During the tour of an Indian philosopher, Swami Vivekananda, of Canada and the United States his unique philosophy, called Asana, took the world by storm. More commonly known as yoga, Asana is a philosophy that is meant to help people to improve their spirits, minds and bodies in a holistic manner. Asana spread everywhere and today there are many millions of practitioners in every country and across cultural borders. In classes for yoga Ann Arbor MI practitioners strive to improve their own lives.
Asana has no religious undertones, as many people still tend to think. It is not a sect either and it is not a mystic Eastern philosophy born from disciplines such as Buddhism. It is not merely a lot of exercises and poses either, as many others seem to think. Instead, it is a holistic philosophy that has as its aim to improve the minds, spirits and bodies of practitioners.
There are indeed many stretching exercises and poses involved in Asana. Their purpose, however, is to help practitioners to focus and to concentrate and they are not the main purpose of the philosophy at all. There are various versions of Asana and the exercises and poses used in these various versions differ, ranging from more physically demanding to a greater focus on introspection and spiritual growth.
Asana never encourages competition in any form. In fact, classes consist of individuals at all levels of proficiency. There is no pressure to progress to new exercises or poses and this makes Asana a perfect activity for the entire family. They can all be in the same class, regardless of age and physical or mental ability. The whole idea is that each person progresses at his own pace.
There have been many formal and informal studies into the health benefits of Asana. The general conclusion of most of these studies is that Asana offers many benefits indeed. All practitioners increase their overall flexibility and muscle strength but those with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and anxiety issues benefit decidedly. Many doctors actually advise their patients to take up this discipline as part of their treatment.
Taking up Asana does not require a large initial outlay. Any comfortable clothing will do and no special equipment is necessary. Many people prefer to join a class but this is not necessary in order to benefit. Asana can be practiced anywhere, even alone while at home. Beginners are advised, however, to attend at least a few classes in order to master the basic poses and exercises.
The internet offers numerous valuable resources for yoga practitioners and those that want to learn. However, because there are different versions of this discipline, beginners may flounder when trying to decide upon one. The best solution would be to join a studio that can offer classes in several versions and that offer beginners the opportunity to try a few before settling upon a specific one.
There can be absolutely no doubt that Asana is here to stay and that it benefits its millions of practitioners. They all enjoy a higher level of fitness, increased concentration abilities and a higher sense of inner peace. One could hardly ask for more and it is therefore no surprise that Asana is still increasing its popularity.
Asana has no religious undertones, as many people still tend to think. It is not a sect either and it is not a mystic Eastern philosophy born from disciplines such as Buddhism. It is not merely a lot of exercises and poses either, as many others seem to think. Instead, it is a holistic philosophy that has as its aim to improve the minds, spirits and bodies of practitioners.
There are indeed many stretching exercises and poses involved in Asana. Their purpose, however, is to help practitioners to focus and to concentrate and they are not the main purpose of the philosophy at all. There are various versions of Asana and the exercises and poses used in these various versions differ, ranging from more physically demanding to a greater focus on introspection and spiritual growth.
Asana never encourages competition in any form. In fact, classes consist of individuals at all levels of proficiency. There is no pressure to progress to new exercises or poses and this makes Asana a perfect activity for the entire family. They can all be in the same class, regardless of age and physical or mental ability. The whole idea is that each person progresses at his own pace.
There have been many formal and informal studies into the health benefits of Asana. The general conclusion of most of these studies is that Asana offers many benefits indeed. All practitioners increase their overall flexibility and muscle strength but those with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and anxiety issues benefit decidedly. Many doctors actually advise their patients to take up this discipline as part of their treatment.
Taking up Asana does not require a large initial outlay. Any comfortable clothing will do and no special equipment is necessary. Many people prefer to join a class but this is not necessary in order to benefit. Asana can be practiced anywhere, even alone while at home. Beginners are advised, however, to attend at least a few classes in order to master the basic poses and exercises.
The internet offers numerous valuable resources for yoga practitioners and those that want to learn. However, because there are different versions of this discipline, beginners may flounder when trying to decide upon one. The best solution would be to join a studio that can offer classes in several versions and that offer beginners the opportunity to try a few before settling upon a specific one.
There can be absolutely no doubt that Asana is here to stay and that it benefits its millions of practitioners. They all enjoy a higher level of fitness, increased concentration abilities and a higher sense of inner peace. One could hardly ask for more and it is therefore no surprise that Asana is still increasing its popularity.
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