12:21 AM      No comments
By Jeffrey Adams


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.

Asana does not allow competition at all. Practitioners have no competitions and there is no schedule according to which each individual is expected to progress and master new techniques. Each person proceeds at his own pace. This makes it the ideal activity for entire families with different levels of fitness and physical abilities. No pressure is ever exerted upon any participant to excel and to progress to higher levels.

There have been a number of studies that focused on the health benefits of Asana. The findings have always been extremely positive. People suffering from asthma and other respiratory conditions, heart disease, depression, high blood pressure and high stress levels all benefit greatly. Practitioners do not have to be physically strong in order to benefit. It is not surprising to learn that many people take up the discipline purely for their own health.

Anyone can take up Asana regardless of age or physical condition. It is easy to begin and no special clothes or equipment is required, which makes it affordable and accessible to everyone. One can start off in isolation at home, but it is recommended that beginners join at least a few classes. Reputable instructors will help beginners to identify their needs and to choose an approach to Asana that will suit them best.

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.




About the Author:



0 commentaires:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Recent Posts


Unordered List

Text Widget

Blog Archive