Who knew terms like downward facing dog, flowering lotus, and half camel
would ever be phrases of popular culture without a chorus of snickers being
heard throughout a studio, classroom, or lecture hall? Unless you've been
hiding in a box since the Millennium started, you know what yoga is. The
spiritual-based exercise trend has been popular since celebrities started
showing up on the red carpet looking extremely lean and giving their props
to their personal trainer, their handpicked menu, and the low-resistance,
high-meditation strategy that is yoga.
You know that old saying, "You don't know who you are until you know where
you came from?" Well, Hollywood didn't invent yoga; India did thousands of
years ago as part of the ancient system of Ayurveda. Yoga, now more than
ever, is popular among kids, young adults, and men and women alike.
However within the popularity of this trend, when it comes to spiritual
enlightenment, some wonder if holding poses, using your core, and/or
sweating out impurities are still yielding the best results that they can.
More and more kids are being taught yoga in the classroom to help free up
their stress levels and improve concentration inside and outside of the
classroom for a better balanced mind and body. Even vacationing has an
outlet for providing one of a kind workout options for kids these days.
Princess Cruises just announced its kid's yoga program onboard their ships.
Launching this fall, children as young as three can take part in the free
classes aimed at promoting movement and parents are encouraged to join in
the thirty-to-sixty minute classes.
From kids to the elderly, and everyone in between, yoga has also seen a
recent boost from menopausal women. Doctors in India took a group of 120
menopausal women between the ages of 40 and 55 and broke them into two
groups: one group practiced yoga five days a week for eight weeks and the
control group focused on controlling their diet and exercise regimens. The
yoga group also was educated on the properties of yoga, as well as how to
manage stress through posing, stretching and breathing. The control group
was lectured on diet, stress management, exercise and the process of
menopause. The Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana of Bangalore,
India's team of doctors including Dr. R. Chattha, noticed after eight weeks
a significant change in the yoga group. The women in the yoga group overall
had reductions in night sweats, problems sleeping, and hot flashes-usual
symptoms of menopause-whereas the control group did not notice these
changes.
If you've never tried yoga, the good news is that you still can. Yoga
centers are popping up everywhere from Hollywood Boulevard to Hollywood,
Florida, and flexibility is not an issue. With many different types of yoga,
beginners can start small and work their way up to the peace of mind they
want. Coincidentally, this September is also the first annual Yoga Month.
Approved as a National Health Observance (NHO), Yoga Month is a year round,
community-based sponsorship program used to promote health and wellness.
During September, the Yoga Month tour throughout the United States and
Canada will help to bring yoga awareness to others through support groups,
teacher networking devices, and forums to promote new ideas and products
that coincide with a yoga-centric lifestyle.
Whether you're a cancer patient, survivor, health nut, or just looking to
gain a healthier perspective, join in the fun, get stretching and remember
that it's alright to snicker when someone asks you to do a half camel.
