Yoga and movement for your life: Teresa Soule explores the state of movement therapies across the region.

In 2006, yoga is everywhere. Most mainstream magazines have published one or more articles on yoga. Turn on the TV and the fitness channel has a variety of yoga classes and styles to choose from. Shop at Target or Walmart and you can pick through an amazing variety of yoga videos, books, and magazines. Whole lines of clothes are specifically designed for yoga students! It seems as if everyone is doing yoga. Classes used to consist of a handful of spiritually-minded individuals. Today, children, the elderly, pregnant women, and bodybuilders are all turning to yoga. Studios are popping up everywhere and most gyms offer yoga classes. Is yoga becoming a permanent part of mainstream culture or has it reached the pinnacle of its success, soon to be a passing phase, like fondue pots and bobby socks?

Yoga is definitely in a transition stage. Although the number of yoga students has been increasing at a rate of 25 percent per year, there are now more teachers and studios than ever before. The studios that were in existence before yoga became so popular have seen a recent tapering off in their numbers. Lillah Schwartz, owner of Asheville's Lighten Up! Yoga, says that the variety of choices available to students has caused a drop in enrollment in her studio. Part of this has to do with competition, but there's more. "People who would not have thought about walking into a yoga class previously are now taking classes and reaping the benefits. It appears, though, that people are dabbling in yoga--going from one class or one style to another without staying with one system or teacher long enough to reap the deeper benefits that come with long term practice," says Cindy Dollar of One Center Yoga, also in Asheville. Apparently, many students are trying a class or two, then leaving when the novelty wears off. This is fine for fashion, but are yoga shoppers missing the benefits of this ancient art?

Atlanta studios we talked with have noticed a similar trend: lots of new people taking yoga, lots of people taking only a few classes. Graham Fowler of Peachtree Yoga in Atlanta agrees that yoga has gone mainstream, but he has noticed that many people are trying classes at fitness centers and large gyms. Some of these classes average about sixty students per class; for some people this is a negative first experience with yoga, resulting in their taking a few classes and then not going back. And what about the teachers' qualifications? While many local studios are offering teacher training courses attended by many, some teachers feel that these new aspiring instructors aren't receiving adequate training. Cindy Dollar expressed concern that there are many less qualified teachers out there right now who hang out their shingle after having taken only a weekend course for their certification. She feels that becoming a knowledgeable yoga instructor takes decades. This is not to say that gyms and fitness centers do not employ qualified teachers; many do and the classes are generally safe.

Supply feeds demand, and all these new classes have appeared to service the people who want them. Just who are these new students? Some are the fitness buff younger set, but often they are middle-aged men and women of varying nationalities, races, and religions who are seeking the health benefits that yoga brings--reduced stress, increased flexibility, and low-impact weight-bearing exercise. They seek yoga as a complement to their increasingly healthy lifestyle. While some are completely new to yoga, most have some knowledge of poses or asanas. There is another group of students who have begun yoga "in order to grow spiritually." The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in Atlanta reports that many of their new students are "searching for deeper meaning in their life. They try to evolve and become more connected with their inner being." Regardless of the reasons for beginning yoga, most students feel the results both mentally and physically. Many studies have shown that yoga can lower blood pressure, increase your strength and balance, and can help you manage stress, and anyone who has taken only a few classes can attest to this (1).

Whether a student is looking for physical, mental, or spiritual fitness, there is a type of yoga just for them. Kundalini yoga focuses on breathing and meditation during the poses. Iyengar yoga, or classic yoga, is the integration of mind and body through precisely aligned poses. Kripalu yoga focuses on the heart center. Vinyasa consists of beautiful flowing poses, Ashtanga is physically demanding and fast, and Bikram or "hot yoga" poses are performed in a room with a temperature of around 100 degrees. Some studios, such as Peachtree Yoga, incorporate a variety of styles into a class. Other studios like Lighten Up! and One Center Yoga choose to teach only one style, namely Iyengar, because this style is appropriate for so many people.

To add to the dizzying list of types of yoga is the increase in other alternative types of movement classes. For out of yoga there has grown an interest in other movement modalities. Two great examples of this are the increasingly popular Nia, Pilates, and Feldenkrais classes. These modalities have seen an upswing of interest in the past few years. Nia is a blend of "dance arts, healing arts and martial arts ... and is for those ready for something other than no pain no gain," according to Maureen Jablinske an instructor with Nia Carolina. The health benefits of Nia are similar to those of yoga, and many yoga students have discovered that Nia is a wonderful complement to their daffy yoga practice. The same thing can be said for Feldenkrais. Lavinia Plonka of the Asheville Movement Center, a Feldenkrais instructor, contends that it is the baby boomers who are discovering Feldenkrais as a way to "maintain quality of life." Feldenkrais classes can actually improve many aspects of a person's yoga practice. With all these choices, is it any wonder that people are dabbling in a variety of classes?

Can yoga, as well as Nia, Feldenkrais, Pilates, and other movement-based practices continue to experience this increased interest? Or are we approaching a saturated market?

The demographics of the Southeast are changing. More people are moving to this increasingly aware part of the country in hopes of bettering themselves. In order for this change to continue at its current level, students need to choose their modality and enjoy the true benefits of a lifelong practice. It is only in this way that the students and the current movement scene will reap the benefits that these practices can bring.

Both change and consistency are good for yoga student and the yoga movement. As Cindy Dollar says, "One of the benefits of yoga practice is that of acceptance of change. By constant practice of the poses, one learns that the body is different from day to day, and with that constant practice can come understanding and acceptance of those changes. We then have the ability to more easily accept the other changes that lid brings us--physically, mentally, and emotionally. The yoga movement is growing stronger and becoming more engrained in mainstream society. As long as quality teachers and studios accept the changes in the types of students they attract, the state of yoga will remain vibrant and healthy.

Teresa Soule is the Editorial Manager of New Life Journal. She and her husband just recently celebrated the birth of their first child, a beautiful girl named Isabella. She practiced yoga throughout her whole pregnancy.

(1) Studies by Dr Timothy McCall, scholar in residence, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Lenox MA and Health Benefits of Yoga, by Trisha Lamb Feuerstein

RELATED ARTICLE: Choosing a class that's right for you ...

To make sure you are in a yoga or movement class that is right for you, consider a few things: size, the instructor, and type of class. The size of the class will determine how much individual attention you receive. If you suffer from any kind of injury or ailment, a small class is your best option. Make sure to tell your instructor about your limitations, so she or he can help you tailor poses to your needs. Attend a class and evaluate how you react to the instructor's teaching style. Find out about their experiences and qualifications. Is it important to you that your chosen teacher has studied with the masters for several years. Finally, think about what you want out of the class: a strong body, increased flexibility, a calm mind, a spiritual journey, or a combination of all of these things? Taking these things into consideration will not only help you achieve the best benefits, will help you maintain a consistent practice that you will stick with for a lifetime.