Today things have changed. Hundreds of years ago royalty set the trends and now our egalitarian society never tires of watching the activities of the rich and famous. And a daily yoga practice is what a lot of them are doing.
Yoga has become the holistic exercise of choice for thousands of Americans who have finally caught onto its remarkably comprehensive list of benefits.
In the arts; actors, artists, poets and writers extol the virtues of this 5,000-year-old practice. In the corridors of power enlightened corporations have added special yoga rooms where staff can center themselves and stretch their tense and weary bodies.
Young mothers use it to prepare for, and recover from, the rigors of childbirth while the baby boom generation is more glamorous and supple than ever before as they embrace the golden years with a regular yoga practice.
As the benefits of yoga are finally recognized yoga studios pop up equally fast in giant metropolises as well as tiny hamlets across the country.
Unlike the original practice that grew out of Eastern philosophical thought and was practiced mostly by solitary aesthetes, yoga in the west has been adapted to include the best of both worlds. While breath and centering are still central, the age-old postures have been modified to flow to music. Single postures are still practiced but a relatively recent development called vinyasa or flow yoga has combined all the postures into one single flowing yoga "dance" that is enjoying a growing popularity.
The fact that yoga has moved from a peripheral activity practiced by "oddballs" to the mainstream is really a sign of the times. As society pays more and more attention to the bigger picture this holistic approach impacts the fields of science, medicine and education to name but a few.
Where exercise deals with the health of the physical body, yoga works with the mental, psychological and spiritual as well as the physical. Yoga sees no distinction between all the parts but rather one single harmonious whole. Like other holistic schools of thought it sees the balance of all the parts as crucial to the health of the whole person.
Other forms of exercise involve the dominance of the sympathetic nervous system -- our fight-flight mechanism -- whereas yoga works with the parasympathetic nervous system. Where exercise is a series of rigorous repetitive movements that increase muscle tension yoga is slow and dynamic encouraging the beneficial return to normalized muscle tone.
In yoga you are told to listen and respect the body and to work in partnership with it. As you hold each posture you are taught to breath and relax into the pose. Effort is not a part of the curriculum as it is in exercise. It is understood that bringing the mind's attention to the breath and the body creates a synergy that works with you so that effort is rendered completely redundant .
In exercise you are told to focus on a goal and compete whether it is with yourself or others. In a typical yoga session you are asked to put aside all ideas of getting somewhere or doing better than the person next to you.
The atmosphere is peaceful and relaxing, the act of tuning into your own body possibly for the first time is quite magical. Yoga is considered to be particularly beneficial for those in recovery from a Type A lifestyle built around relentless speed and delivery.
Many people get into yoga as an alternative to regular exercise because someone else recommends it. They are often surprised to notice the far-reaching benefits of what appears to be a program of simple postures practiced in a gentle and unspectacular way.
In this way yoga is like meditation. It is like a stopping. In a world of "doing" it is allowing yourself to simply "be". A yoga session is one of the few places in life where you get to be just you, with no expectations. Though the practice seems peaceful and unassuming studies show that it improves several aspects of brain functioning like sharpening concentration, memory, attention and learning.
On the emotional front a regular yoga practice produces a growing sense inner peace and general wellbeing. It is the ultimate de-stressing activity and many who practice it swear that those visits to the masseuse or chiropractor to undo the knots of tension become increasingly unnecessary.
Spiritually yoga opens the consciousness to the nature of infinity using the body as the vehicle. You begin to think fresh thoughts and cynicism gives way to a growing sense of wonder. This is probably the thing that surprises people the most about the practice of yoga. When balance is restored we are so much more than simply fit and healthy. Yoga gives us back a sound body, mind and spirit. All of that and it takes as little as an hour three times a week.
Warning: once you start yoga you may never be able to stop. When your body gets used to the mindful care and attention it receives in the postures it will settle for nothing less. You will find yourself touching your toes in the office and twisting luxuriously in your desk chair. Stretching is what the body was made for and it is as delicious and rewarding as that long awaited sneeze.
