Meditations on Mutations…
With stress raised to level Orange these days folks have been seeking yoga in droves as a means to relief and sanctity on this rocky road of life. But why has yoga really done so well in the past few years? 16 Million Americans, $6 billion spent on yoga in 2008. That’s a lot right? This article in the AJC on the “serene boom” helps highlight why yoga has seen such prosperous business. It’s not about pretzel twisting anymore. It’s about options. (*puts on theorizing hat*)
We can hear the chorus of rebuttals, “it never was just about contorting your body into ungodly positions.” Tell that to the mainstream. But today, more “Joe the Plumbers” if you will, are realizing the positive effects of yoga and meditation without having to buy into the granola-munching Birkenstock-wearing sub-culture, (because, seriously that’s been a bogus stereotype for a while now hasn’t it?). And it sure is a lot easier to get into yoga when there are a gazillion different types available. Really, there are so many different spokes of yoga, so many tailor-made options for the young, old, handicapped, locked up, at-risk, tight-bodied, strung out, sweat-seeking, power-hungry, misaligned, sleep-deprived, etc. etc., that there literally is yoga for everyone. In other words, yoga has morphed into being COOL. And we mean that in the least facetious way.
Yoga purists will squirm, but our theory on this freshly donned “coolness” is vastly based on these mutations. This Recession seems to be just a coincidental catalyst in boomdom. Now that there’s so much FREE yoga available there really is no excuse for not giving it a go. Lululemon will never run out of free classes to taunt!
A glaring example of mutations galore from the aforementioned article: Crunch Fitness has 2 locations in Atlanta and offers guess how many varieties of yoga… 39. That’s 39 types of yoga classes! Are there even 39 types of people? Then you have dens like Pure Yoga in NYC combining all disciplines under the sun, under one roof.
Atlantanite and personal chef, Renard Mills, 46, decided to try yoga last year and now shuffles into class at Yoga Hive 2 times a week. His business has slowed down, but when sorting his family budget he claims yoga is second only to food.
“I used to be a worrier, but I don’t do that anymore,” he said. “I just breathe. … I walk this earth differently now.”
This is a dude who got into yoga, last year, on a whim. A story that is no longer surprising when studios like Mr. Mills’ have classes called “Yoga Soul” and “Yoga Just 4 You” mixed with services in Qigong, Tai Chi, Reiki therapy, reflexology, and massage.
Variety, the spice of the yoga boom? Would love to hear your thoughts…
A Serene Boom? Yoga stretches beyond its limits to new fans [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
