Why yoga is popular now - Rod Stryker
Having taught yoga for 35 years, Rod Stryker says the activity is needed more than ever in today’s high-stress world.
Stryker leads corporate seminar and yoga retreats when not teaching at home in Colorado.
The veteran practitioner will visit New Zealand during Waitangi Weekend to deliver five yoga sessions at Wanderlust Great Lake Taupo.
Stryker said he’s seen yoga’s popularity rise over the last 15 years. The activity is popular because it works, he said.
‘‘I think that life is getting more challenging in many ways. People are looking for ways to meet the challenges of their lives, And exercise by itself, although wonderful, doesn’t address all the needs people have.’’
Stryker said posture was a central focus for yoga, but he aimed do more than stretch the muscles.
‘‘I was taught was about using the body to affect the muscles and then how we affect the mind, and then how we affect the subtle energy that affects the body.
‘‘Yogis call it [the energy] prana. If you go to an acupuncturist, they’ll call it chi. The truth is, if a yoga class makes us feel better, there’s a good chance that is because our energy is moving more fluidly through us.’’
Different types of yoga sequences could be used to unlock energies in different parts of the body, he said.
‘‘In some classes, it’s great to be more energised and to feel more empowered and selfconfident. At the same times, there’s plenty of times we want to slow down, calm down, and take deep breaths.
‘‘Depending on what we want to achieve, we’ll create a different sequence to achieve that desired outcome,’’ he said.
‘‘That’s the heart and soul of what I try to give people in their yoga practices, so it’s a more complete experience.’’
Stryker started teaching yoga 1976 at the age of 19; a year after he attended his first class.
Younger people could gain a lot from practicing yoga too, he said.
‘‘Our world is not getting any easier. Symptoms of stress that are usually experienced by adults now often teenagers.
‘‘If we get them involved in yoga, we can give them the tools the navigate life and enjoy the journey of being a young person more effectively.’’ experienced by