(Lucy Pemoni/Associated Press)

It may have started out being popular only in select circles — new-age philosophy acolytes, neo-hippies or celebrities such as Madonna and Sting. But the yoga craze has since become part of the general consciousness.

At bookstores, yoga accessories such as bricks, mats and DVDs are just a stretch away from yoga magazines and books. Looking fierce in a warrior pose is a cinch in yoga wear offered by major clothing lines, as well as yoga-centric apparel companies such as Canada's own Lululemon, which went public with much fanfare in July.

Ron Reid, an ashtanga yoga practitioner.

Yoga centres have mushroomed in strip malls in Toronto's far-flung suburbs, nestled in between all-day breakfast restaurants, grocery chains and nail salons. It's not just a big city phenomenon either — you can find anything from mokhsa and hatha to shanti yoga in Elora, Ont., Iqaluit and Whitehorse.

The science of life

Despite its ubiquitousness, it's easy to be sceptical of the yoga phenomenon. Besides, yoga's many incarnations can confuse the novice. What's the difference between ashtanga and power yoga?

But even if people initially try out one of the many types of yoga because it's trendy, the benefits will make them life-long practitioners, say yoga instructors of various backgrounds.

Yoga is the science of life, says Prahlada (he goes by one name), who runs the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Toronto. The centre follows classical hatha yoga, popularized by Swami Vishnu-devananda. Hatha yoga uses asanas (poses), pranayama (breathing techniques) and dhyana (meditation) to bring about a healthy body and peaceful mind.

"Yoga is an exercise that does not stop at the body, it goes to the mind also," says Prahlada. "It synchronizes all the body movements with breathing. So as long as you can breathe, you can exercise.

"In a spiritual sense, yoga is the union of the individual soul with the supreme soul — but we don't tell that to the beginners," he adds. "We say yoga is a union between body and mind. If you have the awareness of body and mind together, you can function in a better way."

Born into a modest farmer's family in rural India, Prahlada started learning yoga as a teenager at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwanthari Ashram in Kerala. Initially drawn to the physical rigour of the asanas, he eventually found it a peaceful practice.

(Marianne Helm/Canadian Press)

"People are constantly seeking yoga … We all want to know who we are and what we are doing," he says. "It keeps you more positive, and when you feel good about yourself, your physical ailments are taken care of."

Besides taking care of aches and pains, yoga gives you a feeling of calm, says Andy Orr, a teacher for 25 years at the Yoga Centre Toronto.

"A lot of people have sore lower backs, or they have sore necks from sitting at the computer all day long. There are various poses to deal with those problem areas," Orr says. "We've even worked in conjunction with doctors helping cancer patients and MS patients. Yoga helps them relax."

It boosts fitness levels, too. A former runner, Orr was taken aback by his inability to do some of the stretches at his first yoga lesson. Training in the Iyengar style of yoga, developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, Orr discovered there was more to yoga than a flexible body.

Diane Bruni became interested in yoga after a chance meeting with a Sikh yogi. She practised Kundalini and Iyengar yoga before teaching herself ashtanga yoga using books and videos.

Iyengar yoga focuses on concentrated movements to increase mobility, stability, strength and alignment. The intense concentration draws the attention inward, quieting and integrating mind and body, explains the Yoga Centre Toronto website.

"Physically you feel good, but it's also helpful in dealing with other issues like anger, fear or arrogance," says Orr. "When a person does a headstand, it's very scary. But as you work one part before the next … the fear of the headstand goes away, and fear of other things also go away. I'm more comfortable doing taxes. Or if I have one of those near misses on a bicycle, I'm more at ease."

