All you need to know about yoga…

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:

1. The word Yoga means ‘union’ in Sanskrit, which refers to the blending of the mind, body and spirit in the ancient art.
2. Yoga dates back to around 5000 years ago when it was first used in ancient India before influencing Hindu and Buddhist cultures.
3. Many of the most popular exercises in use today such as the ‘sun salutation’ were actually invented in the 20th century.
4. Yoga was rebranded as ‘a healthy way of life’ during the 1920s by Indian nationalist Jagannath G Gune.
5. The past decade has seen a 40 per cent rise in the number of individuals taking part in yoga.
6. An estimated 500,000 individuals now practice yoga in Britain.
7. 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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