Yoga, an ancient meditative practice that posses its philosophical and spiritual roots in Hinduism in India, is widely adopted as an exercise for those suffering from depression or painful knee joints and even obesity.

Ever since it is tagged as the “wellness practice-of-choice” for aging baby-boomers and work-stressed yuppies, critics have not left it untouched with their rebuke citing the large numbers of injuries suffered by yoga students.

Recent years have witnessed surging number of charges revealing that self-styled yoga organizations and their elite teachers are preying on their students, making an attempt of substituting spiritual enlightenment with psychological manipulation, New Age “hucksterism,” and even cultic worship.

Famous yoga celebrities like Rodney Yee - who was charged in 2004 of having serial affairs with students- have triggered public authorities to call to impose stringent business regulations on the nation's estimated 5,000 yoga training centers.

The thriving industry attributes an estimated $6 billion annually. In fact, at least 18 million Americans practice is revealed to practice yoga on regular basis, reveals recent surveys, and another 25 million claims that they plan to in the coming year.