The Benefits & the Flip Side: Yoga on Social Media

As a social media “person” of course I can see the positives in engaging with Instagram, Facebook, TikTok etc. There is an unlimited amount of information at our fingertips. We can literally learn how to plumb in a toilet by watching a YouTube video!

Social media can help us learn new skills, access information from around the world, learn a language, complete complex DIY tasks, keep in touch with loved ones on the other side of the planet and teach us how to cook. It can also allow us to access many forms of self-care to help ease anxiety and depression, to guide us through meditation and inspire us to keep healthy with the support of online communities.

And of course, as there’s a flip side to many things, social media has negative aspects. Whilst we can choose not to engage with certain posts or stories, sometimes they can be difficult to avoid. Yoga profiles on Instagram for example mostly show us lots of skinny, young people, clad in the most uncomfortable looking Lycra ensembles, squishing themselves into poses that many of us wouldn’t even recognise as yoga! This is something which makes me quite sad, and sometimes mad. For someone who might like to try yoga for the first time, but not confident, or able to attend a class, who searches for yoga inspiration on social media, may come across these images and simply think that they are not capable, good enough or bendy enough to even try it.

Perhaps even worse so, for people with physical impairments or health conditions, those who would benefit the most from yoga, would almost certainly believe that this wonderful practice, full of possibilities and health, life giving inspiration, might feel like they’ve failed before they even start by seeing these posts. The lack of accessible yoga content on social media is, sadly, considerable. However, it’s not all bad! As yoga continues to grow and thankfully, remains an integral part of the lives of so many people around the world for the right reasons, we are seeing more content about things such as accessible, inclusive and trauma-informed yoga.

There are teachers who specialise in yoga for MS and for PTSD. For cancer sufferers, osteoporosis, or chronic illness, there are teachers, both in person and online who know how to adapt practices to suit. And as we know, there is a pose and a practice for literally everyone. Social media is often intended to be inspirational and aspirational. I am positive that as time goes on, we will see more content on social media that opens up yoga and its benefits to more people. And as a YHET member and the social media “person”, it is my responsibility to make sure I jump on the band wagon of all those who champion “yoga for all”. After all, true yoga is accessible yoga, it’s that simple. We just have to continue shouting about it.

Becki Castle, YHET Social Media Manager