Yoga in the 1980s: Precision, Props, and a Little-Known Practice

"Throughout America's obsession with yoga the last half century, our perception and interpretation of it has changed considerably with each decade. Take the 1980s, when the teachings were relatively unknown early in the decade. By the end of the '80s, the practice would draw a celebrity following and become a fitness craze, but at what cost? The following article explains all that and more as part of Yoga Journal' s 50th anniversary coverage of the evolving role of yoga in America."

"In the early 1980s, the word "yoga" was largely unknown in American culture. Whereas today there seems to be a yoga studio on every other street corner, back then, they were almost nonexistent, even in progressive places such as Berkeley, California, where I lived. The handful of yoga communities that did exist were mostly small and self-contained. That meant before you could learn the physical practice of yoga, you needed to learn of its existence."

Yoga was largely unknown in early 1980s America, with studios almost nonexistent even in progressive cities like Berkeley. Small, self-contained yoga communities provided most instruction and limited access to practice. Learning options were scarce before the internet, so discovery often began through books and chance encounters. Readings by Jiddu Krishnamurti and Robert S. de Ropp linked explorations of consciousness with hatha yoga and inspired interest. Personal connections, local bookstores, and newspapers served as primary ways for newcomers to find teachers, understand philosophy, and begin physical practice.

Read at Yoga Journal