âlow- impactâ exercising. She chose yog
Kamila Duver was 39 when she decided she was ready to change her body and life with “lowimpact” exercising. She chose yoga. Many yogis would disagree that yoga is low-impact, but for Duver, having a past in competitive soccer and gymnastics, this was the right choice for someone who has suffered from leg injuries in years prior. She says that she never thought of yoga as an option until a studio opened in her town. She took a chance and discovered a new world of working out while keeping her body safe. “I always thought of yoga as this weird thing for some reason. Something only some people did. But my 21-year-old daughter and actually a couple of my friends told me about it and I finally started listening a year ago and I love it,” said Duver. Duver’s fit body seems like the consequence of a yearly yoga practice in addition to her past gymnast role. As she waits for her 10:30 A.M Vinyasa Flow class in the lobby of the yoga studio, many other women of her age or older walk in with the same fit exterior. When she started her practice, she was surprised to see that most people in the classes were her age, not a trendy 20. In Duva’s and her classmate’s generations, yoga just wasn’t as popular as it is today. According to a Yoga Journal study, yoga practice in the United States has risen by 30 percent in the last four years. Their surveys concluded that there are currently 20.4 million North Americans doing yoga opposed to the 15.8 million in 2008. The rise in physical activity isn’t limited to yoga. There has also been a 10 percent rise in gym memberships since 2008, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. Flexibility, mental health, physical health, fitness and peace of mind are some reasons why so many people delve into yoga today. When yoga started as far back as 3000 B.C, it was more of a spiritual, religious, and self-enlightenment process. While modern yogis focus more on their relaxed mentalities and fitness goals, it is no doubt that many still use the practice as a path of spirituality.
“I’ve never been very religious but always have felt spiritual I guess. And I read up on yoga, books and everything. I decided to do it five months ago and I feel more in tune with myself,” said 19year-old Laura Rodrigues. She said she is not so much preoccupied with the fitness aspect since she regularly works out, but it has been an added bonus to her routines. Spirituality was one of the reasons Bonnie Beresford and partner Ro Marinucci opened their yoga studio, Sakula Yoga in Metuchen, New Jersey. Color-blocked walls, strings hanging from the ceiling to the floor adorned with origami swans, and a quiet atmosphere with the sun shining through the clear studio curtains help yoga students relax as they “take their focus inward”. In an almost whisper, Beresford admitted that in five years, the studio went from just 30 students to an impressive 800. “The past years have been big for yoga and for spirituality, in my opinion. When Bonnie and I went to yoga back in 2005, there were maybe six other people in the classes we attended. I think people want to take care of themselves more now and become a priority. At least that’s what I see at my studio. Moms caring for themselves,” said Marinucci, smiling gently. She doesn’t believe the rise in yoga practice is just to be “cool”, she just thinks that it’s cool to start loving your body. Rob Singh, a freelance yoga instructor, has noticed the increase of yoga-goers not only because of the amount of people in studios, but because yoga has been in his family’s Indian culture for a very long time. His short pony-tail and neutral bohemian clothing don’t discriminate against the western approach to yoga. He understands the rise of the practice in the states isn’t all necessarily cultural, and regardless of the reason, no bad can come from practicing yoga. “I talk to my students from different studios. Sometimes, I myself, like you, am curious. Why are so many people doing yoga? Are they taking it for granted? But when they tell me, it’s always a good reason. Its benefitting their lives, and that is what’s important,” said Singh.
Its convenience is attractive as well. Many gyms like L.A fitness and The Club at Ricochet offer yoga classes one to two times a week and are included in the member package. For those who find yoga studios pricy, a gym membership is all they need to get the full package for physical activity. Yoga then becomes a part of the juicing and gym philosophy of the recent 2000’s. With the United States population increasing its yoga practitioners and gym memberships, it is just a few steps closer to lowering its other not-so-healthy statistics. It seems people are subconsciously aware of their surroundings and consciously starting healthy habits. It starts with yoga, and the rest seems to follow.
“I’ve never been very religious but always have felt spiritual I guess. And I read up on yoga, books and everything. I decided to do it five months ago and I feel more in tune with myself,” said 19year-old Laura Rodrigues. She said she is not so much preoccupied with the fitness aspect since she regularly works out, but it has been an added bonus to her routines. Spirituality was one of the reasons Bonnie Beresford and partner Ro Marinucci opened their yoga studio, Sakula Yoga in Metuchen, New Jersey. Color-blocked walls, strings hanging from the ceiling to the floor adorned with origami swans, and a quiet atmosphere with the sun shining through the clear studio curtains help yoga students relax as they “take their focus inward”. In an almost whisper, Beresford admitted that in five years, the studio went from just 30 students to an impressive 800. “The past years have been big for yoga and for spirituality, in my opinion. When Bonnie and I went to yoga back in 2005, there were maybe six other people in the classes we attended. I think people want to take care of themselves more now and become a priority. At least that’s what I see at my studio. Moms caring for themselves,” said Marinucci, smiling gently. She doesn’t believe the rise in yoga practice is just to be “cool”, she just thinks that it’s cool to start loving your body. Rob Singh, a freelance yoga instructor, has noticed the increase of yoga-goers not only because of the amount of people in studios, but because yoga has been in his family’s Indian culture for a very long time. His short pony-tail and neutral bohemian clothing don’t discriminate against the western approach to yoga. He understands the rise of the practice in the states isn’t all necessarily cultural, and regardless of the reason, no bad can come from practicing yoga. “I talk to my students from different studios. Sometimes, I myself, like you, am curious. Why are so many people doing yoga? Are they taking it for granted? But when they tell me, it’s always a good reason. Its benefitting their lives, and that is what’s important,” said Singh.
Its convenience is attractive as well. Many gyms like L.A fitness and The Club at Ricochet offer yoga classes one to two times a week and are included in the member package. For those who find yoga studios pricy, a gym membership is all they need to get the full package for physical activity. Yoga then becomes a part of the juicing and gym philosophy of the recent 2000’s. With the United States population increasing its yoga practitioners and gym memberships, it is just a few steps closer to lowering its other not-so-healthy statistics. It seems people are subconsciously aware of their surroundings and consciously starting healthy habits. It starts with yoga, and the rest seems to follow.
