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.
One of the great benefits of the discipline is that it can be practiced by anyone, even disabled people. No outfits or expensive paraphernalia is necessary. Classes typically consist of people all at various levels and beginners can use these classes to find out which form of Asana will best suit their particular needs. One can, however, practice the discipline at home without any guidance from an instructor.
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.
There can be no doubt that yoga offers many benefits and no drawbacks whatsoever. It offers better health, physical fitness, mental clarity and a better quality of life. It is easy to get started and the cost involved is minimal. Beginners will find classes just about everywhere, even in smaller towns and they will start reaping the benefits almost immediately.
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.
One of the great benefits of the discipline is that it can be practiced by anyone, even disabled people. No outfits or expensive paraphernalia is necessary. Classes typically consist of people all at various levels and beginners can use these classes to find out which form of Asana will best suit their particular needs. One can, however, practice the discipline at home without any guidance from an instructor.
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.
There can be no doubt that yoga offers many benefits and no drawbacks whatsoever. It offers better health, physical fitness, mental clarity and a better quality of life. It is easy to get started and the cost involved is minimal. Beginners will find classes just about everywhere, even in smaller towns and they will start reaping the benefits almost immediately.
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