To realize how big yoga has become in the US just stop by any of the large chain bookstores. Barnes & Noble for example, now not only stocks the expected selection of books about power yoga and weightloss, but also yoga classics like Light on Yoga and The Heart of Yoga. I browsed around at Barnes & Noble in downtown Seattle today, and in the yoga section I discovered books about mudras and pranayama. (Next to ”Yoga for Wimps” and “The Yoga Face,” but still.) Is this the same country that lives on drive-thru burgers and elected a Republican president? I know this is Seattle and thus not typical of most of the country, but I’m optimistic enough to believe this is a sign that something is changing.

I think it’s safe to say that yoga is now more than a fad in the US. Yoga has become mainstream, no longer the realm of hippies and loonies. Traditionalists object that with such popularity yoga becomes watered out and no longer stays true to its roots. That might be true, but just like everything else in history there is a natural evolution and change that applies to all things. Including yoga. And if by yoga becoming more accessible more people can benefit from yoga practice, how can we argue that this is bad?

I few weeks ago I discovered a huge selection of vegetarian and vegan books and cookbooks in the University District Barnes & Noble. I’m talking one whole floor-to-ceiling shelf. I’m telling you, something is going on…