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YOGA TEACHING PROFESSION GROWS ALONG WITH INTEREST IN YOGA

Press Releases

For press inquiries please contact:

Jamie N. Hodge
jamie@yogayoga.com
512-358-1200

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For Immediate Release
May 5, 2005

YOGA TEACHING PROFESSION GROWS ALONG WITH INTEREST IN YOGA
Yoga Yoga Teacher Training responds to demand with new location, program change.

Austin, Texas - (May 5, 2005) The growth in the number of Americans practicing yoga, up 43% from 2002 according to a study sponsored by Yoga Journal magazine, is reflected in the growth of yoga teachers. NAMASTA, the North American Studio Alliance which is an organization for mind-body professionals, estimates that currently there are 70,000 yoga teachers in North America. More than 70 yoga instructors teach at Yoga Yoga.

In response to increasing demand for yoga teacher training, Yoga Yoga Teacher Training (YYTT) relocated to Yoga Yoga South, 1700 South Lamar, in May of 2005. YYTT's new site, which is Yoga Yoga's original location that opened in 1998, provides additional space for staff offices along with more access to classrooms. While a limited number of public classes continue to be offered at Yoga Yoga South, YYTT occupies the majority of the center.

In addition to a change in location, feedback from students spurred a major program change for YYTT. Students now have the option to complete the nine-month Hatha teacher training program by attending class only one weekend a month instead of the multiple weekends that were required in the past, making the training more accessible for out-of-town students.

The top three reasons students give for registering in the YYTT program are to supplement a current career, to make a major career change, or to deepen their yoga practice. "Our largest demographic is women over 40 who are retired or looking for a career change," says Kisha Conroy, managing director of YYTT. "However, there are a growing number of men and people under 35 going through our program."
Statistics about Yoga
According to the Yoga in America study sponsored by Yoga Journal magazine:
# Americans spend $2.95 billion annually on yoga classes and products.
# 16.5 million U.S. adults practice yoga.
# 25 million people say they intend to try yoga within the next 12 months.
# 77.1% of yoga practitioners are women and 22.9% are men.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
a component of the National Institutes of Health:
#
36% of U.S. adults use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), such as yoga, meditation, chiropractic care, and/or deep breathing exercises.
#
Yoga ranks as one of the 10 most commonly used CAM therapies.

Additional industry statistics
http://nccam.nih.gov/news/2004/052704.htm
http://www.yogajournal.com/about_press020705.cfm
http://www.yogaalliance.org/
http://www.namasta.com/pressresources.php

Available for interview
Joseph Morris, current YYTT student, retired after 20 years in software industry
Kisha Conroy, managing director Yoga Yoga Teacher Training
Mehtab Benton, founder Yoga Yoga
Rich Goldstein, managing partner Yoga Yoga
Additional YYTT students and YY teachers available upon request

About Yoga Yoga, LLC (http://www.yogayoga.com) Yoga Yoga is Austin's premier source for yoga with three locations and 250 classes weekly. With over 70 certified yoga teachers, Yoga Yoga provides a wide variety of yoga styles, including Hatha, Ashtanga, and Kundalini, and special classes including gentle, restorative, deaf, prenatal, postnatal, and children's yoga. Yoga Yoga also offers a nationally recognized Teacher Training program which provides 200-hour and 500-hour programs as developed by the Yoga Alliance. For more information, contact Yoga Yoga at (512) 326-3900 or visit http://www.yogayoga.com.

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