Yoga is Booming

Up to 12 percent of Americans now practice yoga, and nearly a third plan to try it for the first time, according to the 2016 “Yoga in America” study by Yoga Alliance and Yoga Journal. The study shows the number of people doing yoga increased to more than 36 million, up from 20.4 million in 2012, while 34 percent of Americans (or 80 million people) say they are likely to try yoga for the first time over the next 12 months. While women still make up 72 percent of yoga practitioners, men and older Americans were taking it up at a growing rate. Yoga Alliance Executive Director and COO Barbara Dobberthien said, “Beyond yoga’s increasing popularity, what’s fascinating is the data shows that those who practice and teach yoga have measurably better perceptions of their individual strength, balance, dexterity and mental clarity, versus non-practitioners.” People who did yoga were also much more likely to be involved in a variety of other forms of exercise, as well as focused on sustainable living and eating, Dobberthien said.