Yoga’s cult following attracts athletes, comments Dru Yoga expert
‘Yoga is moving away from its stereotypical image of being only for older women or new age devotees, and now attracts a cult following from some of the world’s top athletes’ writes Dru yoga expert Jane Clapham. Sportsmen including Andy Murray, Ryan Giggs and the English cricket team practice yoga regularly and have found that it prevents injuries, and increases stamina and mental focus. It helps prevent back pain, increases core stability and balance, which are crucial for athletes.
Yoga’s cult status may be in part because of its celebrity following in the sports world. Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, Lakers basketball star, was a devoted yoga fan throughout his career, and tennis star John McEnroe practised yoga to extend his game a few more years as he reached the end of his career. Even rugby players are yoga fans, as Graham Henry, the New Zealand All Blacks coach said “We do not travel anywhere without the team’s personal yoga trainer”.
The benefits of yoga include improved flexibility, pain relief and improved energy levels – which are crucial to sportspeople from all backgrounds. But yoga’s effect is not just physical– it is also highly effective in improving response to stress, which is crucial for sportspeople. Dru Yoga, the flowing therapeutic style which is one of the largest teacher training schools in the UK, has done research to measure the benefits. In a recent study published by the Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health, participants found that a six week programme of Dru Yoga reduced anxiety and fatigue, while increasing emotional well-being and resilience to stress.
So why has yoga seen a huge surge of interest in recent years? ‘I believe that yoga’s cult following is due to its amazing ability to make people feel better within a few minutes’ suggested Jane Clapham, who writes articles in yoga magazines including Om Magazine and ‘Yoga and Health’. In today’s fast-paced society, we all need fast results, and yoga really delivers. Unlike other sports or therapies, it doesn’t take hours to feel the benefits. Quite often I only have time for 10 minutes of Dru yoga, yet it makes such a difference to my physical and mental wellbeing.’