Utilized for thousands of years for more than just physical exercise, yoga is a way for people to enter a state of zen and relie​​f. These benefits have become increasingly important to humans as time moves forward especially in the present state of heightened stress among the human population which doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.

Originating in ancient India, one can find proof of yoga’s origins in ancient sacred texts called the Rig Veda from about 5000 years ago. Yoga was utilized during this time primarily as a spiritual practice to help discipline the mind but as time rolls on yoga has spread out into every corner of the world and is utilized primarily as a form of exercise rather than meditation

Yoga’s accessibility is a shining example of why it has become a household name. The extensive amount of yoga studios and online resources as well as wide ranges of difficulty give anyone regardless of fitness level or age easy and affordable ways for them to embark on their yoga journeys.

But how did yoga enter the United States from its ancient Indian origins? In the 1890’s, Vivekananda traveled to Chicago and delivered lectures and teachings on yoga, philosophy, and spirituality, quickly attracting interest from the curious western world. Fast forward to the 1960’s: the Beatles association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, along with the counterculture movements happening in the west creating fertile grounds for the growth of alternative lifestyles including yoga caused this decade to slingshot yoga into popularity. 

Now, in the age of the internet and social media, yoga is seeing levels of visibility that were unthinkable back in the 1900s. Online yoga classes, tutorials, and videos have made it so that people can learn and practice yoga from the safety of their home.

But what is the draw? Why are people flocking to yoga, especially why today? In today's day and age, most people do not have the time or energy to spend driving somewhere or spend hours outside of work or home to stay active. But with yoga an individual could spend 30 minutes with a mat and a YouTube guide and reap the benefits: flexibility, strength, better posture, stress relief, improved concentration, and much more without leaving their bedroom.

Alongside this accessibility, these exact benefits are exactly what so many people's lives lack in the modern world. The more time passes, people's lives are growing more and more towards a sedentary, high-stress lifestyle where someone simply rolling out a mat and dedicating a couple minutes to de-stressing and getting even a slight bit of a stretch every day could improve their wellbeing more than they could imagine.