From Trends to Traditions: Finding Balance Between Yoga's Ancient Roots and Modern Practice

Right before we opened the doors at It’s All Yoga in Sacramento twenty years ago, there was a neighborhood parade and local businesses were invited to participate. I had a long canvas banner made that said “Coming soon: It’s All Yoga.” It was great timing for some free publicity in the immediate area we were serving.

As we made our way along the route, I passed out fliers and chatted with people who were excited to have yoga in the neighborhood, until… I walked past a woman who took a flier and asked what it was for. I enthusiastically replied, “We’re opening a yoga studio at Freeport and 11th!” She quickly gave the flier back to me with an expression of I-just-stepped-in-dog-poop and said, “Oh, no. I can’t do yoga – I’m a Republican.”

This story has stuck with me over the years because it’s a stark example of, well, many things. What I want to highlight today is how much yoga — and the selling of yoga — has changed, and how it brings up the question of trend vs. tradition.

Since that time (remember, that was 2005, when yoga was still relatively fringe), yoga niches have exploded: Yoga for Surfers, Yoga for Christians, Yoga with Goats. Heck, I bet there’s even Yoga for Republicans. (I hope that woman found it!)

Staying True, Not to Trend

Within a year or two of opening It’s All Yoga, hot yoga studios started multiplying across the city, power yoga was drawing fitness enthusiasts, and yoga pants were just beginning their journey toward becoming everyday attire.

As a new studio owner, I faced a fundamental question that would shape the next two decades: How do we honor yoga's ancient wisdom while making it relevant and accessible to our contemporary community?

Twenty years later, that question remains at the heart of our practice at It's All Yoga. The landscape has shifted dramatically—through yoga fads and fusion classes, Instagram influencers and post-pandemic era Zoom sessions—yet the essence of what makes yoga transformative has remained remarkably consistent.

The journey from brick-and-mortar studio to our current thriving online community reflects yoga's enduring capacity to adapt while preserving its essence. Our transition to offering 10 live classes weekly and maintaining a library of hundreds of recorded sessions ranging from 10 to 60 minutes wasn't just a pandemic pivot—it was a thoughtful evolution that honors both tradition and innovation in serving our core community.

Ancient Wisdom in Modern Bodies

The women who make up the core of our community—thoughtful practitioners in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s—don't come to yoga seeking pretzel-like contortions or picture-perfect headstands. They come seeking what yoga practitioners have sought for thousands of years: connection, presence, vitality, and ease within themselves.

What's fascinating is how the ancient teachings seem almost prescient in addressing our modern challenges. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, written almost 2,000 years ago, speak directly to our scattered attention spans with the very first definition of yoga: "yogas chitta vritti nirodha"—yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.

In these times of constant notifications, endless scrolling, and information overload, this ancient definition feels more relevant than ever. The simple act of pausing and turning inward provides precisely the respite your nervous system is craving. Our circumstances are very different from practitioners millennia ago, but our longing to have a deeper connection with ourselves and the life around us is timeless.

Tradition as Inspiration, Not Absolute

For years, I would tell teacher trainees that “yoga is alive — it’s an evolving, changing practice that responds to life.” I look at “tradition” not as a rigid structure, but as a grounding force that anchors practice in something deeper than passing trends.

For instance, when "fitness yoga" gained popularity, emphasizing calorie-burning over mindfulness, we chose to maintain our focus on hatha alignment in a way that respects that all bodies come with different stories. We recognize that our community—particularly women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and beyond—need practices that balance rather than deplete their energy.

Simultaneously, we've embraced a modern understanding of biomechanics that has refined alignment principles beyond the traditional texts. For example, we teach joint health and mobility based on current knowledge about tissue adaptation, exercise science and healthy aging, which might differ from descriptions in older texts. (No fitting “in between two panes of glass” here!)

Evidence-Based Upgrades + Sthira-Sukha

Our emphasis on strength building addresses another science-backed need for aging women: maintaining muscle mass and bone density. It's All Yoga was onto the importance of strength work, not necessarily through yoga, but actual strength and resistance training, long before it was a trend — yet another way we’ve veered from “traditional” yoga. We've offered strength-building classes for years — back in 2016, we called it “Power Up.” Our current workout class, “Strength + Stretch,” is a member favorite. We know yoga has many benefits, but building bone density isn’t one of them. The traditional concept of "sthira-sukha" (steadiness and ease) guides our approach even when we’re working hard — building the strength needed for stability while cultivating the ease essential for sustainability.

