With the yoga market approaching the size of a trillion dollar industry worldwide and at the behest of the Indian Prime Minister, last December the United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.

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To celebrate the occasion, we took a closer look at internationally recognised spiritual master Bharat Thakur’s unique expanding yoga franchise in Dubai, which is set to grow even bigger this year.

Thakur started his company with the vision of spreading a form of yoga that would help people first get in shape, become disease-free and then move towards the higher practices akin to Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, and now Artistic Yoga has centres in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Dubai and Moscow.

Within the year they plan to open centres in Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Johannesburg and France.

New outlets teaching Bharat Thakur’s Artistic Yoga (BTAY), the leading brand of yoga in the Middle East, are now located in Jumeirah, Motor City and Al Ghusais and will provide world-renowned ‘Living Himalayan Master’ Thakur’s unique take on the ancient art form – an innovative and dynamic form of yoga combining traditional yoga techniques with modern cardio training and stretching.

Artistic Yoga is the way forward for better health and fitness. “Simply doing difficult asanas or postures will not take you there. Yoga is about breaking your habits, not the body,” says Thakur.

Signature programmes at his studios, including Artistic Yoga for Good Health & Fitness, the Reduce Every Day (RED) fat loss programme, Bharat Thakur’s Himalayan Challenge, the  90-Day Transformation programme and the Age Reversal programme, will all be available at all outlets.

“The beauty of BTAY is that unlike conventional yoga, every class is unique and focused on different body parts, and Dubai’s discerning clients appreciate that.

Physically, they work on flexibility, strength and endurance whilst mentally they gain a great sense of self-awareness,” said Thakur, who practises what he preaches and regularly teaches classes at all outlets when he is in town.

“We have taken into account the varied clientele and tailor-made the schedules in each outlet to make classes as convenient and accessible as possible.

“For example, we offer RED classes early morning so the mothers in Motor City can join us post-school run, whilst the early and late afternoon RED and Artistic Yoga classes will appeal to our youthful working audience in Jumeirah and Ghusais,” he adds.

Women’s only classes are also available at all centres and at various times throughout the day.

Thakur says: “Women were hungry for a safe and sacred space to voice their personal challenges, discuss what was and what was not working for them, and explore alternative ways of practice.

“The whole world should be doing yoga. It’s not just for the slender or the flexible, and it’s not about incense sticks, religion or Sanskrit chants anymore (though neither is a problem).

“Yoga is an amazing way to transform your mind and body,” says Thakur.