You could ask 10 people in a room to describe what yoga is, and without a doubt, you would hear 10 different descriptions. So let’s organize the landscape to figure out how and why you should give this ancient but trendy practice a try.

Taken to extremes, yoga in America today can seem downright exclusive, a past time for the fit and mobile. Sleek, sweating bodies extend long limbs and twist effortlessly into sacred shapes, seeming to hover above a shiny studio floor. Does that sound like a class you want to drop into next weekend? Probably not. But bypass the hype, the spandex and the gym rat feel of yoga as a workout and get to know “yoga for normal people,” including those who have pain with movement or pain from not moving enough – or both! That’s yoga for everybody and it should be easily accessible to anyone who wants to improve overall health and feel better every day. It is even available for people who are receiving in home care or long term care.