According to the 2016 Yoga in America study conducted by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance, there are currently 36.7 million yoga practitioners in the US, up from 20.4 million in 2012. This rise in popularity will come as no surprise to those who have experienced the benefits of yoga firsthand. Practitioners come to yoga for many reasons, including a general sense of well-being, increased flexibility and strength, stress relief and enhanced sports performance.
While the Internet and magazines are graced with photos of challenging poses that may lead you to believe that yoga is only for the young, athletic and flexible, yoga really is for everyone and can be quite therapeutic. Many people come to yoga to make everyday life feel easier — vacuuming without back pain, being able to sit through a stressful meeting without being as reactionary or gaining a greater range of movement after an illness of injury.
Trish Golembeski, who practices at Wellness in Motion Studio several times a week, has noticed the effects of yoga rippling into all other aspects of her life.
“This stuff really works,” said Golembeski. “(We’re told) all the time that yoga will help with everything else we do in life — gardening, running, you name it. And, (that’s) right. I just came back from vacation and noticed how much easier it was to get in and out of the boat. I know that driving in a car for nine hours was painful in the past, but not the case last week due to practicing yoga.”
Yoga is gaining popularity among children, as well. According to the Yoga in America study, roughly one-third of yoga practitioners have children under the age of 18 who also practice. Jessica Minelli, mom of 3-year-old Avery, has noticed a difference in Avery’s ability to control her emotions since she started taking yoga class. “She now utilizes breathing techniques when she is becoming upset or angry.”
The key to having a positive yoga experience is finding a class that resonates with you and is taught by a well-qualified instructor. The Yoga Alliance was the first organization to recognize the importance of training standards for yoga teachers, setting voluntary standards in 1999. The Yoga Alliance currently recognizes two levels of training: 200 hour and 500 hour.
With more people experiencing the therapeutic benefits of yoga, and more physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists and other health professionals referring clients to yoga sessions, stricter education and training standards have been developed. Earlier this year, the Yoga Alliance took an organizational stance, prohibiting yoga instructors from using the terms “therapy” or “therapeutic” unless they can prove that they have received training as part of a formal yoga therapy training program, which is different from a yoga teacher training program.
The International Association of Yoga Therapists, founded in 1989, has consistently championed yoga as a healing art and science. In 2012, the IAYT published the first educational standards for the training of yoga therapists and since then has worked on a process to certify yoga therapists. Accredited Yoga Therapy programs must be at least 800 hours long and take place over a minimum of two years. These programs include a high level of contact hours, mentorship and practicum hours.
Within the last few weeks, the IAYT published a list of the first 160 certified yoga therapists worldwide.
