The Conspirituality Report
Yoga as Capitalism Without a Product
The unbearable anxiety of the aspirational self
THERE IS NEVER ANYTHING TO PRODUCE. In spite of all its materialist efforts, production remains a utopia. We can wear ourselves out in materializing things, in rendering them visible, but we will never cancel the secret.
— Baudrillard, The Ecstasy of Communication (1987)
Note: This bit of critical theory is inspired by the modern globalized yoga industry, as described in sources like Andrea Jain’s Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture. If you’re a yoga teacher or student who identifies as existing outside of that industry, or feel you belong to a community that plays no part in it, this post may not concern you. I’m filing it at The Conspirituality Report because I believe it sheds light on the anxiety that helped drive predatory misinformation marketing in the industry during the pandemic. I also believe this analysis can be extrapolated and scaled up to describe the way global Buddhist, wellness, and New Age economies commodify the aspirational self as well.
Related Story: Yoga Absolved Our Capitalist Guilt
Actually, the 88bn USD per year global yoga industry does have a product.
