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Everything You Need to Know About Hatha Yoga

There are times when one is heavily bothered by physiological troubles and a resolution for this scenario could lie in the practice of Hatha Yoga, which aims at physiological mastery with an objective of spiritual uplifting. Read on to know more.

What is Hatha Yoga?

Hatha Yoga simply refers to that form of yoga that uses physical postures to stimulate the various parts of the body. It includes the various types of yoga such as Ashtanga, Power Yoga, Iyengar, Vinyasa and so on. The term “hatha” means “force” or “willfulness” that is required to perform an activity. In simple words, you can say all the yoga poses and pranayama exercises can be classified as Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga focuses primarily on purification of the body as a path that leads to purification of the mind. The purification of body and mind is essential to be healthy.

Tools in Practice

1. Asanas – to gain control over the body

2. Pranayama – to gain control over the breath

3. Mudra – to manipulate and stimulate pranas (subtle energies)

4. Bandhas – to stimulate chakras (energy centers)

5. Kriyas – to purify internal organs

6. Mantras – to control the mind

Best Hatha Yoga Poses

There are 84 traditional Hatha Yoga poses. The most popular poses are:

1. Shirshasna - Headstand

2. Sarvangasana - Shoulderstand

3. Halasana- Plough Pose

4. Matsyasana - Fish Pose

5. Gomukhasana – Cow-Face Pose

6. Paschimotthanasna – Seated Forward Bend

7. Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose

8. Mayurasana – Peacock Pose

9. Natrajasana – Dancer's Pose

10. Vrkshasana - Tree Pose

What to Expect in A Hatha Yoga Class?

Generally, a Hatha class lasts 90 minutes. The class is divided into four sections.

1. Breathing:

First part of the class is about breathing exercises. You will do the two most important breathing exercises; Kapalabhati (forceful exhalations & Anulom Vilom (alternate nostril breathing).

2. Warm-up:

Second part covers warm-up exercises for the whole body. You will start with Surya Namaskar and then dolphin and leg raise. Surya Namaskar provides a full warm up to the spine as well as all the large muscle groups.

3. Asanas:

The third part will cover from 12 - 15 yoga asanas in the traditional sequence. You will hold the poses from the duration of 1 minute to 3 minutes depending on your capability. Every now and then there will be short relaxations in between the poses.

4. Final Relaxation:

This is the most calming part of the class. Here you will get 15 minutes deep relaxation which may put you to sleep.

Can Everyone Do Hatha Yoga?

Even though it is an extremely beneficial style of yoga, there are some people who should not attend a regular Hatha Yoga class. These include:

• People with neck or spinal injury.

• People with severe knee issues.

• People going through extensive injury recovery.

• Very senior citizens.

Benefits of Hatha Yoga

There are numerous benefits of Hatha Yoga that can enhance your well-being on a physical, mental and spiritual level. These benefits are mentioned below:

• It helps in managing stress and keeps mental health problems such as anxiety and depression at bay.

• It helps in improving the sleeping patterns of a person that provides them peaceful and qualitative sleep.

• It helps in maintaining the body postures and balancing of the body.

• It can also help in keeping your joints healthy and thus avoid the problems of arthritis and knee pain.

• It stretches all the parts of your body and helps in curing neck pain, arm pain and back pain.

• It helps to improve concentration and sharpens the focus

• It improves metabolism and body energy levels

Conclusion

A regular practice session of hatha yoga can help you deal with the problems of daily life and ensure that you lead a healthy and joyful life.

Sources: Arhanta Yoga, Britannica, Yoga Basics

Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your Doctor before starting a new medicine or health regime.

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Published on November 03, 2022