Celebrating 50 years of yoga journal: where yoga has been and where it is going

Yoga. One age-old tradition, several millennia of evolution, and as many interpretations as there are people practicing them. What exactly do we mean when we talk about yoga?

During the last 50 of those 5,000 years, Yoga diary has returned to that question again and again, exploring how this age-old practice helps us navigate the complexities of contemporary life.

Launched in the absence of the Internet, before the podcast in the 1970s as a newsletter, Yoga diary was written for – and by – yoga teachers at a time when books and magazines were the main ways to share knowledge. That first issue, only ten pages, was photocopied in black and white and stapled together in the upper left corner.

Considered a trade publication, Yoga diary offered instruction to teachers through physical attunement prompts, personal essays, mantras, and explorations of esoteric topics such as the subtle body. The pages helped readers understand how the spiritual, philosophical, and physical foundations of yoga relate to the modern world—culturally, personally, and universally.

As yoga and publishing evolved, so did it Yoga diary. It became a glossy newsstand magazine for students and teachers, featuring interviews with celebrities, stories from far-flung yoga destinations and insights into the physical and emotional challenges of being human.

Those decades were not without missteps. Exclusivity was common in both yoga and media Yoga diary was not immune. Today, we strive to make the practice – and our work – even more accessible, inclusive and encouraging for everyone, as we all continue to learn what it means to create a welcoming environment.

However, the intention behind each article remains the same: to remind you that every time you slow your breathing, quiet your thoughts, learn something new, overcome your fear, sit with your discomfort, push yourself further, or let yourself rest, you are not only practicing yoga, but also how to live. Imperfect. Still always try.

Today, now that we have been in existence for 50 years Yoga diarywe continue that evolution with a new visual identity and a renewed commitment to accessibility, authenticity and community values ​​that guide both our journalism and our practice.

When we look back on the past 50 years, we also look forward. The stories collected here are intended to help you explore the evolution of both yoga and yoga Yoga diarythat provides context for where we’ve been and where we’re going.

Thank you for being part of this unfolding story. We can’t wait to continue sharing this sometimes revealing, sometimes quietly comforting practice with you for the next 50 years.

Experience yoga ten years at a time

Yoga’s mega-popularity in American culture has taken many unexpected turns. One of the benefits of all that attention? Millions more people practice yoga. There have been difficult lessons too. We explain in our decades-long exploration of how yoga came to be in its current state.

Yoga in the 1970s: Consciousness, Astrology, and Alice Coltrane

Yoga in the 1980s: precision, props and a little-known practice

Yoga in the 1990s: Madonna, Modern Mats and the Mainstream

Yoga in the 2000s: In-Crowds, Icons and the ‘Yoga Industry’

Yoga in the 2010s: accessibility, athleisure and freedom of choice

Yoga in the 2020s: Pandemic, Personal Practice, and Progress

Witness the evolution of yoga fashion: from short shorts to yoga pants

Your yoga practice is never defined by your clothes. Still, we can be curious about the sociocultural factors we’ve seen in yoga spaces over the years. Imagine striking the poses in short shorts, catsuits or tights from the 70s. Maybe one day we’ll feel the same and question our judgment-slash-nostalgia for yoga leggings and matching sets? (And yes, some of us still prefer sweatshirts and T-shirts, and there’s nothing wrong with that.) Read more.

View our editors’ favorite articles from our archive

This starter list of standout articles is just a sampling of the thousands of voices shared over Yoga Journal’s past 50 years. These include essays and articles by some of Yoga Journal’s most esteemed writers, including Sally Kempton, Anne Cushman, and Richard Rosen. Read more.

Read more from our archive

Until recently, articles published in early issues of Yoga Journal were only available if you had access to a copy of the print magazine. We have digitized our archive so that you can experience these insights and stories. Because wisdom doesn’t do anyone any good if it’s relegated to a dusty box in the basement. Read more.

Follow an editor as she flips through 50 years of yoga journaling

An anthropological look at culture, yoga and the inevitable mixture between the two. Read more.

Discover the same conversations we’re still having 50 years later

Over the past five decades, we see the same themes repeated again and again in the pages of the magazine. Here we explore the themes that have remained the same, but where our view has changed. Read more.