Facing the shadows of modern yoga

The light. The shapes. The grace of movement.

I wanted to show the poetry of the practice, to make people see yoga as something inspiring, alive, and deeply human.
And I still believe in that.

But with time, I also started to notice something else.
Behind the elegance, there were cracks.
Stories of manipulation, abuse, and silence.
The same space that had offered healing to many was also hiding harm.

At first, I didn’t want to see it.
Like many, I told myself that focusing on the positive was more spiritual, that staying inspired meant not looking at what was dark.

But that is not inspiration.
That is denial dressed as light.

From Inspiration to Illusion

When I first entered the yoga world, it felt like an escape from the superficiality of advertising and media.
I had left a world built on selling images, only to discover that this one was starting to do the same.

The poses, the perfection, the promises.
Different language, same logic.

I began to see how easily something pure could turn into performance.
How teachers could be worshipped like celebrities.
How vulnerability could be used as currency.
And how silence could be disguised as respect.

The line between sharing and selling, between inspiring and manipulating, started to blur.

Abuse Is Not Just About People

When we talk about abuse in yoga, we often think of individuals.
But it’s not only about them.
It’s also about the system that allows certain behaviors to repeat and remain unspoken.

It’s about the collective illusion that spiritual status equals moral purity.
It’s about how easily we hand over our power to someone who looks the part.
And how often we stay quiet because we want to belong.

This doesn’t make yoga less beautiful.
It makes it real.

Yoga was never meant to be an escape from the human experience.
It was meant to help us see it clearly.

From Advertising to Awareness

Before I ever filmed a yoga video, I spent more than ten years working in advertising.
I helped brands build stories, shape emotions, and create desire.
It was creative work, but it was also a system based on one simple rule:
Make people feel they are missing something, and then sell them the solution.

That formula still runs most of modern marketing, including the wellness industry.
The insecurity is no longer bad breath, as it was in David Ogilvy’s Listerine campaigns (I’ve talked about this in my previous article), but something deeper.
Your body. Your age. Your sense of worth.

And yet, I do not see marketing as the enemy.
It is a mirror. It reflects our collective consciousness and our personal intentions.
It shows what we value most, what we fear most, and what we still need to heal.

The Mirror, Not the Mask

We often say that yoga is light, but light only exists because of contrast.
Spirituality is not about staying positive.
It is about staying present, even when it is uncomfortable.

True yoga is not a mask that hides what hurts.
It is a mirror that reflects what is.

And when we dare to look, we see ourselves.
Our patterns. Our attachment to image.
Our desire to belong and be approved.
Our own silence.

That is where real growth begins.

From Awareness to Action

Acknowledging the shadow is not pessimism.
It is the first step toward healing.

If we want to change this culture, we cannot keep covering the cracks with light.
We need to rebuild the foundation with honesty.

Maybe it starts with small choices.
Choosing teachers who lead with humility, not followers.
Choosing content that serves meaning, not metrics.
Choosing community over competition.

And for those of us who create, choosing to use the camera not as a mirror for ego, but as a window for truth.

Staying Inspired Without Looking Away

Being inspired does not mean being blind.
Real inspiration comes from awareness, not avoidance.

Staying inspired means staying awake, even when what we see challenges us.
It means believing in the possibility of light, not because we refuse the dark, but because we have learned to walk through it.

A Conscious Future

I believe yoga can still be a force for healing, but only if we stop pretending it’s perfect.
It doesn’t need to be flawless to be sacred.
It just needs to be honest.

And honesty begins with courage.
The courage to ask questions, to listen, and to rebuild a culture where power serves awareness, not ego.

This is the yoga I want to keep sharing.
A yoga that welcomes the full spectrum of being human.
A yoga that is not afraid of the dark, because it understands that without shadow, there can be no depth.

The Real Practice

Yoga is not about escape.
It is about integration.

It is not about rising above life, but about meeting it fully.
It is not about light against dark, but about seeing both as part of the same whole.

To stay inspired is to stay aware.
To stay spiritual is to stay real.
And to stay real is to never stop questioning, with love, with humility, and with hope.

I've shared this reflection on my Youtube Channel.