Prevalence and Diffusion of Yoga in Lucknow City: An Anthropological Study

People all over the world today are suffering from the other side of modern medicine, i.e. its side effects. Thus, more and more people are now turning towards alternative therapies, in particular those that are natural and easy to follow. India is a leader on this front, being home to a number of such therapies. One of the most popular and important therapy is that of YOGA, which is thousands of years old. It is a therapy that although has evolved with times, it has not changed its core principles.

It is this and other facets of yoga that have contributed in writing of this present paper. It is an attempt to know the popularity of yoga in Lucknow city, with particular emphasis on how it is practiced and perceived by the citizens of Lucknow. Their thoughts, knowledge, ways to practice and means by which yoga can be further propagated from the basic theme of this paper. It is an effort to understand yoga and its position in contemporary society. The paper focuses not only the art of practicing yoga but also its rationality through scientific observations. It also tries to suggest means to popularize the therapy and project it better not only in India but on a global platform.