| Did you know that over fifteen million | | | | particularly easy or particularly |
| people practiced yoga in 2003, according | | | | challenging - it can be either or both |
| to a landmark study by Yoga Journal | | | | on any given day. |
| Magazine. And the numbers are expected | | | | Then there is the therapeutic component. |
| to increase dramatically in subsequent | | | | Yoga can be used successfully with |
| years. Your own experiences probably | | | | conditions such as insomnia, back |
| confirm this study - maybe you practice | | | | problems, digestion problems, asthma, |
| yoga, know someone who does, or just | | | | improving circulation, anxiety, weight |
| take a walk along any busy main street - | | | | loss, just to name a few. |
| your bound to see someone carrying a | | | | Basically yoga is non -competitive; it |
| yoga mat. In fact you can't even open a | | | | is not about winning or losing - you can |
| magazine or newspaper without finding an | | | | go at your own rate. Of course people |
| article about yoga. So, how does a | | | | still compete with themselves though and |
| 5000-year-old spiritual practice become | | | | compare their posture to others in |
| today's hottest mind/body trend? | | | | class. |
| Perhaps the best way to understand | | | | In addition many of us are yearning for |
| yoga's popularity is to go right to the | | | | something more. Many of us have shied |
| people who practice it. If you ask them | | | | away from organized religion yet seek a |
| why, some of the more common replies you | | | | spiritual practice that connects us to |
| might hear are "flexibility, increased | | | | ourselves as well as something larger - |
| energy, improved focus, reduction of the | | | | a spiritual practice that is |
| symptoms associated with stress, and an | | | | non-dogmatic, without many rules. While |
| overall good feeling." The fact is that | | | | most of the yoga practiced in health |
| yoga can have a rejuvenating effect on | | | | clubs is primarily the physical aspects |
| all systems of the body including the | | | | of yoga - the philosophical side seeps |
| circulatory, glandular system, | | | | in. And for those that want to learn |
| digestive, nervous, skeletal/muscular, | | | | more about the philosophy of yoga |
| reproductive system and respiratory | | | | information and classes are readily |
| system. | | | | available to them. At its simplest level |
| On a physical level - according to the | | | | yoga quiets the mind and opens the body |
| U.S. Dept. on Aging there four | | | | - setting the stage for withdrawing |
| components to good physical health: | | | | deeper inside oneself - to a place of |
| Strength, flexibility, balance, aerobic | | | | peace, a place of balance, a place of |
| capacity. It is interesting to note that | | | | health. It is here where the divine |
| yoga can accomplish all these things and | | | | within us can be more easily discovered. |
| no fancy piece of equipment is needed - | | | | There are many different styles of yoga |
| other than your own body and a yoga mat. | | | | and it never needs to be boring - it can |
| Over the last 100 years our lives have | | | | be slow and gentle, it can challenge |
| become very fast paced: cell phones, | | | | your strength, it can be aerobic or |
| computers, internet, television. This | | | | vigorous or it can be very |
| along with a strong work ethic often | | | | introspective. There is as style to |
| results in people out of balance - | | | | match most personalities. There is yoga |
| people experiencing a lot of stress. | | | | for seniors, pre-natal yoga, postnatal |
| Consequently, there is a strong need to | | | | yoga, power yoga, gentle yoga, etc. |
| de-stress - to quiet our minds and | | | | There are classes that focus on back |
| rejuvenate our bodies. And yoga helps | | | | care, yoga done in groups and |
| achieve this - helping us return to a | | | | one-on-one, privately with an |
| state of balance and health. | | | | instructor. The yogic scriptures say |
| Yoga brings us into the moment - it is | | | | there are some 84,000 postures and |
| very difficult to practice and be | | | | variations. The field of yoga is huge |
| thinking about what happened at work | | | | and there is always, always something |
| today or the party tomorrow night. | | | | new to learn. |
| Becoming presentin itself is a great | | | | The media has also helped spread the |
| release from stress. At its best, yoga | | | | message of yoga and the fact the |
| meets the student where they are - so it | | | | celebrities like Madonna and Sting |
| is adjusted to the student's level and | | | | practice yoga doesn't hurt either! |
| capacity. That doesn't mean it is | | | | |