There are people who intensely clutch an idea that yoga is a higher system, not to be lowered to the weight loss or even fitness category. This is the same kind of clutching that has kept yoga part of a tightly knit club for so long since its introduction in America.

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The quote by Tara Stiles critiques the mindset of those who view yoga as a higher system—something sacred or spiritual that should not be associated with more common goals like weight loss or fitness. She points out that this attitude can create barriers, limiting how widely yoga is practiced and understood.

Stiles compares this kind of exclusivity to a form of clutching, meaning a tight grip on tradition or ideology that has kept yoga within a tightly knit club since it was introduced in America. This has often made yoga seem inaccessible or intimidating to many people who might benefit from its physical and mental health advantages.

Originating from Stiles’s approach as a yoga teacher and advocate for making yoga more inclusive, the quote calls for a broader, more open perspective. It encourages welcoming diverse motivations for practicing yoga, whether for spirituality, fitness, or well-being, to allow more people to experience its benefits.