What's distinctive about our approach to strength is how it's integrated with nervous system regulation. Each strength-focused video in our library balances effort with recovery, activation with release. This prevents the common modern pitfall of approaching yoga as just another form of achievement-oriented exercise that can ultimately deplete rather than restore our energy.

For our community of women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, this balanced approach addresses a critical need that many other fitness modalities overlook: building physical strength without overtaxing already-stressed nervous systems. We want to maintain strength, balance, and mobility through every decade of life and we know that less is more.

Ancient Wisdom Meets Digital Delivery

The ancient yogis could hardly have imagined their practices being transmitted into living rooms through screens. Yet in many ways, the core teachings may be even more accessible in this modern format. IAY members report that they are able to be more at home (no pun intended) with themselves in an online class. In fact, the privacy and autonomy of practicing virtually has unlocked deeper experiences for many students who once felt self-conscious in group settings.

One unexpected gift of our online format has been witnessing how our community integrates practice into their daily lives. I hear from students every week who are doing spontaneous poses in the kitchen or in the garden. A student recently shared that she used a 10-minute nervous system regulation video from our library before an important work presentation. Others do the Strength + Stretch videos in the mornings, followed by gentler restorative sessions in the evenings. This integration of yoga into life's rhythms aligns beautifully with traditional views of yoga as a lifestyle rather than a segregated thing you do.

Virtual Space as Sacred Space

In traditional yoga, the practice space—whether temple, ashram, or studio—held special significance. Creating a sacred container for transformation was considered essential. In our transition to a fully online format, we've discovered that virtual spaces can be equally sacred when approached with intention.

Our live classes begin with a moment to acknowledge the collective container we're creating. We encourage members to designate a consistent space in their homes for practice, perhaps with meaningful objects or images that support their intentions. Many students report that practicing in their personal spaces actually deepens their experience, allowing for greater vulnerability and exploration without the self-consciousness sometimes felt in group settings.

The library of recorded sessions provides another traditional benefit in modern form: the relationship with a trusted teacher. While our digital age obviously transforms this dynamic, our members develop meaningful connections through consistent practice with the same teacher voices and approaches. It’s one of the things people say most often to me: I trust you.

Making Yoga Accessible

A value often overlooked in discussions of yoga tradition is accessibility. While certain historical lineages restricted yoga to specific castes or genders, yoga's philosophical core emphasizes universal accessibility of its fruits. Our online format honors this inclusive spirit, removing barriers of geography, scheduling constraints, and physical limitations.

Women juggling work schedules, caregiving, and personal needs find freedom in being able to practice at 6 AM or 10 PM. Those with mobility challenges can modify practices in the privacy of their homes without feeling observed. Members recovering from illness or injury can select from our library precisely the approach their bodies need on any given day.

The freedom and autonomy our members cherish in the virtual format actually connects to yoga's traditional emphasis on svadhyaya (self-study) and developing inner authority. Rather than creating dependency on a teacher's physical adjustments or a studio's schedule, our approach empowers women to develop their own consistent practice guided by internal awareness.

The Virtual Library: Ancient Wisdom On Demand

Perhaps the most modern aspect of It's All Yoga is our extensive video library, offering hundreds of practices ranging from 10 to 60 minutes. Yet even this innovation connects to tradition. In ancient times, yoga practices were prescribed specifically for an individual's constitution, life stage, and current needs. Our categorized library—with sections for Happy Hips, Pelvic Health, Stress Relief, Strength Building, an Energy Boost, Better Sleep, and more—allows members to select practices aligned with their present circumstances.

The varying durations of videos further honor yoga's traditional emphasis on consistency over quantity. A daily 10-minute practice brings greater benefit than an occasional 90-minute session. Members report that having shorter options has increased their consistency, allowing yoga to become integrated into daily life rather than relegated to occasional longer sessions “when they can get to them.” (Another benefit of being online.)

