It dates back more than five thousand years, but yoga is more popular than ever today. Kelly Baker finds out why.
Just two or three decades ago, yoga was thought of as an activity for new-age hippy folk and alternative types. Today, however, yoga is a household word and it's practised by thousands of Australians of all ages and fitness levels.
In fact, a recent survey carried out by researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne shows that yoga is now the 13th most popular physical activity in this country (not including walking) and is practised by 2.9 per cent of the population, making it more popular than Aussie Rules, dancing or fishing.
Here, we look at why we're embracing yoga with such gusto and how, in doing so, we're transforming our bodies, both inside and out.
Body boosting
Log onto the internet or pick up a health journal and you'll find reams of research that shows yoga is good for us. A few minutes reading will reveal the potential health benefits of this age-old practise are wide and varied and include everything from decreased blood pressure to improved sleep.
Yoga is also proven to reduce stress, which is particularly important because chronic stress not only makes life miserable, it's linked to a variety of health problems.
"There's no doubt that yoga eases stress, which translates into a variety of health benefits," says Pam Stone, naturopath and director of education at health supplement company Blackmores.
"It also tones muscles and increases flexibility. And it benefits all of the body's organs and systems. Yoga is a wonderful technique."
Soul soothing
Clearly, yoga can transform your body, but its effects reach further than that. It appears that the combination of yoga postures and the focused breathing that goes with them provides benefits on an emotional level, too.
"While yoga is often associated with physical benefits such as strength and flexibility, it's actually a time proven set of tools for managing our minds and emotions," yoga teacher Sharon Longridge, of the Yoga Institute, in Cammeray, Sydney, says.
"Yoga students are encouraged to self-reflect and become more aware of their self-talk. There are many yoga techniques for letting go of unhelpful thought patterns like, 'I don't like my hips' or 'I wish I was more this, or less that'. Yoga students learn to replace these sorts of thoughts with a more accepting and kind internal narrative."
Which yoga is right for me?
While all yoga is based on the same asana (poses), classes come in all shapes and sizes. Here's a brief introduction to five of the most popular styles.
Hatha
Any yoga that involves physical poses actually falls into this category, but generally speaking, a Hatha yoga class is likely to be a slow-paced, gentle class appropriate for all.
Vinyasa
This is a broad term which means breath-focused movement, so it covers many styles of yoga. If you join a Vinyasa class, expect it to be reasonably strenuous. Many classes begin with a series of movements known as sun salutations.
Ashtanga
A fast-paced, intense form of yoga that follows a specific series of poses, always performed in the same order. Ashtanga, which means eight limbs in Sanskrit, is a great option for athletic types.
Iyengar
Iyengar yoga focuses on body alignment and those who practise it strive to move in and out of poses in a very specific fashion. Props such as blocks, belts and bolsters are often used in order to help you hold poses correctly.
Bikram or hot yoga
Bikram or hot yoga is performed in a heated room so that muscles are looser and toxins are sweated out. The Bikram method is a set series of 26 poses. Poses may vary in other hot yoga classes.
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Video: Yoga for toddlers
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