By Lena Stephenson


During the eighteen nineties a well known Indian philosopher, Swami Vivekananda, toured the western world. He was extremely well received in the best circles of society and soon his philosophies, especially the practice of Asana became all the rage. This philosophy was aimed at improving and healing the body, mind and spirit through learning very specific techniques. Today Asana is practised by millions of people in every country. When looking for a new venue to practice as a yoga instructor Temple TX will even yield a large number of potential students.

There are many misconceptions about Asana. On the one hand there are those that believe it to be a a series of exercises and on the other hand there are those that think it is a religious system that aims to convert practitioners to Hinduism. Asana is not a religious belief. Instead, it is philosophy that believes that true personal growth requires growth in spirit, mind and body.

Basically, to practice Asana it is necessary to learn a series of poses and stretching exercises. These exercises have many physical benefits, but they are also used by teachers to bring home very specific spiritual and philosophical principles. There are many approaches to this philosophy. Some are more strenuous whilst others are more introspective. Beginners are encouraged to experiment and choose the discipline that will best satisfy their needs.

Practitioners of Asana love the fact that they do not have set goals with set target dates. Everyone progresses at his own pace and learn new techniques and exercises only when they feel ready to do so. There is also the benefit that it can be done by anyone, from very young to advanced age, from weak to strong and from fit to unfit people.

The medical benefits of Asana has been the subject of numerous clinical and empirical studies. It seems that there is evidence that it can be of great benefit to people suffering from asthma, muscle pain and heart disease. It has also been lauded to help lower the blood pressure of hypertension patients and there have even been studies to investigate its effectiveness in helping to prevent several types of cancer.

There are no known negative side effects. This means that anybody can get going without fearing that they will hurt themselves. Experts agree that it is better to join a class when first starting out with Asana. The popularity of this discipline has seen to it that classes are offered just about everywhere, even in the small towns. No special equipment is required.

The popularity of Asana has seen to it that both beginners and more experienced practitioners are not short of resources. There are numerous books on the subject and the internet is home to a host of sites dedicated to teaching, supporting and informing practitioners. Beginners should note, however, that they need to discern between the various disciplines within Asana, otherwise they may become confused.

Most experts agree that there are numerous benefits to be had when practising Asana. It improves the general health, helps people to focus and concentrate and in many cases, relieves the symptoms of chronic conditions. It is easy to start and it can be afforded by anybody.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

top