Why Has Yoga Become So Popular?
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.
Some of the many different styles of yoga that are being taught and practiced today
include “hatha ,” the slow-paced and gentle style; “vinyasa,” the breath-synchronized movement style; “ashtanga,” the fast-paced and intense style of yoga
practice; “iyengar,” bodily alignment style, “kundalini,” the breath in conjunction with physical
movement style; and “bikram” or “hot yoga” which is
practiced in a 95-100 degree room allowing the loosening of tight muscles and
profuse sweating.
Aside from being an effective stress and anxiety reducer, practicing of yoga is
also proven to increase strength, create energy, build and tone muscles,
improve focus, concentration, and posture, reduce blood pressure, improve
memory, and relieve pain.
Another basic thing you should know about yoga is that it requires an exertion
or force through different poses. Done through the performance of poses, most
people might think that yoga is just about stretching, utmost concentration and
weird poses. True, you see people practicing yoga doing some sort of
“acrobatic” stunts, but those stretching are not just simple flexing of
muscles: these are creative processes that balance the body to develop agility,
flexibility and strength. Since each pose has a specific physical benefit, the
poses in yoga can be done in succession to create heat in the body through
movement that will build-up an increase in stamina.
Indeed, there are many benefits of practicing yoga, but bear in mind that aside
from those known benefits, yoga is all about the essence of simplicity by
creating balance in the body.
Create a free website at Webs.com
