Yoga has a spiritual aspect but you're not paying a yoga instructor for spiritual guidance. You're paying to use their space, to be taught the sequence of postures, and to receive adjustments to better achieve the postures. Yoga teachers do not typically promote themselves as spiritual leaders, nor Yoga as a religion.
Some Yoga schools are more spiritually-oriented than others, but I assure you that the vast majority of people who go to Yoga classes do so for the health benefits alone.
"I assure you that the vast majority of people who go to Yoga classes do so for the health benefits alone."
I guess I have a lot of trouble wrapping my head around Yoga as a secular activity. Even most if people are just doing it as a workout, it seems like part of what draws people to it is that it gives them some vague feeling of connection with something in the collective unconscious, even if they never explicitly explore its history or its role as a spiritual tool. And even just that in and of itself seems to provide some spiritual benefit.
I have no doubt that people basically just want the benefits of some thousand year old tradition, but packaged in a way that reinforces their preexisting worldview. Which strikes me as absurd, but at least I can kind of understand it. But even still, I think the fact that it's something that people have been doing for thousands of years has to inherently change people's posture, no pun intended.
I guess everything I know about Yoga comes from (academically) studying Hinduism, plus watching movies like Enlighten Up or whatever. Every time I hear people talk about it it's usually in the same breath as meditation, or else they're talking about opening up their Chakras or whatever.
I've never actually done Yoga but I generally have really wonky interests, so that's generally my bias.
Like I said, there are some "new age" elements but most it isn't like that. Also, if you go through life avoiding everything that annoys you, you will probably miss out on a lot. Sure, I've heard people talk about "chakras" (rarely), but I just ignore it.
Unlike yoga, the Salvation Army is actually a religion. Do you avoid shopping there or donating there just because of that? Do you shop in vintage stores in NYC? Where do you think they get their stuff?
Actually, if I were to ever take up Yoga, it would be for its purported spiritual development benefits. IMHO if it's not opening up your chakras then either you're not getting the full benefits, or else it's bunk to begin with. (If I wanted exercise, I'd just hop on the rowing machine.)
But yes, I do avoid the salvation army because of their politics.
Some Yoga schools are more spiritually-oriented than others, but I assure you that the vast majority of people who go to Yoga classes do so for the health benefits alone.