By Laurel Green
There are a few basic rules you must adhere to if you are looking to become a yogi. Perhaps the most important—start doing yoga, and if you are not into that, start wearing brightly patterned yoga clothes. The myth behind the newfound word “yogi” is that you have to be someone who lives and breathes yoga. That may have been accurate in the past, but the current definition has changed. A yogi is a lifestyle, a way of going about your day to day business. If you just so happen to drop into your local yoga studio well then that’s great too.
The term “yogi” has created a community of its own. Local studios that teach yoga have expanded to include additions such as: sculpt (a version of the PRX training), barre, and spin. What about these classes have become all the craze? As someone who hated working out and thought running on the treadmill was a fate worse then death, I can honestly say it is the environment of the so-called yogis that keep me coming back. There is something about sweating in a room with 20 other women (and the occasional men) along with an overly peppy instructor, who somehow barely breaks a sweat, that is captivating and keeps you coming back for more.
It’s a hard field to break into and it can seem intimidating from the outside, but rest assured—it is so worth it. When you finally decide to brave that first class and build to courage to walk through the doors of what seems to be an exclusive society of its own, you’ll be nervous and you may look around, fearful that your cluelessness is detectable, but its not. Give it 50 minutes, just 50, and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. These workouts do not follow the status quo, it’s not all cardio or nothing and it’s not the heavier the better. Within the realm of the yogi it’s about challenging yourself enough to see progress, but respecting yourself enough to know your limits.
It’s not just the workouts that drive people to become a “yogi,” but also the environment surrounding it. There is this idea that after your workout with the girls, you go to the cute coffee shop around the corner, sit, and chat the day away and for some unknown reason that is considered “basic.” Well—the more basic the better and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s a way to socialize while bettering your health. It’s an instant connection with a stranger. “Oh, you go to Soul Cycle LA? Funny, I just started going to Soul Cycle Boston!” When referring to the yogi lifestyle, it expands far beyond the workout studio and your city. Spreading this type of energy, this passion to be better and do better is captivating. It’s the kind of thing you tell your mom about and her friend’s sister spikes an interest in it. To put it plainly—the yogi life is a life in which you support each other, you care for not just your health, but your well-being, and you connect with people in a setting that can sometimes be a lot more vulnerable. Perhaps, most importantly, it’s a life you are proud of and share that with the people around you.
The “yogi” sensation didn’t take long to fuel the envy of Instagram followers with the famous “fitstagrammers” accounts. Countless men and women have taken to Instagram to be a center for health, wellness, and motivation. Feeling a little down on yourself? Easy fix: Tap that Instagram button and search up a popular name such as Jen Selter or Kayla Itsines and find your daily fix for motivation.
A yogi is a way of life. Whether you’re in it for the cute yoga clothes, the nice aesthetic it will add to your Instagram account, or simply because you have a desire to live a healthier lifestyle, don’t let the hype deter you. To be a yogi is to understand the importance of self-care, to enjoy the beauty of support, and to have fun, because if you can call yourself a yogi, why wouldn’t you want to?