USA: Yoga stretches beyond old limits to new fans

. ATLANTA, Georgia / The Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Lifestyle / March 8, 2009 COVER STORY: A SERENE BOOM? Aging, the economy send more to the mat By Helena Oliviero, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Yoga for rockers. And yoga for people who use rockers. Hot yoga. Cold yoga. Stone yoga. Yoga for moms and babies and yoga for guys too stiff to stretch. Even as the economy twists us all in knots, this mind-body discipline created millennia ago in India appears to be thriving, with more kinds of classes offering new adherents a soothing respite from today’s troubles. Yoga, an ancient Eastern discipline weaving together a series of static poses held over a period of time with controlled breathing and meditative focus, took off in earnest in the United States about two decades ago. Until recent years, though, yoga devotees seemed to be mostly women who looked liked classically trained ballet dancers on vegan diets. But as celebrities and baby boomers began turning to it to help combat aging, the popularity of yoga exploded. These days, classes are taught everywhere, from dozens of yoga studios across metro Atlanta to senior centers to public schools to the Georgia Aquarium. And in many cases, the number of rubber mats are on the rise, with many studios saying their numbers are steady or even up. There's a lot more in this well-produced feature on Yoga Click here to connect * Seeking peace of mind * Fun and flexibility * A YOGA PRIMER © 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution