Asana, a philosophy developed by Swami Vivekananda and better known as yoga was first introduced to the United States and Canada during a tour by the Indian philosopher. His holistic views on life, as expressed by his philosophy, immediately appealed to people and quickly spread to every country in the world. Today there are millions of people practicing Asana and its popularity keeps on growing. By taking up yoga Ann Arbor MI residents hope to improve the quality of their lives.
Numerous people still have misconceptions about what Asana is all about. It is definitely not a religion, as some people think. It has no deity and there are no religious elements forming part of the philosophy. It is not just a series of exercises and weird body poses either. Instead, Asana is a holistic philosophy that aims to improve the mind, body and spirit all at the same time.
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 involves any form of competition and classes are no made up of people all on roughly the same level of proficiency and experience. This means that entire families, regardless of their ages or physical conditions can join a class together. There is also no pressure to master new poses and exercises at a prescribed pace. Practitioners progress at their own pace and only when they feel ready.
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.
It is not difficult or expensive to start with Asana. No special clothing or equipment is necessary. Classes may cost a little bit but it is not even necessary to join a class in order to enjoy the benefits. It is advisable, however, to attend at least a few classes when staring off in order to master the very basic poses and exercises and to learn more about the true purpose of Asana.
There is a wealth of information available on this subject and many websites offer free instructional videos, advice and interaction forums. The problem for most beginners is to choose a specific version that will suit their needs and abilities. The solution may be to join a studio that offers classes in various versions and to try a few before making a final decision on the matter.
It certainly seems as if Asana can be of benefit to anyone, even the aged and those with serious physical disabilities. It does not cost a lot of money to practice and it can be done anywhere and at any time. Improved fitness, flexibility concentration abilities and focus are all things that can benefit anyone.
Numerous people still have misconceptions about what Asana is all about. It is definitely not a religion, as some people think. It has no deity and there are no religious elements forming part of the philosophy. It is not just a series of exercises and weird body poses either. Instead, Asana is a holistic philosophy that aims to improve the mind, body and spirit all at the same time.
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 involves any form of competition and classes are no made up of people all on roughly the same level of proficiency and experience. This means that entire families, regardless of their ages or physical conditions can join a class together. There is also no pressure to master new poses and exercises at a prescribed pace. Practitioners progress at their own pace and only when they feel ready.
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.
It is not difficult or expensive to start with Asana. No special clothing or equipment is necessary. Classes may cost a little bit but it is not even necessary to join a class in order to enjoy the benefits. It is advisable, however, to attend at least a few classes when staring off in order to master the very basic poses and exercises and to learn more about the true purpose of Asana.
There is a wealth of information available on this subject and many websites offer free instructional videos, advice and interaction forums. The problem for most beginners is to choose a specific version that will suit their needs and abilities. The solution may be to join a studio that offers classes in various versions and to try a few before making a final decision on the matter.
It certainly seems as if Asana can be of benefit to anyone, even the aged and those with serious physical disabilities. It does not cost a lot of money to practice and it can be done anywhere and at any time. Improved fitness, flexibility concentration abilities and focus are all things that can benefit anyone.
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