Asahi Health - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Asahi is a Finnish health exercise based on the eastern traditions of T'ai chi ch'uan, qigong

Qigong

Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...

Yiquan

Yi quan, also known as dacheng quan, is a martial art system which was founded by the Chinese xingyiquan master, Wang Xiangzhai .- History :...

and yoga

Yoga

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...

, with a western scientific viewpoint. Asahi is designed to suit everybody, regardless of physical condition or age.

Asahi exercise is taught and performed in instructed groups, but Asahi can also be performed alone as a form of daily self-treatment. Asahi exercise is ideal for short breaks.

The History of Asahi

Asahi was created in Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

2004 by professional sports instructors and martial artists Timo Klemola, Ilpo Jalamo, Keijo Mikkonen and Yrjö Mähönen. They all had high regards towards classical body development techniques such as karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

, T'ai chi ch'uan, yiquan

Yiquan

Yi quan, also known as dacheng quan, is a martial art system which was founded by the Chinese xingyiquan master, Wang Xiangzhai .- History :...

and yoga

Yoga

, but these styles, as rewarding as they are, seemed to attract only a small marginal of the Finnish population.

These classical styles are quite complex and therefore may have a high starting level. They use concepts such as qi

In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...

and prana

Prana

Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" .It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", chakshus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus...

, which may seem mystical to western people.

The purpose of Asahi was to get the best out of these techniques, put it in the most simplified form, make it overall scientific and turn it into an easily approachable form - a health exercise for everybody with no starting level at all.

Asahi is designed to treat and prevent shoulder- and back problems, fractions due to falling down and stress-related psychosomatic problems.

The Principles of Asahi

Asahi is a series of slow movements, completed in silence. It looks harmonious and beautiful, a bit like qigong

Qigong

Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...

.

The basic six principles of Asahi are:

1. The linking of movement and breath

2. Practicing vertically erect body alignment

3. Whole body movement

4. Listening to the slow motion

5. Cultivating the mind with mental images

6. The exercise as a continual, flowing experience

The Asahi movements are soft and performed in the rhythm of breathing. The series is simple and easy to learn. The movements have also a practical function, for example picking up a ball from the floor or improving one’s balance by standing on one foot. Advanced levels are designed for long-term trainees, yet they are equally simple to learn.

Distribution

Asahi can be practiced in major areas of Finland. Asahi Health Ltd has also been accepted as an Education Partner to Federation of International Sports, Aerobics and Fitness

Federation of International Sports, Aerobics and Fitness

The Federation of International Sports, Aerobics and Fitness is an international non-profit "umbrella organization" active in over 40 countries. It is self-described as "the largest fitness industry organisation in the world" and "the largest instructor certification agency in the world". The...

as the first Body Mind -product to be recognized and recommended by this organization.

The History of Asahi

The Principles of Asahi

Distribution

See also

Further reading