This library approach also honors the traditional recognition that different life phases require different practices. A member navigating the intense heat and disrupted sleep of early menopause might select cooling, calming practices, while someone addressing bone density concerns might focus on strength workouts. This personalization echoes yoga's traditional emphasis on appropriate practice for individual needs.

The Commercialization Conundrum

Another tension in modern yoga involves its commercialization. The global yoga industry now exceeds $80 billion annually, with everything from yoga-themed clothing and retreats to apps and accessories. At times, it can feel as though the ancient practice has become just another commodity.

At It's All Yoga, surviving as a small, independent studio for twenty years has required navigating these commercial realities while maintaining integrity. We've chosen to focus on depth rather than growth for growth's sake. Rather than expanding into multiple locations or diluting the teaching to reach more people, we've deepened our offerings for our core community, particularly focusing on the needs of women navigating midlife and beyond.

Community Beyond Physical Space

Perhaps the most surprising discovery in our transition to a fully online studio has been the depth of community that's possible across digital space. Traditional yoga recognized the importance of sangha (community) in supporting practice. While our members may not share physical space, they share intentions, experiences, and growth.

Our live classes feature time for brief check-ins and shared reflections. We have a private community forum that allows members to connect around specific themes or challenges. Monthly and seasonal events create opportunities for deeper exploration together. These elements preserve the traditional understanding that yoga thrives within supportive community, even as the form of that community evolves.

Even in the virtual space, we will know your name. Members enjoy learning each other’s stories and celebrations (we have two members retiring this summer) as well as hardships (several people have broken bones this year and dealt with health issues). We are all in this together and feeling seen makes all the difference.

The Freedom of the Middle Path

Buddha described the "middle path" as the way of balance between extremes, and this concept applies beautifully to our approach at It's All Yoga. We neither reject tradition in pursuit of novelty nor cling rigidly to forms that may not serve our specific community. Instead, we seek to walk the middle path—honoring yoga's roots while embracing helpful innovations, preserving essential principles while adapting their expression.

The online format itself represents this balance. Rather than seeing technology as inherently opposed to tradition, we recognize it as a tool that, when used mindfully, can actually support yoga's timeless aims: greater awareness, improved wellbeing, and deeper connection to self and others.

For our members—women committed to aging with vitality, strength, and grace—this balanced approach offers liberation from both rigid traditionalism and disconnected trendiness. They're free to explore which elements of practice resonate most deeply, whether that's the physical benefits of strength building, the mental clarity that comes with nervous system regulation, or the spiritual dimensions of connecting breath and awareness.

Looking Forward

As It's All Yoga continues evolving in its third decade, we remain committed to this mindful balance between honoring tradition and embracing beneficial innovation. Our online format allows us to reach women beyond Sacramento's boundaries, sharing these balanced practices with those who might never have found their way to a physical studio.

We'll continue expanding our library with content that specifically addresses the needs of women through midlife and beyond, recognizing that this demographic often finds itself underrepresented in yoga's visual culture despite being among its most dedicated practitioners. We'll keep creating classes that address real-life concerns: maintaining bone density, navigating hormonal shifts, cultivating pelvic health, building functional strength, regulating the nervous system, and building resilience through life's transitions.

We’ve also added in-person local workshops! The pelvic floor health events have been wildly popular and so fun for people to share stories and normalize the challenges that can come with this phase of life.

Through it all, we'll remember that yoga's greatest tradition is its commitment to awakening—to seeing clearly, living fully, and embracing our interconnectedness. Whether experienced in an ancient temple or through a modern screen, this essence remains unchanged across millennia and technologies.

In this way, we honor both where yoga comes from and where it's going—just as we honor both where our members have been and where they're headed next on their lifelong journeys of strength, awareness, and discovery.

Michelle Marlahan is the founder of It's All Yoga, now a thriving online studio offering 10 live classes weekly and hundreds of recorded sessions ranging from 10-60 minutes. Her approach balances nervous system regulation with strength building specifically for women in their 40s-70s who value the privacy, autonomy and flexibility of virtual yoga practice. She also works privately with women who have pelvic pain, incontinence or prolapse to find balance and healing in the hips, low back and pelvic floor.