One of the good pieces of news during this Great Recession is that people have become far less materialistic. How can we not? The irrational exuberance of the previous decade (or, rather, decades) has led us to an introspective interlude. It is time, this yoga risorgimento seems to be telling us, to get our instinctual drive for acquisition and wealth in sync with our minds and our neglected hearts. Plus, yoga reduces stress. People carrying their yoga mats are ubiquitous presences in urban centers across the U.S. Even Cameron Diaz is doing it in between takes.

The New York Times has a nice piece on the mainstreaming of yoga and -- of all things -- travel:

Now, with yoga becoming so mainstream, properties from chain hotels to bed-and-breakfasts are looking for new ways to incorporate it into their programs to pique guests' interest and reach their wallets.

"Yoga is becoming a must-have amenity," on the order of Internet access, said Chekitan S. Dev, a professor of marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. "Guests want to be able to stress out and go on the Internet and check e-mail, and then take five minutes and do yoga. It's the yin and the yang of travel."

Athletes are turning to the restorative powers of yoga and so -- around the world -- are professionals of all stripes. Age, also, appears to be irrelevant when it comes to who is practicing yoga these days. So grab your mat and let's face it: yoga is the new black.