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.

Asana has no religious undertones, as many people still tend to think. It is not a sect either and it is not a mystic Eastern philosophy born from disciplines such as Buddhism. It is not merely a lot of exercises and poses either, as many others seem to think. Instead, it is a holistic philosophy that has as its aim to improve the minds, spirits and bodies of practitioners.

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.

It is interesting to note that Asana shuns any element of competition. No practitioner is ever urged to master new exercises or poses. Classes consist of individuals at various levels of proficiency which makes it possible for entire families to attend the same class. Many practitioners are happy with mastering only the basic poses and exercises while others are eager to progress much faster.

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.

There is no need to spend a lot of money in order to start with Asana. Any loose and comfortable clothing will do the trick and no equipment is used, apart from a mat. There are costs involved when attending classes at a studio but many practitioners are perfectly happy to work out at home or in the company of a few friends. This makes the discipline accessible to anyone.

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.

There can be absolutely no doubt that Asana is here to stay and that it benefits its millions of practitioners. They all enjoy a higher level of fitness, increased concentration abilities and a higher sense of inner peace. One could hardly ask for more and it is therefore no surprise that Asana is still increasing its popularity.