Whilst the ancient practice may come as old news to the Eastern world, until Madonna started raving about it a few years back – yoga went relatively unnoticed on the popular culture radar.
Well…if it is good enough for Madonna, then it is certainly good enough for the masses – or so the public thought – and since then yoga classes have been popping up here there and everywhere with everyone wanting to give the spiritual, mental and physical discipline a try.
Yoga has come a long way since its origins in ancient India thousands of years ago – and if you are not sure if it’s really for you then here are a few facts and figures to help to get you clued up:
- The word Yoga means ‘union’ in Sanskrit, which refers to the blending of the mind, body and spirit in the ancient art.
- Yoga dates back to around 5000 years ago when it was first used in ancient India before influencing Hindu and Buddhist cultures.
- Many of the most popular exercises in use today such as the ‘sun salutation’ were actually invented in the 20th century.
- Yoga was rebranded as ‘a healthy way of life’ during the 1920s by Indian nationalist Jagannath G Gune.
- The past decade has seen a 40 per cent rise in the number of individuals taking part in yoga.
- An estimated 500,000 individuals now practice yoga in Britain.
- There are an estimated 10,000 yoga teachers in this country, most registered with organisations.
For information about Yoga Therapy – a specialist adaptation of yoga for those suffering with specific health, please visit our fact-sheet to find out more.
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