Amazing health benefits of yoga and meditation is hard to argue, as medical researches are still rolling in different major universities. Yoga is the best way to relieve the soul and body from the daily stressful life. Yoga, including meditation, appears to have deep effects on the body nervous system. This is likely to be affected by the response of body stress through the concerned nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
Besides this, it enhances the density of cortical gray matter in people those who practice yoga regularly. It also reduces the activity in some area of the brain, particularly those related to mind- wandering, stress and the self – centric inmost chatter. The best research ever on yoga has disclosed its wonderful benefits that have been shown to improve the indications of psychiatric issue like anxiety, schizophrenia, depression and even sleep disorders.
The study by Sports Marketing Surveys 2012, on behalf of Yoga journal reported that about 20 million Americans above 18 years of age or could be said vas 8.7 % of adults are practicing yoga last years, which was 15.8 million in 2008. Among those who were not indulged in yoga, 44 % of them polled that they would like to be the part of aspirational yogis.
While determining the top most yoga- practicing cities in US, researcher turned up their attention towards marketing firm GfK MRI, which led surveys among 205 markets in the former year. They asked accomplices whether they accomplished yoga in their daily schedule, if yes, then how long and how often.
1. San Francisco:
- This, after all, was the first city in US to set up a room for yoga in its airport. About 59 % of residents from the metro area like San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose practiced yoga, which was likely to have the more number of people. The San Francisco based Yoga Journal holds its annual five day conference and even has a headquarter in the city.
2. Seattle-Tacoma:
- This being another most popular yoga city where, about 46 % residents are more likely to practice yoga compared to the general population. Seattle-area is one of the five cities that operates yoga studio providing classes at extremely reasonable prices so as to combat the rising costs of yoga programs. Besides this, the Seattle Sailors have been practicing yoga in their training since from the past 22 years.
3. Philadelphia:
- Compared to general population, Philadelphia is supposed to have more than 42 % of people practicing regular yoga.
4. Washington:
- Washington covers about 34 % its public who practiced yoga. The DC Community of Yoga (DCCY) horded an annual yoga week wherein the participating studies off free classes for yoga practitioners. However, according to the latest Washington post, the immediate rush in studio openings conducted over last some years has left various struggling to stay open.
5. New York City:
- In New York City, more that 34 % of the residents are likely to perform yoga that the general populace. This city hosts a huge GLBL Yoga practicing program in the Central Park, numbering more than 15000 attendants, with 50 studios and 200 teachers in collaboration. This city is actually a home for lots of meditations and yoga centers. Donna Karan’s nonprofit Urban Zen Foundation, connects professionals and thought leaders around the world to push the change in the zones like children’s welfare and healthcare.
6. Baltimore:
- Baltimore covers up around 28 % of its total population who practice yoga. The members of the Baltimore Ravens are keen yoga practitioners, according to the fact discovered by the North American Studio Alliance.
7. Boston:
- Boston cities take over 26 % of total yoga practitioners. It is actually meant to be the home for several yoga studios, downtown and in the neighboring suburbs. The UMass Medical School in the nearby Worcester is the center place for healthcare, mindfulness in medicine, society and to Jon Kabat-Zinn’s well-known stress deduction technique. Besides this, many of the yoga studios in Boston also offer free classes in the weeks from the time when the Boston Marathon bombings, in the honor of victims and to support the early recovery of affected people.
8. Portland:
- The 23 % of Portland residents are more into yoga practices. This city brags a wide range of studios and yoga styles, comprising even the People’s Yoga, which is particularly aimed at keeping the rising price of Yoga classes to the least.
9. San Diego:
- About 21 % of San Diego populaces are mostly into practicing yoga. This year, It hordes the yoga campaign for Hope fundraising effort. However, it seems that the proceeding if this campaign goes towards diabetes and cancer research.
10. Boise:
- The percentage of residents that are into practicing yoga in Boise is similar to that of San Diego, which is 21 %. The area here seems to be the hotspot space for performing yoga. However, the vibrant arts scene and growing technology employment, it’s not so surprising that Boise has so many practitioners for yoga.