Semi-Yogic Time Travel

What I learned from browsing through old periodicals

Once upon a time, shortly after I was born, the California Yoga Teachers Association turned its regular newsletter into a magazine called Yoga Journal. “Our intention,” the editors said, “is to bring you material that combines the essence of classical yoga with the latest understandings of modern science.”

From 1975 to 2022, it went through several incarnations. It was bought by a banker in the 1990s, who grew its circulation then sold it to a publishing conglomerate, which in turn sold it on to a “leading endurance sports media platform”. The final print issue of Yoga Journal was published last year, and it’s now a paywalled website.

The first and last issues of Yoga Journal (1975 and 2022)

Throughout its existence as a magazine, it embodied the paradoxes of modern yoga. Ancient foundations were combined with new inventions, and physical exercise with spiritual discipline. Plus there were frequent allusions to yoga’s non-material values while publishing surveys of a multi-billion-dollar “industry”.

Rewinding to the start, the inaugural issue included a profile of a prominent teacher, practical tips for standing forward bends, articles on diet and breathing, and listings for workshops offering massage, “polarity therapy” and nutritional guidance, along with a nine-month “Yoga Instructor Certificate Program”.

But why dredge this up now? Someone recently gave me some copies from the 1990s, pre-dating the sale to commercial publishers. Although it would be easy to overstate the differences between these two eras, some stand out in hindsight.