A Yoga Manifesto

There is a new kind of yoga that is called Yoga For The People.

The premise is that yoga is expensive-- between the clothes, the mat, the $15 classes...it adds up quick.

In a 2008 poll, commissioned by Yoga Journal, concluded that the number of people doing yoga had declined from 16.5 million in 2004 to 15.8 million almost four years later. But the poll also estimated that the actual spending on yoga classes and products had almost doubled in that same period, from $2.95 billion to $5.7 billion.

Yoga For The People is a new kind of yoga studio that is by-donation-only. You pay what you can afford to pay. Some people drop $1 in the bucket, some drop $20.

This new, unique environment is taking cities by storm. Studios in NYC, LA and Chicago all use this business model because they believe that if more people did yoga, the world would be a better place.

I believe in this new form of yoga leadership. It allows the yoga journey to be available to as many people as possible, and opens up a means to provide positive energy and karma to everyone. I believe that if more people, especially urban residents, took time to unplug and reenergize through an hour yoga class, people would be healthier and happier.