Wednesday 20 February 2019

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 many misunderstandings about Asana, despite the fact that it is practiced everywhere and by so many people. There are still those that think it is an eastern form of religion that involves mysticism. Yet others think it is nothing but a series of stretching exercises and demanding poses. Asana is none of that. It is a holistic approach that aims to improve the spirit, the mind and the body.

Asana does entail certain stretching exercises and a number of poses that have to be learnt. However, the discipline is not about exercise alone. These exercises and poses are nothing but instruments that are used as vehicles to promote discipline, health, the ability to focus and a host of other benefits. There are many different forms of Asana. Some are more physically strenuous while others are more contemplative.

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.

A number of independent studies have been conducted to study the health benefits of this discipline. The findings are uniformly exceptional. Asana holds no dangers to practitioners at all. Instead, they benefit by becoming fitter, more flexible and healthier. People suffering from heart diseases, asthma, hypertension and a variety of mental disorders such as anxiety and depression have all benefited tremendously after they started practicing Asana. People concentrate better and they are generally more positive about life.

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.

It is not surprising that yoga has become so popular all over the world. It offers many benefits and it is suitable for everyone. Practitioners are healthier, fitter and more flexible. They generally feel better mentally too and many practitioners say that Asana helps them to cope with the many demands of modern life.




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