Namaste in the USA: The Growing Pains Yoga faces in American Culture
Disciplines
Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Arts and Humanities
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Complementary and alternative medicines have soared in popularity among US adolescents and adults as they explore a more holistic approach to cure everyday ailments, aches, and pains. Yoga, a mind, body, and spiritual practice can be traced back nearly 5,000 years to its birthplace in India. This case study examines the practice and background of yoga, its rising popularity in the United States, and the challenges it faces in becoming mainstream given its roots in Hinduism and its classification as an alternative healthcare practice as opposed to mainstream western medicine. The case represents a start-up company’s perspective and the business issues they must evaluate before launching their yoga studio in the US.
Yoga assists achieving inner peace, focus, and aiding in overall mental wellness within children and adults alike. Around 36.7 million Americans actively practice Yoga (2016) and believe that it relieves stress, enhances athletic performance, and increases strength and flexibility. Over 36 programs offer yoga in over 940 schools across the US, however, the adoption of the practice in schools alongside the upturn in mental and physical awareness actually pose several threats to yoga programs. Not only have they become the subject of scrutiny because of yoga’s religious affiliation with Hinduism and shift away from western medicine, but qualified yoga instructors are in weak supply due to the quick explosion in popularity. In schools and new studios alike, beginning yoga studios and programs face challenges in the US that the Brahmans, Rishis, and Yogis could never foresee.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CCOB - Marketing & Professional Sales
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Mona Sinha
Namaste in the USA: The Growing Pains Yoga faces in American Culture
Complementary and alternative medicines have soared in popularity among US adolescents and adults as they explore a more holistic approach to cure everyday ailments, aches, and pains. Yoga, a mind, body, and spiritual practice can be traced back nearly 5,000 years to its birthplace in India. This case study examines the practice and background of yoga, its rising popularity in the United States, and the challenges it faces in becoming mainstream given its roots in Hinduism and its classification as an alternative healthcare practice as opposed to mainstream western medicine. The case represents a start-up company’s perspective and the business issues they must evaluate before launching their yoga studio in the US.
Yoga assists achieving inner peace, focus, and aiding in overall mental wellness within children and adults alike. Around 36.7 million Americans actively practice Yoga (2016) and believe that it relieves stress, enhances athletic performance, and increases strength and flexibility. Over 36 programs offer yoga in over 940 schools across the US, however, the adoption of the practice in schools alongside the upturn in mental and physical awareness actually pose several threats to yoga programs. Not only have they become the subject of scrutiny because of yoga’s religious affiliation with Hinduism and shift away from western medicine, but qualified yoga instructors are in weak supply due to the quick explosion in popularity. In schools and new studios alike, beginning yoga studios and programs face challenges in the US that the Brahmans, Rishis, and Yogis could never foresee.