At A Yoga Studio Capitol Hill Residents Can Learn Many New Skills

By Paul Phillips


When Swami Vivekanada from India first toured the United States and Canada he never dreamed that his philosophy of Asana will find such fertile soil. It became extremely popular almost immediately and today millions of people all over the world practice Asana. The philosophy that Vivekanada preached aimed to improve the soul, mind and general health of practitioners. When visiting a yoga studio Capitol Hill practitioners learn how to improve the quality of their lives.

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.

Taking up Asana does not require the purchase of any equipment or clothing. It does not require any special facilities and can be practised anywhere, even in nature. Most beginners do invest in club membership, however, if only for a short while in order to learn the basics. Belonging to a club also holds the benefit of learning from experienced practitioners and sticking to a disciplined regime.

There are numerous sources of information about Asana. Websites, books, personal instructors and online forums all focus on Asana. Many studios even offer a free initial lesson. Before purchasing any material, it is important, however, to keep in mind that there are many different approaches to Asana and most practitioners and studios will adhere to one specific approach. Learning more about the different approaches may be well worth it.

It is easy to understand just why yoga has become so immensely popular among people from every conceivable culture and country. The many benefits simply cannot be denied and because it is suitable for anyone, it is the ideal family activity.




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