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What happens when a decade-long yoga teacher takes a hard look at her own industry? Brace yourself for some uncomfortable truths about Western yoga.

From my teaching space in Austria's yoga loft, I'm serving up this episode with a side of birthday cake and a heavy dose of honesty. Yoga—this practice I've devoted my life to—has become a complex love-hate relationship as I've watched it transform from ancient spiritual tradition to Instagram-worthy commodity.

Let's get something straight: yoga comes from Hinduism, not Buddhism, and it means "to yoke" or create connection. While science confirms why yoga feels so good (those magical myokines flooding your brain!), the Western yoga industry—projected to reach a staggering $288 billion by 2034—has often stripped away yoga's sacred roots and repackaged it in expensive leggings.

As a white Western woman teaching yoga, I acknowledge my role in this problem. I've watched countless teachers pass on perfectionism rather than liberation, creating mini cults of personality instead of honoring the tradition. When we dress up cultural appropriation in spirituality without accountability, we perpetuate harm. Meanwhile, the power dynamics in yoga spaces have led to widespread abuse that rarely gets addressed.

Teaching yoga isn't just about crafting the perfect sequence; it's about having the capacity to hold space for trauma, vulnerability, and transformation. That's why my teacher trainings focus on developing authentic teachers who honor yoga's lineage while making it relevant to modern life.

Despite all its contradictions, I remain in this messy industry because yoga's magic lies in forming connections deeper than our minds could create alone. The practice has shaped who I am, and I'm committed to sharing it with the reverence it deserves.

Want to continue this conversation? Share this episode with a fellow yoga enthusiast or teacher and let me know your thoughts. Then join me next week for another serving of Salty Bake Love!

say "hi" and hang out with me on IG: @saltybakeclub