Why Has Yoga Become So Popular?

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Article Title: Why Has Yoga Become So Popular?

Author: VanEs

Word Count: 718

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Did you know that over fifteen million people practiced yoga in

2003, according to a landmark study by Yoga Journal Magazine.

And the numbers are expected to increase dramatically in

subsequent years. Your own experiences probably confirm this

study – maybe you practice yoga, know someone who does, or just

take a walk along any busy main street - your bound to see

someone carrying a yoga mat. In fact you can’t even open a

magazine or newspaper without finding an article about yoga.

So, how does a 5000-year-old spiritual practice become today’s

hottest mind/body trend?

Perhaps the best way to understand yoga’s popularity is to go

right to the people who practice it. If you ask them why, some

of the more common replies you might hear are “flexibility,

increased energy, improved focus, reduction of the symptoms

associated with stress, and an overall good feeling.” The fact

is that yoga can have a rejuvenating effect on all systems of

the body including the circulatory, glandular system,

digestive, nervous, skeletal/muscular, reproductive system and

respiratory system.

On a physical level – according to the U.S. Dept. on Aging

there four components to good physical health: Strength,

flexibility, balance, aerobic capacity. It is interesting to

note that yoga can accomplish all these things and no fancy

piece of equipment is needed – other than your own body and a

yoga mat.

Over the last 100 years our lives have become very fast paced:

cell phones, computers, internet, television. This along with a

strong work ethic often results in people out of balance –

people experiencing a lot of stress. Consequently, there is a

strong need to de-stress - to quiet our minds and rejuvenate

our bodies. And yoga helps achieve this – helping us return to

a state of balance and health.

Yoga brings us into the moment – it is very difficult to

practice and be thinking about what happened at work today or

the party tomorrow night. Becoming present

in itself is a great release from stress. At its best, yoga

meets the student where they are – so it is adjusted to the

student’s level and capacity. That doesn’t mean it is

particularly easy or particularly challenging – it can be

either or both on any given day.

Then there is the therapeutic component. Yoga can be used

successfully with conditions such as insomnia, back problems,

digestion problems, asthma, improving circulation, anxiety,

weight loss, just to name a few.

Basically yoga is non –competitive; it is not about winning or

losing – you can go at your own rate. Of course people still

compete with themselves though and compare their posture to

others in class.

In addition many of us are yearning for something more. Many of

us have shied away from organized religion yet seek a spiritual

practice that connects us to ourselves as well as something

larger – a spiritual practice that is non-dogmatic, without

many rules. While most of the yoga practiced in health clubs is

primarily the physical aspects of yoga – the philosophical side

seeps in. And for those that want to learn more about the

philosophy of yoga information and classes are readily

available to them. At its simplest level yoga quiets the mind

and opens the body – setting the stage for withdrawing deeper

inside oneself – to a place of peace, a place of balance, a

place of health. It is here where the divine within us can be

more easily discovered.

There are many different styles of yoga and it never needs to

be boring - it can be slow and gentle, it can challenge your

strength, it can be aerobic or vigorous or it can be very

introspective. There is as style to match most personalities.

There is yoga for seniors, pre-natal yoga, postnatal yoga,

power yoga, gentle yoga, etc. There are classes that focus on

back care, yoga done in groups and one-on-one, privately with

an instructor. The yogic scriptures say there are some 84,000

postures and variations. The field of yoga is huge and there is

always, always something new to learn.

The media has also helped spread the message of yoga and the

fact the celebrities like Madonna and Sting practice yoga

doesn’t hurt either!

About The Author: VanEs, M.A. has been studying and

practicing yoga for over thirteen years and is a certified yoga

teacher teaching in the East Bay area of San Francisco. He is

author of " Beginning Yoga: A Practice Manual " , co-creator of

the audio CD " Shavasana / Deep Relaxation " . He is also a former

psychotherapist. http://www.letsdoyoga.com email:

info@... 510-587-3399

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