Yoga In Human Life In A Digital Age

By Author: Yogalife
Total Articles: 3
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Yoga has increased in popularity all over the world in recent years. You can just search online, and you will find numerous yoga related artifacts; courses, books, retreats, blogs, webpages, YouTube videos etc. Why has yoga become so popular? Numerous people and organizations are involved in promoting and teaching yoga; varying from the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to organizations in numerous countries, all from small yoga centers to national gym chains. Yoga is taught to private individuals as well as in institutions, from kindergartens to schools, work places and prisons.

Yoga seems to be “catching on” or meeting the needs of populations in a number of locations and societies. There seems to be few main reasons for the attraction of yoga: Firstly, in this digital age number of people live very sedentary lives. Thus, yoga teacher training and especially Asanas can be valuable source of exercise; allowing different muscle groups to be used and stretched, so they remain flexible. Secondly, in the digital age, especially young people are also constantly exposed to mediated messages and external electronic stimuli. ...
... So there is a need for looking inward, to what is going on in one’s own body and mind.

Moreover, modern women are constantly trying to be efficient and in a “doing mode”. Thus, the mind and soul need spaces where there is more focus on “being”. Meditation and pranayama are valuable tools for contributing to this. What does academic research disclose about the experiences and consequences of practicing yoga? Studies suggest that yoga can increase children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as their cognitive abilities. Similarly, Khalsa (2013) finds that yoga in schools led students to have improved resilience, mood and self-regulation skills .A British study of mindfulness-based yoga indicates that teenagers find it easier to be the person they want to be when practicing yoga. In a recent study of teenagers and young adults practicing yoga in Norway, we concluded that yoga could contribute to the practitioners living more autonomously and authentically through coming to know themselves better, accepting themselves, and living more in accordance with who they are. Yoga Therapy was also experienced as a sanctuary from everyday stress and social demands, providing a break for these teenagers and young adults to “recharge their batteries”.