Yogacharya Dr Anandaji and Yogacharini Anandhi Mary Cecil
Yoga today is more visible than ever before. Studios are full, social media celebrates yogic postures, and the word Yoga has entered everyday language across the globe.
This is indeed a blessing. Yet, alongside this popularity, a quiet imbalance has begun to surface—one that deserves gentle reflection rather than blame.
Across forums and conversations, there is a shared understanding that yoga teachers deserve dignity, stability, and respect for their work. Teaching Yoga is not merely a profession; it is a lifelong sadhana, requiring discipline, study, personal practice, and ethical living.
And yet, paradoxically, Yoga itself is often expected to come at minimal or no cost.
Accessibility Is Not the Same as Devaluation
Yoga has always been meant to be accessible—but accessibility was never synonymous with cheapness.
In traditional times, Yoga was sustained through gurukula systems, community patronage, and royal support. The teacher’s material needs were cared for so that they could focus on higher responsibility: guiding others toward health, harmony, and self-awareness.
That social ecosystem has changed.
Today’s yoga teacher lives within the realities of the modern world—housing, healthcare, education, professional training, and technological demands. Expecting renunciation from the teacher while enjoying comfort ourselves is neither spiritual nor sustainable.
True Yoga is rooted in dharma and balance, not silent sacrifice imposed on one side alone.
A Gentle Mirror to Our Collective Choices
We rarely hesitate to spend on convenience, comfort, or lifestyle upgrades. Yet when it comes to Yoga—a discipline that supports the nervous system, prevents illness, stabilizes the mind, and nurtures inner clarity—we often ask for discounts, free access, or shortcuts.
This is not criticism; it is an invitation to reflect.
What we value is revealed not by words, but by our choices.
When Yoga is treated purely as a commodity, depth slowly gives way to speed, numbers, and marketing. Teachers become service providers. Students become consumers. The sacred relationship of guru–shishya bhavana quietly erodes.
Preserving the Soul of Yoga
The challenge facing the yoga profession today is not lack of interest, nor external opposition. It arises from within—when we unconsciously undercut one another, normalize unpaid labour, or equate spiritual sincerity with financial neglect.
In Yoga, self-respect (swabhimaan) and right livelihood (artha) are not opposed to spirituality. They are expressions of it.
By honouring the value of Yoga—financially, ethically, and culturally—we protect its depth, its authenticity, and its future generations.
A Shared Responsibility
Yoga reminds us that balance is the key to health—samatvam yoga uchyate.
The same principle applies here.
When teachers are valued, they can teach from steadiness rather than strain.
When students invest with awareness, they receive with reverence rather than entitlement.
When Yoga is honoured, it continues to uplift society as a whole.
Let us not make Yoga cheap in the name of accessibility—
for wisdom, when undervalued, becomes costly in ways we may realize too late.
Yoga is not free—it is priceless.
