When Swami Vivekanada from India first toured the United States and Canada he never dreamed that his philosophy of Asana will find such fertile soil. It became extremely popular almost immediately and today millions of people all over the world practice Asana. The philosophy that Vivekanada preached aimed to improve the soul, mind and general health of practitioners. When visiting a yoga studio Capitol Hill practitioners learn how to improve the quality of their lives.
Despite its immense popularity, Asana still has critics. Most of the criticism directed at the practice is based upon mistake believe about the true nature of this philosophy. It is most certainly not a religion, as so many people think. Neither is it just some for of ritualistic exercising and stretching. The true purpose of Asana is to help people to improve themselves in a holistic way.
Asana certainly does include a wide variety of low impact exercises and poses but they have multiple purposes. These exercises not only improve muscle tone, fitness levels and overall flexibility, but they also play an important role in helping practitioners to improve their posture the ability to concentrate and their ability to gain control over their inner thoughts. Asana has also prove to be very effective in helping people become more disciplined.
Most practitioners love the idea that Asana is not competitive at all. There are no systems for evaluation and every individual master new techniques and exercises at the pace that suits them best. Classes typically consist of groups of people that differ wildly in terms of fitness, experience, age and physical ability. Seriously ill people practice with extremely fit people, old people with young children and overweight people with thin ones.
Asana has been the subject of numerous formal and informal studies. Many of them specifically focused on the health benefits of Asana and all of these studies concluded that there are indeed many health benefits. People suffering from heart disease, arthritis, gout, muscle injuries and backache, to name just a few, all benefit greatly. Those suffering from anxiety or depression also find that Asana helps them to cope.
Taking up Asana does not require the purchase of any equipment or clothing. It does not require any special facilities and can be practised anywhere, even in nature. Most beginners do invest in club membership, however, if only for a short while in order to learn the basics. Belonging to a club also holds the benefit of learning from experienced practitioners and sticking to a disciplined regime.
There are numerous sources of information about Asana. Websites, books, personal instructors and online forums all focus on Asana. Many studios even offer a free initial lesson. Before purchasing any material, it is important, however, to keep in mind that there are many different approaches to Asana and most practitioners and studios will adhere to one specific approach. Learning more about the different approaches may be well worth it.
There can be no doubt whatsoever that yoga benefits millions of people. It is the ideal family activity because it is not competitive and it does not require practitioners to maintain a certain pace. It does not come as a surprise to learn that the popularity of Asana is still on the rise.
Despite its immense popularity, Asana still has critics. Most of the criticism directed at the practice is based upon mistake believe about the true nature of this philosophy. It is most certainly not a religion, as so many people think. Neither is it just some for of ritualistic exercising and stretching. The true purpose of Asana is to help people to improve themselves in a holistic way.
Asana certainly does include a wide variety of low impact exercises and poses but they have multiple purposes. These exercises not only improve muscle tone, fitness levels and overall flexibility, but they also play an important role in helping practitioners to improve their posture the ability to concentrate and their ability to gain control over their inner thoughts. Asana has also prove to be very effective in helping people become more disciplined.
Most practitioners love the idea that Asana is not competitive at all. There are no systems for evaluation and every individual master new techniques and exercises at the pace that suits them best. Classes typically consist of groups of people that differ wildly in terms of fitness, experience, age and physical ability. Seriously ill people practice with extremely fit people, old people with young children and overweight people with thin ones.
Asana has been the subject of numerous formal and informal studies. Many of them specifically focused on the health benefits of Asana and all of these studies concluded that there are indeed many health benefits. People suffering from heart disease, arthritis, gout, muscle injuries and backache, to name just a few, all benefit greatly. Those suffering from anxiety or depression also find that Asana helps them to cope.
Taking up Asana does not require the purchase of any equipment or clothing. It does not require any special facilities and can be practised anywhere, even in nature. Most beginners do invest in club membership, however, if only for a short while in order to learn the basics. Belonging to a club also holds the benefit of learning from experienced practitioners and sticking to a disciplined regime.
There are numerous sources of information about Asana. Websites, books, personal instructors and online forums all focus on Asana. Many studios even offer a free initial lesson. Before purchasing any material, it is important, however, to keep in mind that there are many different approaches to Asana and most practitioners and studios will adhere to one specific approach. Learning more about the different approaches may be well worth it.
There can be no doubt whatsoever that yoga benefits millions of people. It is the ideal family activity because it is not competitive and it does not require practitioners to maintain a certain pace. It does not come as a surprise to learn that the popularity of Asana is still on the rise.
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