My previous yoga article was essentially a primer for this, oh… let’s light-heartedly call it an embedded journalism piece. What I really want to uncover is the real value of yoga.

At the time I wrote, Ironing is the New Yoga, Sort of, I was enrolled in a Yoga 101 workshop that was to commence just a few days later. I’ve now taken the class, and I am in the midst of the free week of classes also included.

Expensive yogaThere were several reasons why getting into yoga was somewhat troubling for me:

1) Yoga is expensive, and I was skeptical of the price tag. A one-year pass of unlimited classes at my local studio runs an up-front cost of $1,700 (that’s significantly more than the cost of a new laptop… ahem.) Alternatively, attending classes once a week runs between $768 – $900 annually. It’s no wonder 16.5 million Americans spend nearly $3 billion on yoga every year.

2) Every yoga image I see in “healthy living” advertising portrays a frenzied late twenty-something desperately trying to find balance and inner peace. Gee, I think I can relate, and one thing I really don’t like is when marketers effectively reach me, especially when pitching something as elusive to me as relaxation. I feel perfectly relaxed when I’m not spending money on some implanted “need.”

3) No matter how much I want to ignore the fact, yoga is still trendy after all these years. And given that I’m trying to reform my finances, introducing anything “trendy” in my life is quite a hot button issue because it reminds me of my former free-spending days.

So then, now that I’ve done my research and have been on the front lines of yoga action (after spending only $35 for an introductory course), here’s a brief analysis of yoga’s money value.

Purported Health Benefits

The first question I have to ask is: What health benefits can yoga classes provide that my very manageable $40/month gym membership won’t?

MSN:Lifestyle writer Hagar Scher presents some scientific findings that link yoga to surprising benefits with respect to lower back pain; heart health; weight control; insomnia and anxiety and depression.

Yoga devoted sites will certainly tout that every benefit under the sun. However, an interesting set of claims from HealthandYoga.com explains how yoga is responsible for:

  • Increased flexibility
  • Increased lubrication of joints, ligaments and tendons
  • Massaging of all organs of the body
  • Complete detoxification
  • Improved muscle tone

Another site, ABC-of-Yoga.com, lists the physiological and biochemical advantages of yoga practice, and even compares the benefits of yoga vs. regular exercise. Although clearly biased towards yoga, the link notes important distinctions between the two. Yoga is far less strenuous, it’s non-competitive, and promotes internal awareness.

I’ve only clocked in four hours of yoga experience, so it’s too soon for me to accurately confirm or debunk the health benefits. I can say that since starting yoga on Saturday, I have been sleeping better; my muscles feel less weak and achy; the whites of eyes are actually pristine white (as opposed to how red and irritated they often get) and I’ve been feeling significantly less anxious and more clear-headed. A huge bonus was that I learned a pose that effectively massaged my back. That alone had me thrilled with my $35 investment.

The ultimate draw of yoga for me has been its reputed stress management benefits that regular exercise supposedly won’t give me because of the focus on strength and endurance training. Based on my experience so far, I can agree with Elizabeth Scott at About.com who specifically addresses the stress management aspect of yoga. She points out that, “Yoga’s benefits are so numerous, it gives a high payoff for the amount of effort involved.”

Yes, just getting myself to an introductory yoga class was a lot of effort. I’ll admit the idea was intimidating at first; I had no idea what to expect; and I was afraid I would look like a complete fool. However, the experience wasn’t bad at all, and I definitely want to do some more yoga. Much like regular exercise, I see I’ll have to be consistent with yoga practice to reap the full range of reported benefits.

Bottom line is that regular exercise allows me to burn off aggression and frustrations- it doesn’t give me the chance to slow down and turn my attention towards myself in a peaceful manner. I successfully accomplished a sense of calm during my two, two-hour yoga classes that I haven’t been able to access otherwise.

But can inner peace come free? Yes, but later, and it takes more than money.

Yoga at Home

Ann Pizer at About.com presents a nice compromise if one is attracted to yoga but turned off by the price. She says, “Once you know the poses, you can do yoga anywhere. There are many great yoga books and videos, but there is no substitute for learning directly from a good teacher in a yoga class. If a home practice is appealing to you, I suggest attending some classes at first to get some feedback from a teacher, and then either following a yoga video at home or working out sequences for yourself once you become more advanced. I encourage beginners to find a class and let books and videos be a supplement.”

Christine Ryan at Smartmoney.com similarly says, “Attending yoga class regularly will keep you motivated and inspired ” and regular instruction will help you learn the proper way to hold yoga poses, especially if you are new to yoga.”

In fact, Christine makes a compelling case for why you may want to practice yoga at home in her article “10 Things Your Yoga Instructor Won’t Tell You”. She quite nicely sums up what makes paying a handsome sum for yoga classes so conflicting: “[O]ne of the biggest benefits of yoga is its portability: As long as you have a flat surface and enough room to move, you can do it almost anywhere.”

Conclusion

Short-term, yoga classes sound like a good investment, but long-term, I think I’m going to practice at home to keep feeling good about my finances. Yoga is a means to honor myself, but so is living within my budget. All the benefits of yoga go out the window if I can’t afford it. And frankly, $768 on top of my gym membership is just a bit too rich for my blood.

Money can’t buy happiness, nor enlightenment. But commitment- that will likely get me closer.

Namaste.