Yoga: Its Benefit and Cultural Craze in Vancouver

Spiritual perfection? Is this even attainable in the busy, hectic lives we lead today? As a matter of fact, it can be achieved with the very art that was founded some 5,000 years ago in India. Yoga, derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj”, meaning “union of the individual soul with the universal soul”, has been growing tremendously in popularity. An increasing number of people are becoming more aware of the benefits of Yoga besides its’ ultimate goal of achieving union of the body, mind, and spirit.

Yoga benefits consist of increasing core strength, improving balance, relieving stress, improving flexibility, and breathing properly. One simple breathing exercise that can be done at home consists of taking the right hand and blocking your right nostril with the right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril. After inhaling, block the left nostril with your right index and middle finger and exhale through your right nostril after releasing your right thumb. Right after exhaling, inhale through your right nostril and then block it with your right thumb again only to release your index finger and middle finger from your left nostril so that you can exhale through the left nostril. Then, breathe in with your left nostril repeating the above exercise as many times as you want. This exercise helps to balance the two sides of the brain and relieves stress.

In addition to helping balance the brain and easing anxiety, yoga provides the strength and discipline needed to find and maintain our center. By discovering our center, inner peace and harmony can be achieved. Because yoga is so effective in providing benefits to those who practice it, the growth in followers is rapid. Even with small time slots dedicated to practice yoga, people are left feeling good about themselves. These small doses of yoga energize our bodies and calm our minds so that we are refreshed when we continue on with our busy lives.

The number of yoga followers has been increasing rapidly, creating somewhat of a culture craze in Vancouver. This can be seen with the yoga-inspired athletic apparel company lululemon athletica. The Kitsilano-based company, which promotes a “healthy, balanced, fun-filled way of life,” believes that yoga is important to maintain athletic excellence.

There have also been many Yoga studios that have opened up in Vancouver. One such company is Bikram’s Yoga College of India, which is renowned for its’ 90 minute workout. This workout consists of 26 postures which are designed to get maximum stretching and strengthening of the body while increasing the efficiency of oxygen delivery to the entire body. Bikram Choudhury is known to be one of the most knowledgable Hatha yoga teachers in the world and his 26 posture workout has even been approved by the American Medical Association.

Hatha yoga, a popular form of yoga that is used by many studios, is only one of the many forms of yoga. Although traditional Hatha yoga revolves around physical exercises, meditation, and moral disciplines, the Hatha yoga practiced in Western cultures predominantly concentrates on the physical aspect of it. Another common form of Yoga is Integral Yoga, which focuses on the transformation of the entire being and, as the name suggests, integrates postures, breathing, relaxation, and meditation to accomplish this. Asthanga yoga (most commonly referred to as Power yoga), on the other hand, provides emphasis on strength and ability. Its’ postures and breathing techniques are designed to increase the heat of the body. This, in turn, increases circulation and purifies the body through sweat. Although power yoga has the reputation of being demanding, the poses can be altered to suit individuals at various fitness levels.

Very often, all the yoga postures flow in carefully balanced sequences in which the breath leads the way. This allows the poses to flow with the breath in a continuous manner. Essentially, all the forms of yoga are the same in this aspect and have branched from Hatha yoga. That is, the philosophy and meaning behind this yoga is apparent in all types of yoga.
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There are many studios, gyms, and recreational centres that offer yoga. Some facilities exclusively offer yoga such as Bikhram’s Yoga College of India while gyms and recreational centres offer yoga classes in addition to their various other programs. One can participate in drop-in classes or join a continuous yoga class. There are also many websites based in Vancouver that are dedicated to yoga. For instance, www.vancouveryoga.com is an excellent website that allows you to find a facility near you that offers the style of yoga you prefer. It shows you the various studios including all the Bikram’s College of India studios in the lower mainland. It even includes yoga classes offered at UBC and local community centres. Another great website is www.hathayogalesson.com, which actually has animated postures and breathing techniques that allow you to learn yoga at home.

Finally, the beauty of yoga is that it is up to the individual as to how they want to practice it. Yoga has been grasping the attention of people all over the world because of its’ extensive benefits. With just a small dose of yoga each day, one can see improvements in flexibility, core strength, and balance. Whether it be practicing yoga in the morning before leaving for work or taking a quick break to practice yoga from a busy day, yoga allows you to obtain a relaxed state of mind where, in a life so hectic, spiritual perfection seems to be impossible to achieve. After all, according to B.K.S. Lyengar, “It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity”.