Yoga in India vs. Yoga in America

I wrote a piece about yoga in India versus the United States for Seattle Yoga News thirteen years ago. At the time, I had just moved to the United States and had lived in India as a yoga student and teacher. In that article, I described the fragmented, difficult-to-access, and deeply rooted in tradition yoga landscape in India. In contrast, America seemed overly commercial, less genuine, and filled with yoga studios on every street corner.

Now, 13 years later, we’re here. I would like to update. After six years, I went back to India and was interested to see how the yoga scene had changed. I wanted to see if the India I left behind, where you had to be determined to find a drop-in yoga class, still existed. The answer is no.

Yoga’s Rise to Saturation in India: From Scarcity to Saturation

“Yoga studios” were uncommon when I left India more than a decade ago. There were shalas, which are traditional learning environments that are frequently tucked away in quiet neighborhoods. A shala was more than just a place to practice poses; it was also a school where one teacher taught you for years about philosophy, pranayama, chanting, and lifestyle.

These instructors did not actually complete a 200-hour yoga teacher training. They had frequently dedicated their entire lives to learning new things. In contrast, studios were more transactional. You paid for a class, showed up, did some yoga and left. Shalas dominated India’s yoga scene at the time. If you wanted to learn, you may need to relocate to a different city and study full-time. Although there were pockets of yoga practice, widespread access to it was difficult at the time. I was stunned this time. Yoga is widespread.

I could find multiple classes that started at dawn in Bengaluru, which was only a few minutes away from my parents’ house. Yoga studios lined nearly every street in Mysuru. In the best way possible, it felt like a complete opposite of the India I remembered. What was once difficult is now simple.

The Influence of Indian Cities’ Pulse on Yoga Practice

If you’ve ever been to Bangalore, you know how congested the city is. Due to congested streets, congested roads, and unplanned growth, even a few kilometers can take more than an hour to travel. With more scooters, auto rickshaws, trucks, and occasionally a cow, it’s like LA traffic on steroids. Yoga in India has been shaped by this urban reality. The majority of people practice close to where they live, either by walking or driving. Students live, shop, and send their children to school in the microcommunities where the studios are located.

Classes can be held on rooftops, in converted living rooms on the top floor, or even in a guest suite behind someone’s house. This kind of localized yoga is supported by everyday life in India. Deliveries of groceries occur. Housework is managed by domestic help. Children frequently have a driver or school transportation. The neighborhood studio becomes the go-to option because everything you need is close by. In contrast to students in the United States, who may drive 20-30 minutes to a studio, many in India would never consider traveling outside of the city for yoga.

Studios vs. Shalas: Then and Now

The merging of traditional shalas and modern studios is one of my favorite shifts to observe. There are still large, empty rooms like the one where I studied—no mirrors, no merchandise, and no frills. No distractions, including shoes left outside and phones put away. Teachers continue to use the lineage-based method, which requires you to show up consistently and give in to the process.

Commercial studios, on the other hand, include reception desks, changing rooms, props, rooftop views, and a schedule of classes. To fit the rhythm of Indian life, classes are typically held in “batches,” which consist of early morning, midday, and evening sessions. After years of American studios operating seven days a week, I was surprised to learn that studio holidays frequently fall on Sundays. And then there’s the rooftop yoga boom. Terraces are worth their weight in gold in compact cities. Many studios shield them from the elements with shade panels and run classes as the sun rises, creating a beautiful blend of tradition and innovation.