How yoga has turned into porn on TikTok

Since it arrived in the West at the end of the 19th century, yoga has become popular as a sport and as a tool for conscious relaxation; however, instructors have warned that the practice has become too sexualized online.

US TikTok User ratchet queensounded the alarm in late December when they pointed out that a quick search for the world ‘yoga’ on the popular app turned up countless clips of women recreating highly graphic poses with little to no clothing.

While many of us will look to popular channels like Yoga With Adrienne in January to kick off a January health campaign, instructors warn that less reputable teachers are pushing the practice away from its conscious, spiritual roots.

Strict student Kristina Rihanoff, a seasoned yoga teacher who co-owns the UK’s biggest yoga and wellness centre, Soo Yoga, told Femail she fears the sexualisation of the practice could turn people away from yoga.

Many users were surprised to find explicit videos lurking around the ‘yoga’ tag; on Tik Tok.

User nimay.ndolo went viral with a video in which she asks her followers to “type the word ‘yoga’ in this app,” before revealing “they’re showing p****, they’re showing p****” *”. P***** and buttocks, 4K buttocks.’

yoga instructor Nikita Desai he said in a video reacting to Nimay’s clip: ‘It still amazes me how the algorithm allows this to be the spectacle of yoga.

“I guess that’s what happens when an ancient, profound, and significant spiritual practice that was meant for the purpose of our mental and emotional well-being becomes overly sexualized and covert,” he added.

Giving her opinion on the spread of these highly suggestive videos, Kristina, a former professional dancer, who came to yoga in the early 2000s, admitted that she has seen the practice change over the years.

“As someone who has been a yoga devotee for 20 years, I can see how social media trends have shifted the focus of yoga from holistic to being some kind of ‘showcase’ of lean physiques, sexy outfits, and ridiculously complicated poses,” said. .

‘The purpose of yoga is to develop strength, awareness and harmony in both mind and body. It is a philosophy and a step-by-step guide to spiritual enlightenment. Sexualizing yoga takes us away from what this ancient philosophy is really about. It takes us away from the authentic roots of yoga,” she added.

Kristina said she fell in love with yoga because it gave her a space to relax, as well as making her body more flexible.

He noted that while he knew the practice had become very westernized by the time he took it up, yoga was still about ‘mental and physical well-being of practitioners.’

The dancer added that she believes that yoga brands and social media channels that promote the practice online also encourage the sexualization of the practice.

‘Instagram and TikTok have taken over our world and now we see the complete opposite in yoga. I don’t think it’s simply because yoga started to be seen as just a fitness trend,” she said.

While she said she has no problem seeing yoga as having a fitness trend, she noted that clothing companies influence the choice of clothing practitioners will wear.

“I think there’s a lot of influence from yoga-wear companies that ended up producing tiny bikini-like yoga outfits, which, let’s face it, I’ll never wear and never see my students wearing,” she said.

“When I look at skinny teenagers doing splits in their underwear and backbends where you can see the anatomy of the whole body, it saddens me that many people who might want to start yoga are put off by it, or maybe feel that they will never be able to practice yoga.

“I think we need to be more realistic about body types and would consider being healthy. It’s not about being skinny, it’s about being strong, physically, mentally and emotionally, and that should be reflected in yoga clothing brands.”

She added that as a 45-year-old mother of two, she believes that the sexualized version of yoga will discourage some people from trying it.

“They already have a preconceived view of these sexy poses of young girls doing pretzel poses and they think that’s yoga.

“Yoga is many things and there is nothing wrong with doing complex poses. But why do we have to make it all about nearly naked people twisting their limps around her neck, she added.

“Yoga should appeal to a wide range of ages and abilities and even disabilities.”

Kristina, who is skilled in many styles from pregnancy/postpartum yoga to chair yoga for those with mobility issues, added that even more physical variants of the practice still have a wellness component.

“Ashtanga vinyasa classes are extremely packed with practices that will give you a stronger workout than some fitness classes, but still need to be taught from the place of mindfulness and spirituality,” she said.

‘You’re honoring your body by training it to be stronger, more flexible, better.

“A lot of studios have a very holistic approach to the practice, always starting with the breath and mindfulness on the movement, which really draws me to that kind of exercise. To be fair. I never thought it’s exercise.

Meanwhile, Trish Whelan, who created the Soul Adventures yoga retreat, said she believes the sexualization of yoga stems from a larger trend.

“The sexualization of spirituality was bound to happen, as the spiritual ego can become problematic when it’s not balanced,” he said.

‘Cliffside yoga poses in a bikini are probably as far away from the original practice of yoga as we can get.

‘Let’s all remember why we came to this practice in the first place, let’s keep it sacred.’

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