Yoga is booming. Djina tells us more about it in her guest blog.
About Djina
Hi, I'm Djina. For some time now I have been traveling and visiting all the yoga spots in the world. I have now arrived in Bali, in Ubud. You can call this the yoga mecca of Indonesia. There are numerous yoga schools and teachers here. For me this is a paradise. I love yoga and yoga pants. That's why my friend said why don't you write a blog about it? That's how I started my blog strech.nl. A funny blog with a serious nod to the increasingly commercial yoga industry.
My love for yoga
I have been sweating on the mat for over ten years. Yoga has transformed my life. It may sound a bit corny, but it's true. I look better, eat healthier and am a happier and happier person. Before I could be found on the mat four times a week, I walked through the dunes five times a week. I had a good figure, I couldn't complain, but through yoga, my waist narrowed and I got the beautiful hourglass I was looking for! Because of yoga I have less need for snacks in between, I drink less alcohol and I also eat healthier. I can listen better to myself and my body and I am also nicer to myself. These are the reasons why I love yoga so much. In addition to doing a lot of yoga, I've researched the yoga industry and put the results together in the infographic at the bottom of the article. It's full of fun facts.
Summarized… Yoga is more popular than ever and is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Yoga is the fastest growing sport in the Netherlands. There are over 800 yoga schools here. Yoga used to be linked to dull, goat wool socks types, now 300 million people worldwide practice yoga, of which more than 380,000 are Dutch. Young and old, but above all women, who are highly educated and have a good income.
The infographic below reveals even more surprising yoga facts. There are more than 50 different yoga forms. In the West, Hatha yoga is especially practiced:a form of yoga that consists of hundreds of postures in combination with breathing exercises. Another popular branch of yoga is Bikram yoga, this form of HOT yoga is practiced in a room of 40⁰C. Nice detail:George Clooney also practices this yoga. Less nice detail:the founder of this yoga Mr. Bikram is often negative in the news and has a lot of scandals to his name. Obviously, the fact that celebrities do yoga contributes to the popularity of this form of exercise.
The reason yoga is gaining so much popularity is because more and more people see yoga as a solution for preventing or reducing health problems, sleeping problems and symptoms associated with stress. But also, developing a better posture and greater flexibility of the body is one reason that yoga is becoming more and more popular.
Yoga in the 21st century is no longer just about spirituality and exercise:yoga has become a culture with all the commercialism that comes with it. In the United States, a yogi can easily spend more than $500 a year on yoga clothes, yoga gear and a healthier lifestyle. There is no problem paying a hundred dollars for the right yoga pants. Whether the Netherlands will follow America with the commerciality of yoga remains to be seen. But that yoga has become the most successful product of globalization in the meantime, is clear from this infographic.
This article is contributed by Djina. Thanks to dr-discount.nl for the illustrations.
