By Paul Phillips


Swami Vivekanda, an Indian and a devout follower of the Asana philosophy toured the United States and Canada some years ago to promote the many benefits offered by this unique philosophy. He could not have foreseen the tremendous reaction that he would get. People immediately flocked to learn more about Asana and very soon there were numerous practitioners. Today, millions of people in every country of the world practice Asana regularly. When attending a yoga studio Capitol Hill practitioners strive towards self improvement.

Many people shun this philosophy, mostly because they do not understand its true purpose. It is not a religion or a sect, as so many still think. It does not have a deity and it does not involve prayer. It is also not just some eccentric way of exercising consisting of weird poses. Instead, Asana is a holistic approach to improve the condition of the body, the soul and the mind.

Asana certainly does involve stretching and other physical exercises, but this is not all that it is about. The exercises and poses are designed to improve muscle strength, overall body flexibility and fitness levels. The exercises also help practitioners to develop inner calm, to improve their ability to concentrate and to become more disciplined. Anyone, even children, disabled individuals and the elderly, can benefit from Asana.

Most practitioners love the idea that Asana is not competitive at all. There are no systems for evaluation and every individual master new techniques and exercises at the pace that suits them best. Classes typically consist of groups of people that differ wildly in terms of fitness, experience, age and physical ability. Seriously ill people practice with extremely fit people, old people with young children and overweight people with thin ones.

Asana has been the subject of numerous formal and informal studies. Many of them specifically focused on the health benefits of Asana and all of these studies concluded that there are indeed many health benefits. People suffering from heart disease, arthritis, gout, muscle injuries and backache, to name just a few, all benefit greatly. Those suffering from anxiety or depression also find that Asana helps them to cope.

Starting with Asana does not involve purchasing any special equipment or clothing. It can be practiced indoors or out of doors. It can be practiced at any time and it can be practiced alone or with groups of other people. It is not even necessary to belong to a club. Especially beginners, however, are encouraged to attend at least a few initial lessons to help them master the basic techniques.

Anyone desiring to learn more about Asana will find that there is no shortage of information. There are websites, forums and books dedicated to this subject. Beginners need to understand that there are many different approaches to this philosophy and it is important to learn more about them. This will allow people to choose the approach best suited to them individually. Instructors can also give valuable advice in this regard.

There can be no doubt whatsoever that yoga benefits millions of people. It is the ideal family activity because it is not competitive and it does not require practitioners to maintain a certain pace. It does not come as a surprise to learn that the popularity of Asana is still on the rise.




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