WELLNESS
Striking a
Healthy Pose
With yoga studios across the globe
offering all sorts of traditional and newage styles, there is a dizzying array of
options. Tham Yong Xian looks at the many
different styles and who they best suit
12 ASCOTT LIVING
Clockwise from top: The
Eiffel Tower provides an
impressive backdrop to a
gathering of yogis in Paris;
communing with nature
takes the restorative powers
of yoga to another level
Photos: Getty Images
Though the practice of yoga has been around for thousands of years, it is only in
the last decade or so that it has become a global phenomenon beyond its Indian
roots. According to the Yoga Journal, today, there are more than 20 million yoga
practitioners in North America alone. Health insurance companies have even started
to cover yoga as a therapy for heart disease, underlining how much this ancient
spiritual practice resonates today.
Traditionally, yoga — which means ‘union’ in Sanskrit — has a single purpose:
stilling the mind in order to experience the true self, and to achieve liberation
(moksha) from the cycle of birth and death (samsara), a process also known
as enlightenment (samadhi). In today’s context, the popularity of yoga can be
attributed to the recognition of not just the spiritual benefits, but also the many
physical and mental health benefits of the practice.
Modern day jobs mean that sitting takes up the majority of our days, so
maintaining a healthy lifesty