is a health and science writer, and began practicing (and falling in love with) yoga last year. She is the Associate Editor at TheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.com and a Contributor at Forbes.com. Alice will be exploring yoga’s different styles, history, and philosophy, and sharing what she learns here on the YogaGlo blog. You can follow Alice on Twitter @AliceWalton and Facebook at Facebook.com/alicegwalton.