MADONNA swears by it, Geri Halliwell says it's responsible for her new shape and Sting's done it for years. Yoga, once done by a few ladies in the village hall, is suddenly big business, and anyone who knows anything about health and fitness has tried it.

Its postures - many done sitting on a mat - help develop suppleness, strength and stamina while restoring a healthier balance to body and mind.

It's relaxing and calming, and is as easy or as difficult as you wish to make it.

But just because you are a regular exerciser or consider yourself fit, it doesn't mean you can stretch high or far enough to reach yoga's poses. Indeed, you may be quite surprised how other activities don't prepare you for it.

The good thing is that there is no age barrier to yoga, nor does age dictate how supple you are.

At a basic level, it involves stretching, breathing and bending in various combinations; the positions may look worryingly complex to start with, but become easier with time and practice. Yoga is non-competitive - you make progress at your own speed, stretching a little further one week, gently increasing stamina, posture and flexibility. It can also help with specific health problems. It's good for general well-being, muscles and the skeleton, and some of the postures and sequences massage the internal organs.

Barry Garnett started teaching yoga eight years ago, having first become interested in it after joining his wife's class. "It was the spiritual side of it that attracted me, it made a lot of sense to me," explained Barry, who trained with the British Wheel of Yoga. "The exercise is a means to an end. Religion didn't make sense to me, but yoga did."

One of the reasons why yoga is so popular is that it is suitable for all ages - Barry's students range from women in their twenties to much older men

Contrary to popular belief, yoga enthusiasts are not contortionists or devotees of obscure Eastern religions. And it doesn't require expensive equipment or a high fitness level - just a mat and loose clothing.

The Yoga Biomedical Trust conducts research into the health benefits of yoga and runs classes designed to target particular problems. One-to-one and group classes cater for sufferers of multiple sclerosis, ME, those who are HIV positive or have cancer. "We are not attempting to offer a medical cure,'' says Roz Peters, of the Trust. "But at the same time, yoga is a philosophy that helps you live with your life."

Yoga can also help sufferers of asthma and lower back pain, while pregnant women find yoga a relaxing way of keeping healthy; it can also help tone the body after pregnancy.

l Yoga classes take place at Redworth Hall Hotel on Mondays at 1.45-3.15pm and on Wednesdays at 10.30am-noon and 6.15pm-7.45pm. For more information on yoga visit the British Wheel of Yoga's website at www.bwy.org.uk

l We have teamed up with Bodysense to offer readers the chance to spend a complimentary day at the health club, enjoying the facilities, which include the gym, swimming pool, sauna, steam room and spa bath. Visitors can also pay for beauty treatments at the Emmanais salon. To qualify, just collect FOUR different Bodysense articles, then contact the health club to book your free day on (01388) 770649.