When the Indian philosopher Swami Vivekanada traveled to the United States and Canada in the late eighteenth he hoped to spread the word about his philosophy which he called Asana. He could not possible envisage that it would become so extremely popular in such a short time. Today, countless people in all countries and from all cultures practice Asana. When starting with yoga Washington DC practitioners quickly start experiencing the benefits.
There are still many misconceptions about Asana, despite its immense popularity. Asana is not a religion or, nor is it an exercise program, as so many people still think. It is, instead, a holistic discipline that aims to improve the mind, body and spirit of the practitioner in a balanced manner. There is nothing mystic or mysterious about it. It is, in fact, a practical philosophy.
There are some stretching exercises and certain poses that form an integral part of this discipline. Exercising and maintaining poses is not the purpose of Asana, however. They are nothing but tools that can help people to become fitter, to grow spiritually and to improve their minds. There are many forms of this discipline and some of them require much more physical effort while others are more meditative in nature.
Most practitioners love the fact that Asana does not allow any form of competition. Every practitioner progresses at his own pace and master new techniques when they feel up to it. For this reason, classes routinely consist of individuals at various levels of competency. This is a big benefit because it means that families or groups of friends can all practice together without being forced to follow any program.
Several empirical and a number of more informal studies into the benefits offered by Asana have all concluded that it offers numerous benefits indeed and absolutely no drawbacks. It is of particular benefit to those suffering from hypertension, heart conditions, asthma and respiratory difficulties. Those with mental conditions such as high anxiety levels, depression and post traumatic stress syndrome also benefit greatly and some therapists actually encourage their patients to take it up.
Starting off with this discipline is easy and cheap. There is no need to buy special clothes or equipment. It is not even necessary to join a studio, but experts advise that beginners are better off if they take some classes, at least initially, from an experienced instructor. This is because beginners need to assess their own needs and find the particular form of Asana that will best suit their particular needs.
Much has been written on this topic and there are scores of self help books and videos available. There are also a myriad of websites that offer free training sessions, interaction with other practitioners and discussion forums where people can ask for advice or share their experiences. Beginners should first determine the form of Asana that they will be following before buying any material to help them master more advanced techniques.
Yoga is a world wide phenomenon and it seems as if its popularity is rising all the time. Modern life is demanding and people are under great pressure. Asana provides a way in which they can deal with this stress, live healthier and feel better about themselves.
There are still many misconceptions about Asana, despite its immense popularity. Asana is not a religion or, nor is it an exercise program, as so many people still think. It is, instead, a holistic discipline that aims to improve the mind, body and spirit of the practitioner in a balanced manner. There is nothing mystic or mysterious about it. It is, in fact, a practical philosophy.
There are some stretching exercises and certain poses that form an integral part of this discipline. Exercising and maintaining poses is not the purpose of Asana, however. They are nothing but tools that can help people to become fitter, to grow spiritually and to improve their minds. There are many forms of this discipline and some of them require much more physical effort while others are more meditative in nature.
Most practitioners love the fact that Asana does not allow any form of competition. Every practitioner progresses at his own pace and master new techniques when they feel up to it. For this reason, classes routinely consist of individuals at various levels of competency. This is a big benefit because it means that families or groups of friends can all practice together without being forced to follow any program.
Several empirical and a number of more informal studies into the benefits offered by Asana have all concluded that it offers numerous benefits indeed and absolutely no drawbacks. It is of particular benefit to those suffering from hypertension, heart conditions, asthma and respiratory difficulties. Those with mental conditions such as high anxiety levels, depression and post traumatic stress syndrome also benefit greatly and some therapists actually encourage their patients to take it up.
Starting off with this discipline is easy and cheap. There is no need to buy special clothes or equipment. It is not even necessary to join a studio, but experts advise that beginners are better off if they take some classes, at least initially, from an experienced instructor. This is because beginners need to assess their own needs and find the particular form of Asana that will best suit their particular needs.
Much has been written on this topic and there are scores of self help books and videos available. There are also a myriad of websites that offer free training sessions, interaction with other practitioners and discussion forums where people can ask for advice or share their experiences. Beginners should first determine the form of Asana that they will be following before buying any material to help them master more advanced techniques.
Yoga is a world wide phenomenon and it seems as if its popularity is rising all the time. Modern life is demanding and people are under great pressure. Asana provides a way in which they can deal with this stress, live healthier and feel better about themselves.
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