Yoga by Region

Every five years the federal government surveys the public about its use of "complementary" medicine, which is defined as "a group of diverse medical and health care interventions, practices, products, or disciplines that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine." The first findings from the 2012 survey results examine regional differences in the use of several categories of complementary medicine, among them yoga and massage.

Regional differences in the practice of yoga and massage are not a surprise, but interesting to see documented. Nationally, 8.4 percent of adults practiced yoga in 2012. The practice peaks at 12.1 percent in the Pacific states and bottoms out at 5.1 percent in the East South Central states of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The regional pattern for massage therapy is similar. Overall, 6.8 percent of adults participated in massage therapy in 2012. The percentage peaks at 9.4 percent in the Pacific and Mountain states and bottoms out at 2.5 percent in the East South Central states. "Regional differences persist across a wide range of complementary health approaches," explains the report, and are due to "environmental and cultural factors" unique to towns and regions.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Regional Variation in Use of Complementary Health Approaches by U.S. Adults