The power of yoga

Who does not know the daily stress brought on by work, relationships, deadlines and everyday life? Looking for peace and quiet? Do the yoga thing!

As Rabindranath Tagore once said, "The meaning of our self is not to be found in its separateness from God and others, but in the ceaseless realization of yoga, of union; not on the side of the canvas where it is blank, but on the side where the picture is being painted."

Let's do the yoga thing! Earlier, people preferred to hit the gym to shed few kilos. However, all now prefer to indulge in some yoga therapy. Even the Hollywood stars have zeroed in onto the benefits of yoga. And so, it has become a trend of sorts to do yoga these days. After celebs like Shilpa Shetty and Lara Dutta have taken to yoga and released their yoga CDs, everyone has become more conscious and aware about yoga. However, the prime aim of yoga is to not only understand how to control the mind, but also to attain a higher level of consciousness. The only reason why the rush to the gym is declining is because one does not get a feeling of complete well-being merely from gymming whereas while doing yoga, you relax and in turn, you undergo a process of healing.

No wonder yoga's gained fame worldwide. From Hollywood to Bollywood and the common people, it's the oh-so-cool thing in everyone's life. We all know about Jane Campion, Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet among others coming to India to learn and practice yoga. Yoga is not only about physical activity, it is a form of self-exploration that integrates body awareness with the spirit of the body. In the end, the point is to let everything go. The yoga instructors claim that in the past year, the number of people coming in for yoga classes have surged to an all-time high. Yoga instructor Gurveen Singh shares, "In the past one year, there has been an increase in the number of people coming to join the yoga classes. I believe there is 50% increase in the footfall." Today more and more youngsters are joining yoga classes to get that perfect body type. Call it the influence of the celebs, people are happily taking to yoga these days. Yoga instructor, Yogesh explains, "Yoga enhances concentration which helps the youngsters." Another yoga instructor, Jaya Surana shares, "Yoga serves the dual purpose of helping in weight loss and seeking a spiritual high. After doing yoga, people feel that a new life has been infused in them and that's the sheer magic of yoga."

"Everyone wants to look and feel good these days and yoga is one thing which serves both the purposes," says 26-year-old Jatin Chopra. For some, Yoga is a life-style now. It works on body, soul and mind and strengthens their spirituality. In today's hustle-bustle, fitness has become important for a better lifestyle and it is essential to have a space of sanctity. "I am simply following in the foot-steps of the stars", gushes 25-year-old Yamini Sinha. A yoga-guru in town shares, "Yoga is a form of self-recognition and self-exploration." Before leaving for office in the morning, people come to do yoga to attain a sense of tranquility. It is very important in today's life." "My fitness mantra consists of yoga and a strict vegetarian diet,"