It’s hard to imagine, but this is our sixth annual yoga special section honoring national yoga month, and September has always been a time for the team at Natural Awakenings to take stock of the state of yoga in the ATL.

As we emerge from the last two and a half years of upheaval, we see a considerably altered yoga landscape; many Atlanta studios have closed. While we have not kept count, we know it’s a lot. One was particularly painful for me: Decatur Yoga and Pilates. Debra Kelley’s second studio, the absolutely beautiful DYP North, was my home studio. While I have never been an all-out devoted yogi, I was finally getting to the point of at least one class a week, on Sunday mornings. 

But then, the pandemic. 

Despite my general sense that things happen for a reason, it’s difficult to reconcile the loss of so many once-thriving centers of yoga—places where much happens beyond the mat. At their best, studios are centers of light; they are not only places where people learn asanas, they are communities of similarly minded individuals dedicated to a practice that, to put it succinctly, makes them better people. For some yogis, the seven limbs of yoga beyond asanas become more important the further they go; they begin to understand that yoga, at its deepest, is spiritual science. It is a path of heart, of compassion, and it leads to samadhi, union with the Divine. 

That which is born, dies. Change is guaranteed. But we all know from life experience, personal and societal, that progress is not constant, much less linear; there are times when we regress. 

It is easy to believe we are in a period of societal regression, and the closing of so many beloved yoga studios can be seen as just another sign of decay. But the truth is, even while many studios have closed, new ones opened. I believe we’ve experienced a loss, but it’s possible we’re taking one step back and two steps forward. 

A few clear winners in the yoga world emerged during the pandemic, and they speak to where we were collectively; yin, restorative, and yoga nidra classes seem to have exploded. While the three are different, they share a restful, recuperative sensibility. Given the increased stress bearing down upon us all during COVID’s reign, it’s no surprise. Similarly, I sense a noticeable uptick in the number of sound baths being offered. 

In that way, yoga expands its appeal. As one of the yogis our yoga editor, Mila Burgess, interviewed for the third article in this month’s special section believes: The world would be a better, more loving place if everyone practiced yoga.

This month’s column has been a most difficult one to write simply because I didn’t have anything specific to say. My feeling going into this was one of loss for all the wonderful studios that have closed. Just this week I learned of two more upcoming closings. But as I wrap up, I realize I’ve been trying to stay positive in the face of the closings. Fortunately, there are many things to be positive about: Many studios figured out how to survive; new studios have opened; established remote platforms extend yoga’s reach; many yogis have found relief and comfort in restorative, yin, and yoga nidra; and the Dirty South Yoga Fest is planning a spring rebirth.  

But most of all, I remember all the benefits yoga has brought to so many, that people have continued and will continue to practice, that new students will discover the yogic path, and that yoga will continue to change the lives of countless people for the better. And then there’s the discovery that, according to the 2022 Mindbody Wellness Index, Atlanta is among the top three U.S. cities in terms of sheer number of people taking yoga classes.

Maybe that fact can help transform our beloved city from the one “too busy to hate” to the one “that knows how to love.” ❧

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Publisher of Natural Awakenings Atlanta since 2017, Paul Chen’s professional background includes strategic planning, marketing management and qualitative research. He practices Mahayana Buddhism and kriya yoga. Contact him at [email protected].