30 curious facts about yoga
1. Yoga is over 5,000 years old.
2. The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit language and literally means ‘union’.
3. “Yoga is not a religion. It is a science, science of well-being, science of youthfulness, science of integrating body, mind and soul” – Amit Ray.
4. Yoga was originally practiced as a form of healing.
5. Yoga classes used to be just for men, women were not invited until 1937!
6. Nowadays 72% of yoga practitioners are women.
7. Yoga practitioners used to use grass or animal skin as a mat for their postures.
8. Prisoners in India can reduce their sentence by getting top marks in a yoga test.
9. There are more than 100 styles of yoga!
10. Yoga has 84 basic Asanas or poses.
11. Yoga can work every muscle in your body.
12. Research has shown that practicing yoga can delay aging.
13. Yoga boosts your immune system.
14. Yoga classes twice each week can help to ease depression.
15. Those suffering from anxiety could benefit from practicing yoga.
16. Yoga can help treat the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
17. Yoga can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
18. You’ll get a better night’s sleep if you practice yoga.
19. Everyone has a dominant nostril. When you practice yoga you can adopt breathing techniques to regulate your nostrils to help with issues such as will power and concentration.
20. Yoga can give you a better orgasm!
21. Performing ‘power poses’ can improve your self-esteem!
22. Yoga can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
23. Yoga can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
24. People aged between 30 and 49 years old practice yoga more than any other age group.
25. There are now over 18,000 registered yoga schools.
26.Yoga is considered to be one of the most successful products of globalization.
27. There are close to one billion #yoga posts on Instagram!
28. The longest recorded yoga lesson lasted 56 hours!
29. George Harrison from The Beatles was a famous yogi!
30. Laughter yoga is growing in popularity. You laugh for no reason to help release feelings of stress and depression.