Yoga's roots

Form of yoga

• Hatha yoga: The most widely practiced form of yoga, hatha yoga uses bodily postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana) with the goal of bringing about a sound, healthy body and a clear, peaceful mind.
• Ashtanga yoga: Made popular by Pattabhi Jois, this method involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures. The process is supposed to produce intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs.
• Iyengar yoga: Created by B.K.S. Iyengar, this style is characterized by great attention to detail and precise focus on body alignment. Iyengar pioneered the use of "props" such as cushions, benches, blocks, straps and even sand bags, which function as aids.
• Anusara yoga: Started by John Friend in 1997, this is a modern school of yoga with a Tantric philosophy. Attainable bliss and joy in practice and everyday life are an important aspect of the underlying philosophy of this school. Many western students with a modernist bent find this school attractive.
• Power yoga: A general term used to describe a vigorous fitness-based approach to yoga. Most power yoga is modeled on ashtanga yoga, but does not follow a set series of poses. This form is said to have brought yoga into the gyms of America.
• Vinyasa yoga: This term covers a broad range of yoga classes. The word Vinyasa means “breath-synchronized movement.” In other words, the teacher will instruct you to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. This technique is sometimes also called Vinyasa Flow or just Flow.
• Bikram Yoga: Also known as hot yoga and developed by yoga guru to the stars Bikram Choudhury, this style is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 50 per cent. The philosophy is that extreme temperature allows for deeper relaxation and stretching. Each class follows an unchanging pattern: A series of 26 poses done twice over 90 minutes.
• Mysore yoga: Students are invited to practise whatever postures they please.
• Jivamukti yoga: A physically challenging form that combines Sanskrit chanting and spiritual discussions – all performed to music.
• Kundalini yoga: This style concentrates on psychic centres or chakras in the body in order to generate a spiritual power, which is known as kundalini energy.

A reason for the confusion around the various styles of yoga may be that they come from the same source, says Ron Reid, an ashtanga yoga practitioner.

Made popular by K. Pattabhi Jois, ashtanga yoga synchronizes breathing with a series of linked postures — a process that's supposed to purify the body through blood circulation and sweating. Initially developed to train teenage boys, the six series full of jumps and push-ups are physically challenging.

"Part of the wisdom of yoga is that it has different access points, just as people have different natures," says Reid, who started out learning from Swami Vishnu-devananda's The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. "Some people are very physical. Some are very devotional. Some are intellectual. Yoga seeks to have a pathway appropriate for everybody."

Along with Diane Bruni, who became interested in yoga after a chance meeting with a Sikh yogi, Reid now runs the downtown Toronto Downward Dog Yoga Centre. It's popular with ashtanga yoga enthusiasts — including many celebrities. Most recently, musician Sting dropped in on a special class while he was in town. "At the time I started teaching, nobody knew it back then," says Bruni, who practised Kundalini and Iyengar yoga before teaching herself ashtanga yoga using books and videos. "Now, of course, there are thousands of people just in Toronto doing it."

The attraction

"People come to the classes for different reasons," Bruni says. "But what's fascinating is that when all those different people go into shavasana [relaxation pose], they all go to the same place … the same experience we are seeking. I'm not sure we can even articulate what we are seeking. It's an experience that's lacking in our culture."

"It's not something I can describe to you," says Reid. "You have to take a class. At the end of it, I ask how you feel, and you say — 'Great' — that's yoga."

It doesn't matter what style you start out with, you will eventually come to yoga, says Prahlada. "It's only when I see it being used as a gym activity, that's a pain to watch," he says. "It's hard to find the roots of yoga in that … but people need to go and try out different types of yoga, and see what suits their temperament."

Orr of the Yoga Centre Toronto suggests asking questions.

"Ask the teacher if you can do yoga if you are menstruating or if you can do a headstand if you have a headache," he says. "If they say, 'I don't know,' or 'Follow along and take it easy,' go somewhere else."

Although yoga is currently a hot fitness trend, students will come to appreciate its philosophy, says Reid.

"Culturally, it's something we're all looking for," he says. "Ultimately, yoga connects each person with their own true self. It has everyone's best interest at heart. You can heal yourself. It can help you relax. It helps take harmful emotions away. Really, what yoga does at a very profound level is that it delivers."