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.
There are still many people that think that Asana is some form of Eastern religion or sect. This is certainly not the case. Asana is not a religion at all and it contains no religious elements or religious rites. It is also not a collection of exercises and poses, as many other seem to think. It is a philosophy that strives to help people improve the quality of their lives by focusing on the spirit, the mind and the body.
It is true that Asana does involve stretching exercises and a collection of poses. These exercises and poses are used as a tool to achieve the main aims of the philosophy. They are used to help practitioners to concentrate and to focus. There are, in fact, many different versions of Asana and the level of physical fitness required by practitioners differ from one version to the next.
Asana never encourages competition in any form. In fact, classes consist of individuals at all levels of proficiency. There is no pressure to progress to new exercises or poses and this makes Asana a perfect activity for the entire family. They can all be in the same class, regardless of age and physical or mental ability. The whole idea is that each person progresses at his own pace.
Asana has been studied intensively, especially in regards to its potential for improving the health of practitioners. The findings are almost always in agreement. Asana holds many health benefits. People with heart disease, hypertension, high levels of anxiety, depression and diabetes all benefit greatly. It improves concentration and is ideal for children with ADHD. It improves overall flexibility and muscle strength as well and the chances of sustaining an injury are extremely slim.
There is no need to spend a lot of money in order to start with Asana. Any loose and comfortable clothing will do the trick and no equipment is used, apart from a mat. There are costs involved when attending classes at a studio but many practitioners are perfectly happy to work out at home or in the company of a few friends. This makes the discipline accessible to anyone.
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 is no wonder that Asana is so popular. It does wonders for the spiritual, mental and physical health of practitioners. It is affordable and it can be practiced anywhere. Best of all, it is the ideal activity for entire families and even those with disabilities are not excluded from participating.
There are still many people that think that Asana is some form of Eastern religion or sect. This is certainly not the case. Asana is not a religion at all and it contains no religious elements or religious rites. It is also not a collection of exercises and poses, as many other seem to think. It is a philosophy that strives to help people improve the quality of their lives by focusing on the spirit, the mind and the body.
It is true that Asana does involve stretching exercises and a collection of poses. These exercises and poses are used as a tool to achieve the main aims of the philosophy. They are used to help practitioners to concentrate and to focus. There are, in fact, many different versions of Asana and the level of physical fitness required by practitioners differ from one version to the next.
Asana never encourages competition in any form. In fact, classes consist of individuals at all levels of proficiency. There is no pressure to progress to new exercises or poses and this makes Asana a perfect activity for the entire family. They can all be in the same class, regardless of age and physical or mental ability. The whole idea is that each person progresses at his own pace.
Asana has been studied intensively, especially in regards to its potential for improving the health of practitioners. The findings are almost always in agreement. Asana holds many health benefits. People with heart disease, hypertension, high levels of anxiety, depression and diabetes all benefit greatly. It improves concentration and is ideal for children with ADHD. It improves overall flexibility and muscle strength as well and the chances of sustaining an injury are extremely slim.
There is no need to spend a lot of money in order to start with Asana. Any loose and comfortable clothing will do the trick and no equipment is used, apart from a mat. There are costs involved when attending classes at a studio but many practitioners are perfectly happy to work out at home or in the company of a few friends. This makes the discipline accessible to anyone.
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 is no wonder that Asana is so popular. It does wonders for the spiritual, mental and physical health of practitioners. It is affordable and it can be practiced anywhere. Best of all, it is the ideal activity for entire families and even those with disabilities are not excluded from participating.
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