Information and tips on Hatha Yoga

When we think of yoga, we usually mean Hatha Yoga.
Hatha yoga is enjoying great popularity in the West and is often regarded as a synonym for yoga. However, this is not so, because Hatha Yoga is a form of yoga.

The word Hatha is composed of two parts: Ha means the sun, and that means the moon. It is no coincidence that this is the opposite of the celestial bodies sun and the moon because Hatha Yoga is about the balance of opposites.

This form of yoga focuses on improving the human body to act on the mind and consciousness and teaches mainly flexibility and patience.
The term Hatha comes from Sanskrit and means strength, stubbornness, violence, and oppression.

Hatha Yoga is the control of the breath, the science of breath. It is based on the relationship between the sun and moon, between solar and lunar nostrils. The opposite energies such as the sun and moon (hot and cold, male and female, positive and negative) are united to release our true potential energy which is lying dormant and undetected in most people.

 

The other branches of yoga concentrate on other aspects.

Any yoga practice is about the balance between effort and dedication. As the Tree (Vrksasana), we balance on one leg. For this, we need to connect to the pillar a firm and stable connection to the ground. If we take the other foot just up without pressing the mainstay in the yoga mat, we can’t to, because we lose balance.

Through Hatha Yoga, we develop a balance between the strength of our muscles and the flexibility of our joints. We practice challenging yoga sequences to relax afterward completely. Also, Hatha means energy, that is, Asanas so created that energy can flow freely.

Hatha Yoga is a yoga branch of the great yoga tree that mainly concentrates on the physical body with physical exercises (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama).“Hatha Yoga is the phenomenon of aligning the human system with the cosmic – a way to hold one’s system in a way that it will become a receptacle to receive and hold the entire cosmos.” – Sadhguru

History of this Yoga form

According to Wikipedia, the term Hatha Yoga has been mentioned already in the 15th century in a yoga scripture. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika: “There he is adjacent to spiritual yoga (such as Raja Yoga) from the physical Yoga that refers here to a stage taking to the Raja Yoga.

In addition to the Pradipika, there are two other important basic works of this form of yoga, the Gheranda Samhita and the Shiva Samhita.

From Hatha Yoga, many other yoga styles have developed over time. Ashtanga yoga, Bikram Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga or Yoga Sivananda.
All with the aim of the body first to make an effort on the asanas, and then to relax it. So, we reach the optimal body condition for meditation to rest the mind.

Yoga is a powerful tool for self-transformation. It invites us to turn our attention to our breathing, which helps us to dissolve our thoughts circles and to bring awareness to the moment of the here and now.

What is the health impact of Yoga?

Who has practiced this form of Yoga over a longer period of time, can tell with conviction about the positive effects on body and mind?

Undeniably the muscles, especially the spinal apparatus, will get stronger by the physical exercises. Also, the flexibility of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments increased significantly.

Burnout syndrome has started in the Western world and has not yet reached its peak. In times of collapsing health systems, science seems final to find interest in the effect of stress reduction through regular yoga.

“Hatha Yoga is the science of using the body to prepare oneself for the ultimate possibility.” – Sadhguru

More about stress management >Meditation – A Key To Stress Management

Read also> What is Yoga Meditation – A View On Yoga Meditation

What Is Hatha Yoga in Sadhguru’s Own Words |

I hope you liked to learn about Hatha Yoga or you may even practice it?

To begin you may like to Learn an easy 3 minute Yoga practice  

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Thank you 🙂