When Taking Up Yoga Ann Arbor MI Residents Opt For A Healthier Lifestyle

By Henry Powell


Swami Vivekananda is an Indian philosopher honored as the father of Asana. When he toured the United States and Canada late in the eighteenth century to promote his unique philosophy he could probably never have foreseen just how favorably it would be received. Commonly known as yoga in modern time, this philosophy has taken the world. Millions of practitioners in all countries say that they benefit greatly. So, when starting with yoga Ann Arbor MI residents also try to improve their own lives.

Numerous people still have misconceptions about what Asana is all about. It is definitely not a religion, as some people think. It has no deity and there are no religious elements forming part of the philosophy. It is not just a series of exercises and weird body poses either. Instead, Asana is a holistic philosophy that aims to improve the mind, body and spirit all at the same time.

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.

There have been many formal and informal studies into the health benefits of Asana. The general conclusion of most of these studies is that Asana offers many benefits indeed. All practitioners increase their overall flexibility and muscle strength but those with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and anxiety issues benefit decidedly. Many doctors actually advise their patients to take up this discipline as part of their treatment.

Taking up Asana does not require a large initial outlay. Any comfortable clothing will do and no special equipment is necessary. Many people prefer to join a class but this is not necessary in order to benefit. Asana can be practiced anywhere, even alone while at home. Beginners are advised, however, to attend at least a few classes in order to master the basic poses and exercises.

There are plenty of resources available to both beginners and experienced practitioners of Asana. Many on line sites even offer free high quality training videos, discussion forums and Q and A opportunities. Book stores also normally stock a wide variety of material on this subject, since it is so very popular. Beginners should be careful and first make sure that they know which version of Asana they wish to pursue.

It certainly seems as if Asana can be of benefit to anyone, even the aged and those with serious physical disabilities. It does not cost a lot of money to practice and it can be done anywhere and at any time. Improved fitness, flexibility concentration abilities and focus are all things that can benefit anyone.




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