The False Allure of the Yoga Selfie

The business of wellness – yoga in particular – is all kinds of cray-cray. Maybe I’m just a perpetual naysayer but I’m so bored of seeing a continuous stream of semi naked women instagraming photos of their toned ass’ana on a beach, at sunrise and in a bikini. Yawn.

I love women who feel healthy and strong in their bodies – that’s inspiring. But the overly sexualized yoga-selfie has to die. It’s a weak trend that needs to find it’s place amongst those hideous Vibram Fivefinger shoes and those unsightly fluro crops popularised by Lululemon in the early naughties.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing I love more than a shit-hot selfie of moi, though I usually end up looking slightly more retardo instead of self-assured with a hint of Miranda Kerr. I like to thrown down my best duck pout, tilt my chin, crane my neck and work my best angle.

Yes friends, I love a good selfie – just as much as I love chia seeds and quinoa. But the combination of the yoga selfie (usually taken by a semi-naked woman with tits up in face) just makes me feel sad.

I understand my own hypocrisy. I have no problem with anybody stripping down and then taking photos of themselves. But call a spade a spade. Don’t wrangle your way into splits, place your hands in prayer and then call it yoga. It’s just not. I’ve seen enough porn to know the difference between inspiration, narcissism and using your toned ass’ana to gain more social media cred and notoriety.

Call me sexist, but I don’t see many pics of men – ball outs – and pulling their best Virabhadrasana, why? Because it’s all kinds of creepy and wrong. And no one needs to see that.

Yet there seems to be a different set of rules for the babes. The more overtly sexualised, semi-naked and flexible you are – the better the image. It instantly gains more traction, more comments, more shares and more likes. Us yogis aren’t immune to hypocrisy at all.

Yoga is for every-body. And should therefore be represented as such.

I don’t want perfection. I just want real.

I want to see more creativity and diversity coming from studios and from our Teachers. And yes Lululemon I’m looking at you too. I want more curves, fat and love handles. I want more muscles, bones and flesh. But more than anything, I’d just love to see slightly more thought and awareness when it comes to the business and portrayal of yoga.