Popularity of Yoga in the West

Though originated in India, Yoga has become popular across the globe. Yoga centers have sprung up all over. It is common to see every health club in the Western countries offering several types of yoga.

Indian exponents like Swami Vivekananda, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi, etc., are the people who introduced Yoga in the West. Yoga helps in attaining physical, mental as well as spiritual disciplines. People of any age can practice yoga. Further, yoga is not a religious practice. These are the reasons which made yoga a highly accepted practice across the world.

In US and UK

• In United States and Europe, Hatha yoga is the commonly practiced form of yoga. Hatha yoga deals with postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.
• Around two crore people in United States practice yoga, of them 90 lakhs do yoga 50+ times per year.
• 81% of all yoga participants are women.
• 63% are between the ages of 25 and 54.
• In United Kingdom an estimated 3 lakh – 4.6 lakh people practice yoga.
• There are more than 10,000 yoga teachers in United Kingdom. They are teaching at 20 to 30 thousand yoga classes each week.
• With the average number of 15 students teachers conducting 2-3 classes per week.

Obama has a yoga garden

The white house announced that President Obama had a yoga garden to practice. For the Easter egg festival they invite public to participate in yoga by the professional instructors with a slogan “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!”

US army uses yoga to treat stress disorders

US army practices yoga to boost combat readiness. The ancient Indian art yoga is helpful to treat cases of Post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD – a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you have gone through an extreme emotional suffering that involved the threat of injury or death).

The official US military website Fort Jackson reported that the yoga practitioners shown extraordinary results from suppressing PTSD and mental tensions.

In Australia and Germany

Based on participation rates given by the Australian Bureau of Statistics

• 3,11,000 people had participated in yoga in the previous 12 months.
• From the same data, we also know that 85% of yoga participants are women.
• In Germany alone, there are over 25 lakhs yoga practitioners. These statistics do not even include the small yoga studios.

Yoga in celebrities words

• ‘Yoga helps to focus’ – Evander Holyfield, Boxer
• ‘I do some yoga every day’ – Gisele Bundehen, Model
• ‘I like yoga’ – Toby Maguire, Actor
• You have to learn yoga to control your breath, that’s the essence of yoga – Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Professional basketball player
• ‘I feel much better if I do yoga’ – Gyneth paltrow, Actress, Singer
• Russel simmons, Business Magnate – ‘if you can remember to be connected to your breath and to move gracefully through life, then that allows a process that should bring you to enlightment’
• Maria Sharapova, Tennis player – ‘Yoga helps my game tremendously’