In response to efforts to copyright yoga teachings--most notably by Bikram Choudhury--Indian scholars have been cataloging 1,500 yoga poses recorded in ancient texts so the government can block attempts to corner the market on the 5,000-year-old spiritual discipline.

In Vancouver, a teacher named Little Woo is fusing burlesque with yoga, creating a mix that might give B.K.S. Iyengar cause for concern. Yet Woo says that her goal is "to make the whole connection with our bodies a spiritual practice."