Who is @The_Southern_Yogi ?
About a year ago I started interning for start-up company called WanderfulSoul, a network that connects yogi’s and leaders to retreat destinations and adventures. My wonderful boss — a charismatic, creative and ambitious soul opened my eyes to the a world of yoga I never knew existed. To be honest, before I started working for her, I was intimidated by the world of yogi’s, leggings and smoothie bowls. There was so much of a following for the practice — a lifestyle that I did not understand and a sense of pride and belonging I was not a part of. It’s like that feeling of going to the gym for the first time and refusing to use an equipment because that would either mean I would have to ask someone for help or figure it out on my own getting the side eye if I use it incorrectly.
My first job was to find inspirational Instagrammers in the yoga world who we might want to reach out to. A quick google search of “best yogi Instagram accounts” revealed that this was a world with millions of followers, sponsorships and careers.
“Instagram has definitely been a huge career chance for me. It’s connected me professionally to different brands and people I wouldn’t have found before because I had no reason to. This is my career now,” said Caitlin Turner, a 28-year-old Arizona native who goes under the Instagram name @GypsetGoddess on RACKED.com.
Through my hours of research is where I found Morgan DeYoung, a twenty-something yogi living in Kentucky who goes by the name of the_southern_yogi. Morgan pretty much posts everyday, engaging with her 327,ooo followers and sharing her flows and pictures of her Bengal cat, Kovu. Although I am only a year into following her, I soon learned that Morgan is somewhat of an Instagram celebrity and many opportunities have swung her way due to her following. She has a sponsorship from AloYoga, who makes sure she is fully sported in their clothing for majority of her posts. Morgan can also be seen traveling often, teaching workshops or attending yoga festivals. She has launched 2 e-books under her business AbAsanas, a guidebook that helps to create a stronger core through movements inspired by yoga. She encourages users to use the #AbAsanas to showcase their progress — a hashtag that has been used 15,713 times. Morgan may not have a constant aesthetic to her posts, she usually ops for a white background and natural lighting while she shows her flows. There are other yogi’s with a more defined aesthetic, like her friend aubreyyrenee who’s photographs all carry a warmth and campy feel. I have been able to distinguish her pictures right away when I see them in my newsfeed since she has built her own brand. However, she has gained success from her consistency in posting, her yearning to share her skills in yoga and engaging with her followers.
As one decides to openly share their life on the internet, sometimes there is a moment when a negative light shines on the fact that your life has no privacy button. When Morgan went through a difficult divorce, many of her followers had questions and her ex-husband was vocal through his account in the process. As they once shared pictures together on her account, her followers became attached to their relationship. Often people become curious of people’s private lives and forget to realize that words are easier said online than in person, although can be just as painful.
I have mixed feelings about the micro-internet-celebrity world of yoga. In a world that isn’t just about the act of the practice but finding inner-peace and mental stability — promoting self-love, self-discovery and non-competitiveness — it seems strange to me that people now might feel the need to fish for likes and think of their next Instagram post. It materializes the practice of yoga and what it may stand for, growing internet stars with sponsorships, monetizing in any way possible, and getting a rush of dopamine and from the amount of likes a post.
Although another side of me just thinks that this it is just the nature of how our internet driven works now and any group of people with like mindedness is an opportunity for a marketing strategy. A lot of Yoga Instagrammers say that they first started their accounts to document their progress and to inspire others to work on self-improvement and the money aspect is just an added bonus or has grown enough to make it a huge part of their career.
While following Morgan for the past year, I found that the yoga community is very supportive of one another online, encouraging one another and giving tips. It’s rare to ever see a negative comment on her posts. Maybe I should stop focusing on the negative instead of the positive. Morgan just wants to share her personal growth with her followers and encourage others to challenge themselves as well.
