Every now and then, I get asked the question of why I still teach yoga. It has been 8 years and sometimes I don’t know, myself. But, I do know that it has provided me with so much depth and stability within myself. One of the best gifts that I would love to share with others. And, most of my students have given me more than I have to them.

I love teaching yoga. If i didn’t , I wouldn’t still teach it because it doesn’t pay well, comes with a lot of drama and you have to put in extra work off the clock, too. I say this not to be a victim but to be honest.

There is a deep healing that comes with honesty. One that I am done avoiding and am fully embracing.

In light of all that, here are 3 poisons that are ruining the yoga industry:

1. The industry has been hijacked by actors and people who want to be famous.

I live in Los Angeles and will openly say that a lot of people I have met here, I could do without. Mostly those who are seeking attention at all costs because they have such deep insecurities within. This need to be seen is transparent and has had an effect on the yoga industry.

How? You might ask. Because a lot of people who want to be famous and are not thriving in acting, singing or performing will find their supply elsewhere. What better place than a yoga studio? Where students (for the most part) will do anything that their teacher tells them to. As most of us want to fit in as opposed to go against the grain.

I can’t tell you how many narcissistic Yoga teachers I have had, who treat their students like rubbish and, who do not practice themselves but tell others to.

Until the yoga community returns to humility by way of the teachers, it will become more of a performance and less about a spiritual practice.

2. The fitness community has claimed Yoga as it’s own.

I took my first Yoga class when I was 14 and it was taught by a woman from Goa, India. I was a very naughty teenager but genuinely looked forward to our weekly Yoga class because I could feel my teachers authenticity and it inspired me to be a better person. She taught us dharana (meditation), pranayama (breathing) and asana (postures). There was something special about learning it from someone who treats it like gold- a part of her heritage and culture.

It has been a long time since I have taken a yoga class from a teacher who is genuine and authentic. I have had a few (here and there), especially when I first became a teacher. I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by teachers who cared about yoga.

However, these days there is not much difference between a fitness class and a yoga class. Especially in The West, we confuse asana as Yoga. There are eight limbs to Yoga, most of it is not just physical. Sculpt, barre and intense workouts are not Yoga.

Only focusing on the physical accentuates the Ego. The whole point of Yoga is internal balance and this won’t be achieved by avoiding our own spiritual practice that is supposed to come with a genuine practice.

3. Everyone is becoming a teacher. Whether they are capable or not.

When I became a Yoga teacher, it was by chance and almost like I had been led to be one by God. At least that’s what I tell myself when I teach.

When I became a teacher, it was not popular- in fact many people asked me why I would do it. And, naturally, it helped me understand for myself, too. Going against the grain has been my life path. Especially when I feel that it connected in my soul and that is definitely how I felt about teaching.

Nowadays, it is easy to become a Yoga teacher. Contrary to when I started. When I applied to become a teacher, not everyone had the privilege and now I see why. I used to have a tradition of supporting greener teachers; however, as the years have gone on, the quality of teachers has significantly dropped because it has become easier to become a teacher.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that everyone deserves a chance and some of the most inspiring teachers I have had cannot do the ‘Instagram-perfect’ asana. However, it does require devotion. Something that is lacking in a lot of greener teachers that I see because there is no real foundation to their teachings.

There is no longer a required minimum practice and, I believe, that is one of the reasons that so many teachers are not meeting their full potential. We can all speak but few can speak from the heart. We can all preach but few can practice. We can all do a pose but few can feel it in their body and be present.

That is the difference between being genuine and fake. The former is unique; however, the latter isn’t. It is better to devote ourselves to becoming a master at what we do than to be like everyone else, especially with something like Yoga. When we connect people to mind, body and spirit, we need to do so with care and a genuine heart. Otherwise, we are not doing our jobs.