50 Years of Yoga Journal—Where Yoga Has Been and Where It’s Headed

Yoga. One ancient tradition, several millennia of evolution, and as many interpretations as there are people who practice it. So what exactly do we mean when we talk about yoga?

For the last 50 of those 5000 years, Yoga Journal has returned to that question again and again, exploring how this ancient practice helps us navigate the complexities of contemporary life.

Launched in the internet-absent, pre-podcast 1970s as a newsletter, Yoga Journal was written for—and by—yoga teachers in an era when books and magazines were the primary ways to share knowledge. That first issue, just 10 pages, was photocopied in black and white and stapled together in the upper left corner.

Considered a trade publication, Yoga Journal offered instructions to teachers through physical alignment cues, personal essays, mantras, and explorations of esoteric topics such as the subtle body. Its 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 Yoga Journal. It became a glossy newsstand magazine for students and teachers, featuring celebrity interviews, 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 across yoga and media alike, and Yoga Journal was not immune. Today, we are committed to making the practice—and our work—even more accessible, inclusive, and encouraging for every body as we all continue to learn what it means to create a welcoming environment.

The intention behind every article, however, remains the same—to remind you that each time you slow your breath, quiet your thoughts, learn something new, overcome your fear, sit with your discomfort, push yourself further, or let yourself rest, you’re practicing not only yoga, but how to live. Imperfectly. Yet always trying.

Today, as we mark 50 years of Yoga Journal, we continue that evolution with a new visual identity and renewed commitment to accessibility, authenticity, and community—values that guide both our journalism and our practice.

As we reflect on the past 50 years, we also look ahead. The stories collected here are designed to help you explore the evolution of both yoga and Yoga Journal, offering 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 revelatory, sometimes quietly reassuring practice with you for the next 50 years.

Experience Yoga One Decade at a Time

The mega popularity of yoga in US culture has taken a lot of unexpected turns. Among the advantages of all that attention? Millions more people practicing yoga. There have also been difficult lessons. We explain in our decade-by-decade exploration of how yoga in its current state came to be.

Yoga in the 1970s: Awareness, 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 Agency

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 attire. Yet we can be curious about the sociocultural factors that have been seen in yoga spaces throughout the years. Imagine taking yourself through the poses in ‘70s short shorts, catsuits, or leotards. Perhaps one day we’ll feel the same questioning our judgment-slash-nostalgia for yoga leggings and matching sets? (And hey, some of us still prefer sweats and t-shirts, and there’s nothing wrong with that.) Read more.

Peruse Our Editors’ Fave Articles From Our Archives

This starter list of standout articles is but a sampling of the thousands of voices shared throughout the last 50 years of Yoga Journal. Among these are essays and features by some of Yoga Journal’s most appreciated writers, including Sally Kempton, Anne Cushman, and Richard Rosen. Read more.

Read More From Our Archives

Until recently, articles published in the earliest issues of Yoga Journal were available only if you had access to a copy of the print magazine. We’ve been digitizing our archives so you can experience these insights and stories. Because wisdom does no one any good when it’s relegated to a dusty box in the basement. Read more.

Follow an Editor as She Flips Through 50 Years of Yoga Journal

An anthropologic look at culture, yoga, and the inevitable intermingling that happened between the two. Read more.

Explore The Same Conversations We’re Still Having 50 Years Later

Throughout the last five decades, we see the same themes recurring again and again in the pages of the magazine. Here we explore the themes that have remained the same yet in which our outlook has changed. Read more.